Swiss Round Table on Antibiotics

Antibiotics, properly used, are a blessing in family and paediatric medicine. In addition to responsible use, which we vouch for, it is also important that new substances are found. Research and industry must support us in this.

The Round Table on Antibiotics is instrumental in bringing the “silent pandemic” caused by increasing antimicrobial resistance to the Swiss political agenda. Walking the talk, its highly motivated multi-disciplinary members are now defining an incentive system promoting the development of novel antibiotics, for its later piloting in Switzerland. Good to see things moving ahead!

Many biotech companies in Switzerland have novel antibiotic compounds in their pipelines. However, they – and the dwindling global community of antibiotics developers – are struggling to finance their innovative projects. This is due to a broken market, which despite an urgent need for novel antibiotics does not generate adequate revenue for them relative to their high development costs.

I am glad to see the Round Table on Antibiotics join the international search for incentive systems that will make the antibiotic market more attractive to investors again. Antibiotics are the core of modern medicine, and patients who are at risk of rapid disease progression or death urgently need novel antibiotics!