- “We conservatively estimate that wild-card patent extension applied to one new
antibiotic would cost $7.7 billion over the first 2 years, and $3.9 billion over the
next 18 years.”
Spellberg, B., Guidos, R., Gilbert, D., et al. (2008). The epidemic of antibiotic-resistant
infections: a call to action for the medical community from the Infectious Diseases
Society of America. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 46(2). pg. 155-164.
http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/46/2/155.full.pdf+html
- “Despite intensive public relations and lobbying efforts, it remains unclear
whether sufficiently robust legislation will be enacted. In the meantime,
microbes continue to become more resistant, the antibiotic pipeline continues to
diminish, and the majority of the public remains unaware of this critical
situation.” - “The result of insufficient federal funding; insufficient surveillance, prevention,
and control; insufficient research and development activities; misguided
regulation of antibiotics in agriculture and, in particular, for food animals; and
insufficient overall coordination of US (and international) efforts could mean a
lit eral return to the preantibiotic era for many types of infections. If we are to
address the antimicrobial resistance crisis, a concerted, grassroots effort led by
the medical community will be required.”
Spellberg, B. (2009). The global threat from deadly bacteria and our dwindling
arsenal to fight them. Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY.
Srinivasan, V., Nam, H., Nguyen, L., Tamilselvam, B., Murinda, S. and Oliver, S.
(2005). Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genes in Listeria monocytogenes isolated
from dairy farms. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. 2. pg. 201-11.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7605619_Prevalence_of_Antimicrobial_Resis
tance_Genes_in_Listeria_monocytogenes_Isolated_from_Dairy_Farms
Stewart, P., Costerton, J. (2001). Antibiotic resistance of bacteria in biofilms. The
Lancet. 358. pg. 135-38. http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-
6736(01)05321-1.pdf
- “Bacteria that adhere to implanted medical devices or damaged tissue can encase
themselves in a hydrated matrix of polysaccharide and protein, and form a slimy
layer known as a biofilm. Antibiotic resistance of bacteria in the biofilm mode of
growth contributes to the chronicity of infections such as those associated with
implanted medical devices. The mechanisms of resistance in biofilms are
different from the now familiar plasmids, transposons, and mutations that confer