US President Joe Biden is expected to unveil a $100 million research initiative on Wednesday, September 27, aimed at combatting drug-resistant bacteria, according to an anonymous White House official cited by Reuters. The World Health Organization (WHO) data reveals that over a million people worldwide die each year from infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with concerns mounting that infectious bacteria could become entirely resistant to even the “last-resort” antibiotics.
The US Centers for Disease Control reports that more than 35,000 people die annually due to drug-resistant bacteria.
The problem of drug-resistant bacteria has exacerbated following the COVID-19 pandemic, as many patients worldwide were prescribed antibiotics.
Experts globally have warned about the emergence of “superbugs,” evolved bacteria that develop resistance to antibiotics due to their misuse and overuse.
The growing need for new antibiotics capable of combating drug-resistant bacteria has not provided significant incentives for research by pharmaceutical companies, as antibiotics are not particularly profitable.
The Biden administration’s substantial investment is set to drive research under the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a government research agency launched last year by President Biden and the US Congress.
Reportedly, Biden will make the announcement during a meeting with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in San Francisco.
The council comprises academic experts and officials from companies like Advanced Micro Devices, Microsoft, and Google.
The unnamed White House official cited by Reuters also suggested that Biden might discuss an executive order in the works concerning artificial intelligence.
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