Bill would spur development of antibiotics

WASHINGTON, June 15 (UPI) -- A bipartisan bill in the U.S. House that would spur development of new antibiotics drew praise from the Pew Health Group's Antibiotics and Innovation Project.

The Generating Antibiotics Incentives Now Act was introduced Wednesday by Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., and co-sponsored by Reps. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.; Gene Green, D-Texas; Anna Eshoo, D-Calif.; Mike Rogers, R-Mich.; Ed Whitfield. R-Ky.; and John Shimkus, R-Ill.

Among other things, the bill would incentivize creation of new antibiotics to combat serious drug-resistant infections.

"Antibiotics save millions of lives each year. Yet our current arsenal of these life-saving medicines is dangerously low, tens of thousands of Americans are dying each year from drug-resistant infections and too few new antibiotics are in the pipeline," Sharon Ladin, director of the project, said in a statement.

Ladin said the legislation "addresses market failures that are stifling antibiotic innovation. This legislation represents an important first step."