Global Antibiotic Pipeline Shows 12 New Candidates Targeting Drug...

The WHO global pipeline report on new antibiotics confirmed 12 new clinical-stage drug candidates targeting priority drug-resistant bacteria including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Three of the 12 candidates are being developed by Indian pharmaceutical companies — Dr Reddy Laboratories, Lupin, and Wockhardt — representing a significant step in India contribution to global antimicrobial resistance solutions. Two of the Indian-developed compounds use novel mechanism of action classes not previously represented in clinical antibiotic development. WHO said the pipeline remains critically underfunded compared to the scale of the AMR crisis but noted the Indian entries as a bright spot for innovation in a field traditionally ignored by pharmaceutical investment. The ICMR has committed Rs 800 crore over five years to support pre-clinical and Phase 1 antibiotic research in India.