Encouraging New Antibiotics in the Face of Drug Resistance -- the Economic Incentives

2/6/2002

From: Melinda Wittstock of Resources for the Future, 202-328-5019

News Advisory:

Ramanan Laxminarayan, RFF fellow and expert in the economics of antibiotic resistance, will be speaking on important new research on public policy for developing new antibiotics -- timely and important in the context of the bio-terrorism threat.

WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 13, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Resources for the Future, 1st Floor Conference Room, 1616 P. St. NW, Washington, D.C.

The rapid rise in bacterial resistance to antibiotics in recent years represents an enormous challenge to modern medicine. Even if we were able to encourage careful use of antibiotics to manage resistance, it may be inevitable that antibiotics currently in use will no longer be as effective in the future.

Laxminarayan will suggest that thinking about antibiotic effectiveness as a social resource could help us devise economic incentives that both encourage research and development of new antibiotics while ensuring that firms have a greater incentive to conserve the effectiveness of these valuable drugs.

------ RFF, an independent research institute, hosts regular Wednesday lunchtime seminars. They are offered as an opportunity for the public and members of the environmental, business, academic communities, government, and news media to learn more about research underway at RFF and other institutions. You are welcome to bring your lunch. Registration is not required. Space is limited.