Professor Sir John Tooke PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said:
"I welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement of a review of the development of anti-microbial drugs. Antibiotic resistance is an issue which currently has an enormous global impact, the severity of which will only increase if this is not addressed appropriately. If current trends continue there is the threat of a return to a pre-antibiotic era.
There is much excellent research that UK and international medical scientists are performing in this area, but many significant gaps in our knowledge of antibiotic resistance remain and the reasons why pharmaceutical companies have been disinclined to invest in this critical therapeutic area must be addressed. Governments can play a strong role in facilitating partnerships between industry, academia and healthcare providers, upon which solutions will rely."
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