FINANCIAL TIMES | We have known for years that a deadly problem is worsening. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) — when infection-causing microbes become immune to the medicines used to combat them — is growing. Pipelines for drugs that could defeat such “superbugs” are precariously thin. Each year, 700,000 people die around the world. As a global society, we know AMR is spreading.  We know about it, and we know what needs to be done: create a viable environment that fosters research and development and ensures that the growth of resistance is sustainably managed and controlled. If we had had the foresight to develop a drug to prevent or treat coronavirus a few years ago, we would not be in the midst of a global pandemic today.  Like coronavirus, AMR is a global threat, with commensurate benefits to be gained from early action.