Hidden AMR pandemic challenges

• India is at the forefront of the silent pandemic of superbugs, with a quarter of antibiotics consumed globally.
• Annually, 300,000 direct deaths are attributed to Antibiotic Resistance (AMR), with superbugs contributing to 10 lakh additional deaths annually.
• Even minor infections can escalate into deadly wounds if the body doesn’t respond to antibiotics.
• There’s a lack of innovative antibiotics developed in recent decades, leading to more patients with seemingly minor infections seeking complicated treatments and surgeries.
• The situation is attributed to the resistance to early antibiotics, which were easier to isolate from soil.
• Pharmaceutical companies are investing more in anti-cancer medication research than antibiotics.
• There are only 27 drug candidates in clinical development for priority bacteria tackling AMR, with most failing along the way.
• There is a market distortion with how antibiotics are developed and valued, leading to a dry pipeline.
• There is less value placed on antibiotics as drugs due to the high cost and limited availability of generics.
• There’s a need for stricter government enforcement to restrict the prescription of antibiotics, even for minor illnesses.