Antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread to others.

Antimicrobials - including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics - are medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants. Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as “superbugs”.

There are an estimated 5 million global deaths associated with bacterial AMR every year, a number that is predicted to double to over 10 million by the year 2050.

When fighting a dangerous adversary, an equally formidable strike force is needed. In the battle against AMR, the formation and use of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) is crucial. These initiatives are the concentrated efforts between clinicians, microbiologists, and clinical pharmacists that aim to reduce the unnecessary use of antimicrobials while simultaneously monitoring the threat of AMR on a local and global scale.

It is not enough to create new classes of antimicrobials or to repurpose older compounds. Rapid diagnostic systems that can be seamlessly integrated into ASPs and the diagnostic workflow are crucial.

Faster AST technologies can shorten the time to optimal patient treatment and help prevent the emergence of individual and societal AMR by minimizing the use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials.

AST technologies must be easy to update and expand based on the ever-evolving requirements set by AMR and clinical demand. When the future is impossible to predict, drug panels.