A zombie apocalypse is unlikely, but a fungal outbreak

In fact, last month, the CDC warned The drug-resistant bacteria white ears Clinical cases tripled from 2019 to 2021 and are rapidly spreading across the United States. C. ear Can cause outbreaks in medical settings and cause up to death one third of infected patients.

Every day, more fungi develop resistance to current treatments.And without effective drugs to combat these infections, many of which can be fatal, It is only a matter of time before we experience a serious outbreak of fungal or other microbial infections.

2019, more people died From antibiotic-resistant infections than from HIV/AIDS and malaria. Deadly fungal infections are also on the rise, fueling rising rates of drug resistance. Globally, such pathogens are currently Over 1.6 million I live every year. And unless new treatments are developed, the impact of drug-resistant infections will only worsen in the years to come. By 2050, resistant infections could be deadly up to 10 million people every year.

Every time we breathe, we attract fungal spores into our bodies.up to 10 billion per day. The majority are completely harmless. And I’m happy to report that the body’s immune system can successfully fend off most of what poses a threat.

However, the immune system can also fail, most commonly in people with weakened immune systems or other health conditions that weaken the body’s ability to fight back.

A sharp increase in the number of fungal infections reported each year has been observed.that’s all 300 million people Every year, the world suffers from serious fungal infections. in the United States, 7,000+ Died of fungal infection in 2021, just 450 Deaths recorded in 1969.

Currently, there are only four classes of antifungal treatments available. Few things in the development pipeline.

World Health Organization identified the list This is what the organization started against bacterial pathogens in 2017.

The stress on the healthcare system from the COVID pandemic has not solved the problem. The CDC believes that hospitals 15% increase in drug-resistant infections in 2019-2020. Most of the CDC Recent reports upon white earscases resistant to echinocandins, the most commonly recommended antifungal drug for treatment C. ear– Tripled in 2021 alone.

The good news is that pharmaceutical researchers haven’t given up on the fight. It is in the stage of research and development in stages. Candida (include C. ear) and Aspergillus Inpatient Species.

There are other promising antifungal candidates in the pipeline, now including another first-in-class antifungal Under FDA review for the treatment of various fungal infections caused by Sprinkles and other rare types. But getting these new therapies across the finish line to patients remains a major challenge.

There is a strong unmet need for new antifungal drugs, leaving too few options for patients whose fungal infections are resistant to current drugs. Obtaining financial support for drug development or recovering development costs is difficult.

As a result, many companies in the biotech industry are unable to sustain their antimicrobial portfolios financially, losing promising research projects in the process.

of Late Marchmy company announced a partnership with GSKMore To commercialize and further develop new antifungal agents. We consider ourselves very fortunate that this agreement will allow us to continue our important research. Securing funding and spearheading research and development to bring innovative new treatments to market for small antibiotic manufacturers is a long and arduous battle.

Legislators have an opportunity to fix some of the shortcomings of the current system.

Several promising proposals are underway. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) recently announced The company is seeking industry partners to help develop next-generation antifungals to treat high-priority infections.

Congress can ignite antibiotic development by advancing the Pasteur Act, a law that creates a subscription-style contracting model between the federal government and drug developers. Essentially, the government pays a set upfront amount to access new antimicrobial product doses, whether lower or higher, required by government programs such as Medicare. This ensures that patients get the care they need, while ensuring the return on investment that drug developers need to bring the next generation of antimicrobials to patients.

zombie inside Last of Us Thankfully fictitious. But the threat of deadly fungal outbreaks is frighteningly real. Policy makers can’t afford to wait any longer for more attention to antifungal research and development.

David Angulo, MD is an infectious disease expert and president and CEO of the biotechnology company SCYNEXIS.

Opinions expressed in commentary articles on Fortune.com are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the authors. luck.

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