German pharma takes on drug-resistant bacteria and TB

Doctors are constantly being confronted with bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics, so developing new treatments for infectious diseases is a top priority for the pharmaceutical sector. Germany’s drug firms are on the case, says the German research-based drug industry association, the VFA.

Seven new broad-spectrum antibiotics could be approved in the next few years. One of these has entered the European approvals process and the others are in Phase III of clinical development. A major problem is MRSA, as these bacteria have proved especially resilient to antibiotics. However, five of the treatments being developed have proved effective against MRSA and should be able to make a lasting impact on the disease. Moreover, one pharmaceutical group is attempting to develop a vaccine against it.