More antibiotic development needed, warns UK's HPA

Ahead of its annual conference, the UK's Health Protection Agency issued a warning about the need for new antibiotics to be developed to ensure the range of treatment options for some infections does not run out. Alongside new development, other crucial factors in battling the war over so called "superbugs" include more careful prescribing, better infection control and general awareness among the health profession and public about appropriate antibiotic use.

According to David Livermore, an expert at the Agency, "the news relating to antibiotic resistance is currently a mixed picture. The good news is that we have more treatment options available for what we call Gram-positive bacteria, for example with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus there are several antibiotics to choose from and a number of new options in the advance stages of development."