As a researcher and Pro-Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, I am pleased to support Antibiotic Action, which is being led by a member of my College, Professor Laura Piddock. The call to reinvigorate investment and interest, both academic and financial, in the discovery and development of new antibacterial agents is vitally important, and one the research world must wholeheartedly support.
The problems posed by antibiotic resistance, the market failures that led to the decline in discovery and development of antibiotics, and the emergence of multi-drug resistant infections must be swiftly and appropriately addressed. These are no longer warning signs, but are imminent threats that could and will drastically reduce our ability to practice 21st century medicine. Through initiatives such as this we can begin to bring about the change that will enable us to discover and develop new agents to safeguard our ability to successfully treat infectious disease.
Professor Lawrence Young |Pro-Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Medical and Dental Sciences | University of Birmingham | UK