The Antibiotic Pipeline Has Delivered for Drug-Resistant Gram-Negative Pathogens, Now Global Access Must Follow

Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat, with an estimated 5 million deaths associated with resistant bacteria worldwide annually. While rates of resistance to carbapenems in gram-negative bacteria such as Enterobacterales, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are relatively stable in the United States, these rates are increasing worldwide. The burden of resistance is highest in low- and middle-income countries, with most associated deaths occurring in the Global South. Indeed, recent data have demonstrated that rates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) tripled in frequency in both South Africa and Brazil from 2018 to 2022, and rates now exceed 30% of tested Enterobacterales in both Brazil and India