• Question: We are running out of antibiotics; are there infinite types of them or will we simply run out?

    Asked by Izzy to Aaron, David, Elaine, Sarah, Zoe on 12 Nov 2014. This question was also asked by smivandiz.
    • Photo: Aaron Acton

      Aaron Acton answered on 12 Nov 2014:

      Repeated medication can lead to a resistance to the medication by the body leady to the medication becoming ineffective. However, antibiotics are usually only perscribed in cases where they are essential in order to try and prevent drug resistance by the body. If we do become resistant to medication then I believe that science has progressed so far that alternative medications will be avilable. Alternatively there are different drug delivery methods which can deliver the same antibiotics to the body and overcome the problems of drug resistance.

      Never fear I don’t think we will run out of antibiotics, the drug industry are always making new and innovative ways of making more and designing new treatment strategies 🙂

    • Photo: David Foley

      David Foley answered on 12 Nov 2014:

      Actually, I disagree a little with Aaron (no offence, mate). He is correct in his explanation of how resistance arises, but I think we still face real problems with over- and unnecessary prescriptions of antibiotics in both people and animals (which is a major pool of resistance potential that is often not discussed).

      People continue to demand some pills from their doctor, which either will be ineffective because their illness is viral in origin, or they don’t fully complete because the feel better half way through the course of medication.

      I would also argue that we are in dire need of new antibiotics and we are “running out” already. There is little market for the big drug companies to get involved in antibiotic research – any discovery they make will be held in reserve by hospitals as the last defence and there will be limited profit potential.

      It will therefore fall to academic groups and biotech companies to plug this gap – and whilst we are getting there (http://app.dundee.ac.uk/pressreleases/2013/february13/newcentre.htm), we have a long way to go before we can match big pharma’s experience.

      PM David Cameron recently warned of us returning to “the dark ages” if this challenge is not met – and he is right.

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-28098838

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