Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance with Vaccine Innovation: Obstacles & Insights

The discovery of antibiotics was one of the biggest medical breakthroughs in the 20th century and has since become a key part of modern medicine. However, with the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, officials have cited the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a major public health concern. According to recent studies, resistant bacterial infections cause almost 5 million deaths a year, with over 1.2 million deaths being correlated to AMR.
To address AMR, the biotech industry needs to put more focus on vaccine innovation. Vaccines have the potential to not only prevent infection, but also to reduce the need for antibiotics; a key driver of AMR. Out of the top bacterial pathogens that are most responsible for AMR related deaths, there is only one – pneumococcal disease – that has vaccines available.
What are some of the challenges being faced in vaccine innovation and development? How can the biotech industry come together to bring innovative AMR-relevant vaccines to the market?