There already exist some promising new antibiotic therapies, and more are in the pipeline. However, our economic model prevents researchers from moving them out onto the market.
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The end of effective antibiotics will be frightening. Life expectancy will fall dramatically and people of all ages will die from illnesses that we are used to treating with $10 worth of pills.
Research shows potential for delivering our drugs in ways that would make it harder for antibiotic resistance to evolve and spread. Here we see a close up view of a biofilm of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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Rees Kassen, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
As a post-antibiotic future beckons, how can humanity protect itself against the proliferation of superbugs? Research suggests ‘drug sanctuaries’ in hospitals could be a promising solution.
Drug-resistant strains of gonorrhoea, once easily dispatched with penicillin, are spreading across the globe resulting in chronic pain and sterility.
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