EU ministers demand antibiotics action plan
The European Union (EU) Council of Ministers has told the European Commission (EC) that it wants within two years to have a "comprehensive action plan, with concrete proposals concerning incentives to develop new effective antibiotics".
The European Union (EU) Council of Ministers has told the European Commission (EC) that it wants within two years to have a "comprehensive action plan, with concrete proposals concerning incentives to develop new effective antibiotics".
The Council wants this plan to include ways of ensuring the "rational use" of antibiotics. The proposals should also "take account of the economic impact on the financial sustainability of healthcare systems".
Ministers told the EC it should draw on experience from existing EU initiatives to promote the development of orphan and paediatric drugs when devising new programmes to inspire the "development of new antibiotics for which a particular medical need exists".
The Council also wants the EC to monitor and regularly report on the public health need for new antibiotics, taking into account the emergence of antibiotic resistance; new antibiotic medicinal products; and alternative non-antibiotic methods to treat infectious diseases. Brussels should propose alternative health measures, whenever appropriate, it stressed.