Should the U.S. government intervene to help avert the current antibiotic crisis?
Eisenstein: We cannot always rely on the marketplace to do what is right and in the best interests of society as a whole. Therefore, sometimes government intervention is needed, as with the antibiotic shortage crisis we are now facing. The government can intervene in a number of ways by increasing support to government agencies like the NIH (for additional basic and clinical research), CDC (surveillance and infection control), and FDA (streamlined regulatory review processes and updated guidance on older, nearly obsolete drugs). More importantly, it can provide financial inducements to reinvigorate antibacterial research in the private sector, as it has helped with vaccine development. This could include: extension of orphan drug exclusivity to antibiotics, R&D tax credits, guaranteed loans and liability protection, and assurances of purchasing and stockpiling antibiotics that are the most active against important resistant bacteria. These types of push-and-pull strategies can have an
