THE HILL | Antimicrobials are special among classes of pharmaceuticals for several reasons, including their use in the treatment and prevention of infections, and also as a vital component of the medical countermeasures to be used during a biological attack. In this opinion piece, authors Dr. Amesh A. Adalja and Greg Salmieri argue that the antimicrobial market is in crisis and governments need to radically change the philosophical and moral way they view the development and delivery of new products to patients. The treatment and control of infectious diseases is historically one of the most civilizing and life-enhancing activities undertaken by humans. It deserves to be recognized and monetarily valued as such.