Senate Committee Supports Research in Antimicrobial Resistance

Occasionally, Congress does something right. In this case, they are making research to develop new antibiotics a priority:

A key Senate committee is supporting more antibiotic research and development and more research into the mechanisms of resistance at the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

As a result of the efforts of IDSA and others to raise awareness about the need for effective drugs to treat resistant infections, the Senate Appropriations Committee has included language in its report for the bill funding NIAID urging the agency to "move aggressively to strengthen translational research efforts in the area of antibiotic research and development."

While committee reports do not have the force of law, agencies take them under strong advisement because their future funding may depend on the ability to demonstrate progress in areas that the committee has highlighted. The committee report language especially encourages NIAID to help improve the pharmaceutical pipeline for drugs to treat multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacterial infections
and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

The report also includes language relating to the development of vaccines for these same infections. The language "urges NIAID to assist in supporting advanced development and clinical studies needed to make vaccines and immune therapeutics available for prevention and treatment of these life-threatening infections."