Infectious disease experts are urging Congress to allocate $6 billion to incentivize development of new treatments for drug-resistant infections, which have proliferated in hospitals during the COVID-19 crisis. The proposed bipartisan PASTEUR Act aims to establish a subscription model to pay drugmakers upfront for access to new antimicrobials. Economic conditions and regulatory disincentives have led several companies working on antimicrobials to file for bankruptcy. Antibiotics are societal drugs, as their use by one person affects many others. The pandemic has exacerbated the issue, with almost 80% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients receiving an antibiotic unnecessarily. U.S. cases of Candida auris and outbreaks of drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa have further highlighted the urgent need for new treatments. The PASTEUR Act would expand stewardship programs to support smaller, rural hospitals that may not benefit from robust clinical guidance around antibiotic use.

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