January 13, 2022 – BD announced a collaboration with Pfizer Inc. and global charitable foundation Wellcome to better understand the role of diagnostics in advancing antimicrobial stewardship practices around the world.
Building on ongoing efforts to advance the role of diagnostics in tackling the challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), this collaboration will survey existing diagnostic practices to highlight both benefits and gaps in diagnostic testing in AMR stewardship to improve and further advocate for patient care, clinical practice and health care economics.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines. These changes make infections harder to treat and increase the risk of disease transmission, severe illness and death. As the organisms that cause infections become increasingly drug resistant, even common medical procedures — including surgery, childbirth and chemotherapy — can become increasingly life-threatening. A continued rise in AMR could take 10 million lives globally each year by 2050 – more than currently die from cancer.
“Having the right diagnostic tools for the right contexts, and ensuring their uptake is crucial to fight antimicrobial resistance and save modern medicine,” said Dr. Gemma Buckland-Merrett, DRI Research Lead at Wellcome. “We need to preserve and sustain the efficacy and longevity of existing antimicrobials and protect the effectiveness of future drugs. This collaboration will help address the challenge and contribute to better outcomes for patients, clinical practice and health care.”