DrMcPharma ep. 29: Antibiotics: Golden Age to Resistance Crisis and Future Solutions

Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance: Antibiotic Resistance

The provided text outlines the history of antibiotics, beginning with the serendipitous discovery and subsequent industrialization of penicillin, which marked the dawn of the antibiotic era. It then details the "Golden Age" of antibiotic discovery (1944-1970), a period of unprecedented output due to systematic screening methods. However, the document highlights the inevitable emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), explaining its biological mechanisms and the human activities, such as overuse in medicine and agriculture, that have accelerated its spread. Finally, the text addresses the current dual crisis of AMR: a dwindling pipeline of new antibiotics due to significant scientific and economic hurdles, and the escalating human and economic costs of untreatable infections. The conclusion emphasizes the urgent need for a multi-pronged global strategy involving new scientific approaches and innovative economic policies to combat this growing public health threat.