Combating Antimicrobial Resistance in 2015

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) lagged behind biodefense as a U.S. policy priority following the 2001 terrorist attacks. That has recently changed, as evidenced by President Barack Obama’s 2014 Executive Order on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and the subsequent U.S. National Action Plan outlining a whole-of-government approach to addressing antibiotic resistance. AMR has concurrently become a global priority, most notably at the World Health Organization and the Group of Seven (G7) in 2015. Despite recent progress, however, the United States still needs to formulate and articulate an overarching policy on economic incentives and business models that will stimulate research and development of new antibiotics while encouraging conservation and appropriate access globally.