Congress Reintroduces PASTEUR Act to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance

US Senators Michael Bennet and Todd Young, and Representatives Mike Doyle and Drew Ferguson recently reintroduced the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act to combat antimicrobial resistance and encourage drug development. 

The PASTEUR Act, first introduced in September 2020, aims to improve the appropriate use of antibiotics and ensure domestic availability of medications when needed.

“After witnessing the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more clear that we need to invest in research to prepare for the next public health crisis,” Bennet said in the announcement.

“Infectious disease experts are already sounding alarms, and they need resources to prepare for the threat that antimicrobial resistance infections pose. With our bipartisan PASTEUR Act, we have the chance to not only learn from the mistakes we have made up to this point, but to invest in tools to better prepare for the future,” Bennet continued. 

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) considered antimicrobial resistance one of the ten largest global health threats. The CDC found that over 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the US annually and more than 35,000 people die as a result.

Top pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and GSK, have worked to combat antimicrobial resistance through funding and group initiatives. 

But the bill’s sponsors say the US government must respond to antibiotic resistance and take action to expand the ability of the US healthcare system to prevent, identify, and respond to the infection pandemic threat posed by antimicrobial resistance. 

According to the announcement, part of this plan was to boost development of innovative antimicrobial drugs to treat resistant infections. But many innovative antibiotic companies have filed for bankruptcy and stopped producing critical drugs due to market failures in the healthcare system. 

Ultimately, the PASTEUR Act would address those market missteps and increase public health preparedness by keeping novel antibiotics on the market and improve appropriate use across the healthcare system. 

Additionally, the bill would build on existing frameworks to improve usage of the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network, the Emerging Infections Program, and other programs to collect and report on antibiotic use and resistance data. 

Many industry stakeholders, including PhRMA, Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Antimicrobial Innovation Alliance released statements showing support for the reintroduction of the PASTEUR Act. 

Barrett Thornhill, executive director the Antimicrobial Innovation Alliance, said in a statement in the announcement that the PASTEUR Act represents the most thoughtful, balanced, and meaningful mechanism to “pull” through life-saving medicines for patients in need. 

And David Hyun, director of Pew’s Antibiotic Resistance Project, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder that the nation must prepare for threats to public health and the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

“Too many drug companies have already left the field, and the pipeline of new drugs is running dry. This bipartisan bill puts forth an innovative strategy to spur development, and make sure these lifesaving drugs will be available when we need them,” Hyun said in a statement in the announcement. 

Andrew Powaleny, senior director of public affairs of PhRMA, said that the PASTEUR Act is a proposal that will create desperately needed incentives to ensure the availability of critical-need antimicrobial products and encourage the development of new antimicrobial medicines.

“The PASTEUR Act is one part of the solution to bolstering our preparedness for the AMR crisis and enhancing health care resiliency to make sure we are stronger, healthier and better prepared for the next public health emergency,” Powaleny said in an emailed statement. 

“Efforts such as the PASTEUR Act, are needed to advance new reimbursement methodologies and incentives that enable appropriate patient access and create a sustainable and predictable ecosystem for antimicrobial R&D and commercialization,” he continued.