PEW TRUSTS | The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is drawing attention to the need for effective antibiotics and continued efforts to thwart antibiotic resistance, now and in the future, writes Kathy Talkington, Project Director of the Antibiotic Resistance Project, at Pew Charitable Trusts. Many COVID-19 patients will likely die from secondary bacterial infections rather than the virus. Widespread antibiotic use amplifies the opportunity for resistant pathogens to emerge and spread. The antibiotic pipeline is already thin. The COVID-19 crisis highlights the pressing need to accelerate development of new antibiotics. We cannot afford to be caught flat-footed when a new superbug crisis emerges.  If a company had made a COVID-19 vaccine in 2018, it would have had zero value, Kevin Outterson, CARB-X Executive Director, says. But today, it would be worth trillions. Just like the COVID-19 pandemic, antibiotic resistance is a global threat that must be fought with preparation and early action.