Keywords: German pharma, VFA, antibiotics, MRSA,

German Pharma overcoming resistant bacteria

Article | 26 November 2009

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"Bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics are becoming ever more widespread", says Cornelia Yzer, general manager of the VFA (the German Pharmaceutical Industry Association), in a statement to mark European Antibiotic Awareness Day, an initiative by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. "Pharma firms are therefore working hard to provide the German market with new antibiotics to tackle resistant germs. They have already requested official approval for two, while six more are in the final phase of clinical trials."

A particular problem is MRSA (staphylococcus aureas), which is resistant to a wide range of drugs. But five of the eight drugs are effective against MRSA. Indeed, two companies are testing potential vaccines against MRSA. Doctors combating tuberculosis are also increasingly having to deal with widely resistant germs. "Several pharma groups are developing and testing new antibiotics against this disease", said Yzer. These are designed not only to succeed where previous drugs have failed but also to significantly shorten treatment times, which are currently typically six months or more. Three new drugs are being tested on patients, along with one that has already proved effective against other infections.

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"New antibiotics are crucial to fighting infections, but just as important is using existing treatments responsibly", said Yzer. That includes avoiding overusing them by only applying them when it makes medical sense.

Meanwhile, the VFA also welcomed a new government report providing the first comprehensive overview of the entire health sector (stretching, for instance, to health tourism and the fitness industry).  Official statistics have so far only captured parts of it. According to the study the sector is the largest in the German economy, accounting for 10% of GDP in 2005, a figure that could rise to 12.8% in 2020, with employment climbing from 5.3 million jobs to 7 million in the same time span. "The study confirms the significance of the health sector", says Yzer, "and given the increasing demand for medical treatment in an ageing society, the outlook for the industry is encouraging. It's now "time to consider the political and legal framework required to help the industry to exploit its growth potential. In this context, economic, health and R&D policies must be consistent."