by Balasegaram M, Pécoul B, Gray G, Sharland M, Swaminathan S. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2019, 19(6):573-574. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30214-2
Summary: New-born babies, infants and children are substantially affected by antimicrobial resistance, with an estimated 214,000 newborns dying from drug-resistant bacterial infections in 2015. Guidelines and evidence-based treatments are lacking, and few drug development projects are dedicated to new antibiotics for this population. The authors of this commentary call for:
- An appropriately resourced initiative to accelerate completion of paediatric clinical studies of newly registered antibiotics or drugs in the late stages of development.
- Additional strategic clinical trials for old and new drugs, targeting key population groups and public health needs.
- Recommendations that can be applied in different sub-populations, geographies, and diverse resistance patterns.
The Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership is working with partners to launch a Global Paediatric Antibiotic Platform to address these concerns.
