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Biden must act quickly to defeat another pandemic

Biden must act quickly to defeat another pandemic

BOSTON HERALD | COVID-19 isn’t the only infectious disease that killing Americans by the tens of thousands. Antibiotic-resistant fungi and bacteria known as superbugs claim thousands of American lives annually. And the death toll is expected to soar in the years ahead, as these microbes evolve to resist our most potent medicines. Fortunately, the Biden administration can avert a worst-case scenario, according to CARB-X Executive Director Kevin Outterson. But officials must act quickly to accelerate the creation of new and better treatments. Two bills in the US Congress offer a path forward: the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act, which would set up a ‘Netflix-style’ subscription reimbursement model for antibiotics, and the Developing an Innovative Strategy for Antimicrobial Resistance Microorganisms (DISARM) Act, which would grant extra funding to hospitals that use newer, more effective antibiotics when appropriate.

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