- Recent clinical studies presented at International Symposium organized by 
Fondazione Internazionale Menarini

The World Health Organization warns: invest more and invest now in research to 
avoid catastrophic consequences for public health

The introduction of new antibiotics would reduce the number of deaths related 
to superbugs from 50-55% to 10-15%: if these new antibiotics were used, one 
third of lives would be saved with more than 230,000 deaths averted at a global 
level per year, 11,000 of which only in Europe.

Recent clinical studies presented at the International Symposium organized by 
the Fondazione Internazionale Menarini held in Genova, where leading experts 
came together for an update on antimicrobial resistance, support these findings.

Every year infections related to antibiotic-resistant superbugs kill 700,000 
people worldwide, 33,000 of which in Europe. Numbers which are set to rise 
dramatically but "through a proper and earlier use of the novel antibiotics, 
some of which already on the market and others potentially upcoming in the next 
months, we could reduce the number of deaths by one third, as demonstrated in 
several pivotal clinical studies involving approximately one thousand patients 
affected by Klebsiella pneumonia," commented Matteo Bassetti, Chairman of SITA, 
the Italian Society of Anti-infective Therapy.

However, these new molecules are failing to reach patients as highlighted by 
the recent warning issued by the WHO: today, more than ever, antimicrobial 
resistance is a global threat which calls for immediate solutions to be found. 
The decline in private investments and a lack of innovation in the development 
path of new antibiotics will undermine the efforts made to tackle 
drug-resistant infections.

It is necessary that institutions, at different levels, and the pharmaceutical 
industry partner to strengthen their efforts and contribute with sustainable 
investments to the discovery and development of innovative treatments.

"A number of these new molecules have already been approved by the Food Drug 
Administration and the European Medicines Agency. It's clear that there are 
some issues in their adoption in the clinical practice despite being recognized 
as lifesaving weapons, as the new cancer treatments are, and should be 
introduced in therapeutic algorithms to be used properly, in an empiric way, 
and as earlier as possible to treat critically ill patients for whom a delay in 
starting the right treatment will impact on mortality rates and clinical 
outcome," stated Marin Kollef, Professor of Medicine at the Washington 
University School of Medicine.

"The successful advances in modern medicine as in surgical procedures, internal 
medicine, immunopathology, transplants, and cancer treatments allow for more 
efficient and refined procedures saving a huge number of lives but with no new 
antibiotics multidrug resistant hospital acquired infections threaten to 
reverse the miracles of the last half century," concluded Pierluigi Viale, Vice 
Chairman of SITA, the Italian Society of Anti-infective Therapy.

This is one of the reasons why experts are suggesting that regulatory 
requirements and market access procedures for new antibiotics need to be 
aligned with those implemented for the newest and most innovative cancer drugs, 
introducing simplified and accelerated approval pathways. 

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Source: Menarini I.F.R.