Antibiotics, once hailed as magic
bullets for battling infection are now facing serious challenge from their adversaries,
the bacteria, which are hitting back with renewed vengeance. A recent case of a
patient in New Zealand dying of bacterial infection (Klebsiella pneumonia)
which was resistant to all known antibiotics points to an ‘apocalypse’ scenario
in the future if corrective measures are not taken.
So where is the problem? First, the tendency to
overprescribe antibiotics for even slightest of infection is a big worry. Alexander
Fleming, the father of antibiotics had warned of dangers of antibiotic
resistance. In fact, Penicillin-resistant bacteria arrived while the drug was
still being given to only a few patients. Another breeding ground for
antibiotic resistant bacteria is in their rampant use in farm animals. Unfortunately,
for the pharma companies research interest into antibiotics have slowly waned
as there are far more profitable drugs to throw money at, since antibiotics are
usually single-serve drugs for humans, not long-term treatments. Drugs for
chronic conditions tend to be more profitable. And with drug resistance quickly
evolving, rendering older antibiotics ineffective, pharma companies have even
less incentive to invest in these drugs. However, recent trends suggest that
big pharma companies might be reviewing their strategy as Roche has re-entered
the arena through a $550 million tie-up with privately held Polyphor, a Swiss
company, to develop and commercialize an experimental antibiotic against
hospital superbugs.
The key is to collaborate with
Universities and small drug discovery companies that focus on infections as
Roche did. Smaller companies are looking at next-generation drugs or in some
cases alternative therapies. Some companies for example are looking at
bacteriophage therapy. But despite technical successes, these companies face an
uphill battle in developing a consistent, approvable product and haven't yet
found much commercial validation or attracted much investment. This is where
the experience and backing of big pharma companies would help. Another
alternate and a newer area of interest is the human microbiome, which can lead
to potential commercial therapeutics. Microbiome companies like Seres Health,
Vedanta Biosciences and Second Genome are a good bet as far as making the next
cut for coming out with a new approach to treating infections are concerned!
