Top Priority Pediatric Antibiotics in Development

by time news
  • Antimicrobial resistance is one of the top 10 threats to global public health.
  • In recent years, there has been a decrease in the number of antibiotics in development, from 31 in 2017 to 27 in 2021.
  • The WHO charged that the lack of incentives is one of the reasons why there are few pediatric antibiotics in development.

Today the World Health Organization (WHO) released a Formulation list for pediatric patients to establish priorities for research and development of age-appropriate antibiotics. The objective of this work is to identify antibiotics with an approved pediatric indication but which lack appropriate formulas for children and whose development should be a priority.

“The establishment of priorities is the first step to encourage research and development. Developing a prioritized drug list with the most needed formulas for children is essential to focus the efforts and resources of researchers and providers,” says the UN agency’s chief scientist, John Reeder.

The investigation also identified the Antibiotics in clinical development or approved without pediatric indication that should be given priority.

Few market incentives

The WHO criticized that in all disease areas the development of medicines for children lags unacceptably behind that of adults by almost a decade. He pointed out that one of the reasons is that there are limited investments, for which reason he emphasized the lack of market incentives.

Following the 69th World Health Assembly resolution on promoting innovation and access to safe, effective and affordable medicines for children, WHO and partners in the Global Pediatric Formulation Acceleration Network have intensified their efforts to fulfill this global commitment. They have also expanded activities to ensure that minors have adequate formulations.

Top Priority Pediatric Antibiotics in Development

The list published today includes three antibiotics that already have a pediatric indication but for which an optimal formula is lacking: amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, azithromycin and nitrofurantoin. In addition, cefiderocol, a reserve antibiotic for the treatment of infections caused by multiresistant bacteria in adults, remains under investigation for use in infants and children.

“Defining pediatric antibiotic priorities is vital. Antimicrobial resistance further complicates the situation. The WHO has declared it one of the 10 main threats to global public health and is working quickly with its partners to combat it, from the definition of essential objectives and awareness to surveillance and guidelines, ”stresses the deputy director general of the division. WHO Antimicrobial Resistance.

Two off-label pediatric antibiotics, cefepime-taniborbactam and sulbactam-durlobactam, promising drugs for treating pulmonary and urinary tract infections, have been listed to encourage more rapid investigation as their clinical development in adults progresses.

Leading cause of infectious mortality in children

Bacterial infections, especially pneumonia, neonatal sepsis, and gastrointestinal infections, remain the leading causes of infectious mortality among children under five years of age worldwide.

Despite the existence of many different classes of antibiotics, there are multiple challenges in treating children with bacterial infections, including lack of access to existing medications and high-quality microbiology laboratory services, especially in low-income countries. and means.

Lack of investment and poor clinical trial infrastructure for antibiotic research in general, and for studies in children in particular, further exacerbate the situation.

According to the WHO, there has been a decline in the number of antibiotics in development from 31 in 2017 to 27 in 2021. In the preclinical phase, before clinical trials can begin, the number of products has remained relatively constant over the years. last three years.

Also read:

Antidepressants could increase antibiotic resistance

The 5 most dangerous superbugs in the world: They are all resistant to current antibiotics

Why is antibiotic resistance generated?

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