I was listening to the report on Broadcasting House at the weekend on how the major drug companies in the world do not see it in their interests to create new general purpose antibiotics, they lack the ongoing sales of long-term illnesses. This seems pretty shocking and one of the demerits of providing shareholder value.
Somehow we all lose out and PVL (HPA FAQ on PVL), MRSA etc are serious threats. Probably more concerning than avian flu, this wikipedia article antibiotic resistance is striking reading.
Still the drive for shareholder value is not going to change, so why aren't the WHO going cap in hand to the major governments in the world and asking for a few billion to commission one of them to make some drugs. It would benefit us all and be more use than our efforts in Iraq etc.
It is a good role for the charitable benefactors of the world too, pumping money at HIV and Malaria is all well and good, but it seems we all need new antibiotics too.
