Global representatives of the diagnostics and pharmaceutical industries issued a joint declaration at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland calling on governments to take action, along with private companies, to support investment in the development of products to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Commercial drug and diagnostic developers agreed on a common set of principles for global action to promote antibiotic conservation and the development of new drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines. Prominent in the declaration was a call for increased usage of rapid, point-of-care diagnostics to improve antibiotic stewardship. “The in vitro diagnostics (IVD) sector is ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with colleagues from across industry to tackle the threat of AMR to human health,” said Doris-Ann Williams, chief executive of the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association, in an accompanying press release. “IVDs have a critical role to play in preventing unnecessary prescriptions of antibiotics or accurately targeting their use.” Calling the increase in AMR “dramatic,” the signees say combatting AMR needs to be a top priority for global public health policymakers. Eorts to combat AMR to date, the group says, have failed because of an “innovation gap” that results from a combination of scientific and commercial barriers. “The…
