The medicine cabinet is running bare against some of the world's deadliest drug-resistant bacteria.
Experts say the pipeline for new drugs to meet the threat has slowed to a relative trickle in recent years.
A European Union report says there are just 15 antibacterial drugs with potential to offer a benefit over existing drugs, and only five of those are at the stage of advanced testing on humans.
That echoes the findings of an Infectious Diseases Society of America report released at the first of the year, which points out that only one new antibacterial drug has been approved in the United States since 2004 and fewer than 20 are in the late stages of clinical development. Only one or two are thought to use a new approach to destroying germs.
"We know from past experience that few of these drugs likely will make it to market. Meanwhile, the antibiotics now in use are in danger of becoming ineffective as bacteria learn to outsmart them. This leaves doctors fewer and fewer options to treat life-threatening infections," said Dr. Richard Whitley, president of the ISDA.
The organization is pressing United States and European leaders to set up new government programs for antibacterial research and development in collaboration with academic researchers and drug companies.
Noting that the World Health Organization has identified antibiotic resistance as one of the three greatest threats to human health, the society wants the United States and Europe to commit to the development of at least 10 new antibiotics within the next decade.
A survey done by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control that was released last week found that half of all intensive-care doctors had treated at least one patient in the past six months who had an infection that was totally or almost totally resistant to antibiotics.
The survey found that 55 strains of bacteria had been identified as being totally resistant to antibiotics, including germs responsible for pneumonia, urinary-tract infections, wound and bloodstream infections and meningitis.
Good article.