The growing threat of drug-resistant infections is outpacing global efforts to contain them.

It is raising serious public health concerns and putting millions of lives at risk, a new report by the Access to Medicine Foundation has warned.

The warning is contained in the 2026 Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Benchmark released yesterday in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The summary of the report, which was released during a virtual conference, indicated that more than one million people die each year directly from drug-resistant infections.

The report also said AMR contributes to over four million deaths globally.

It warned that without an urgent action, deaths directly caused by antimicrobial resistance could rise to nearly 2 million annually by 2050, while total deaths linked to drug-resistant infections might exceed 8 million.

The Benchmark assessed the efforts of 25 pharmaceutical companies, including seven large research-based firms, 10 generic drug manufacturers and eight SME biotechnology companies, focusing on their roles in developing new antibiotics, expanding access to medicines and addressing the spread of resistance.

Findings showed that innovation in antimicrobial medicines was on the decline even as resistance grows.

The report recorded a 35 per cent drop in antimicrobial research pipelines among major pharmaceutical companies.

However, it identified seven innovative late-stage projects targeting some of the most dangerous drug-resistant pathogens. The projects are being developed by GSK, Otsuka and Shionogi, as well as biotechnology firms BioVersys, F2G, Innoviva and Venatorx.

Some of the medicines recently received regulatory approvals, offering hope in the fight against “superbugs”.

Among them is gepotidacin, a new oral antibiotic developed by GSK for treating uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs), the first new oral antibiotic class for the condition in nearly 30 years.

Another drug, zoliflodacin, which was developed by Innoviva, provides a new oral treatment option for gonorrhoea after decades without new therapies. (The Nation)