Antibiotic Resistance Is Accelerating Faster Than New Antibiotic Development

What's this about?

People disagree about whether antibiotic (germ-fighting drug) resistance grows faster than scientists create new drugs. Drug-resistant germs make some serious illnesses much harder to treat.

What supporters say

• Doctors have few safe choices for some severe infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria.
• The worst threats include some Gram-negative bacteria, which have strong outer shields.
• Drug makers test new antibiotics, but the list of possible drugs remains small.
• Many new drug ideas use old methods, so they may not beat the hardest germs.

What critics say

• Scientists cannot prove one exact worldwide speed for resistance growth versus new drug making.
• Some new antibiotics can still help patients, even when they improve older drugs.
• A lab drug does not always become a real treatment for sick people.
• Drug tests take years, and many drugs fail because of science, rules, or low sales hopes.

The bottom line

The evidence shows a real and growing gap, mainly for the most dangerous infections. New drugs have not kept up well enough, but we cannot measure one exact global race speed.