FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box 53313
1921 Florida Ave NW
Washington, DC 20009-9997
November 3, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Last week, the Doctors for America (DFA) FDA Task Force, along with 19 individuals and organizations representing physicians, researchers, policy experts, and leading experts in public health sent a letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Reed (D-RI) and Ranking Member Inhofe (R-IA) urging them to exclude the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions To End Up surging Resistance Act (PASTEUR Act) from this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Antimicrobial resistance is deeply concerning to physicians and the patients we treat, as over 3 million Americans contract antimicrobial-resistant infections and almost 50,000 people die as a direct result each year. Unfortunately, the PASTEUR Act is not a solution to the problem of worse patient outcomes. This legislation provides billions of dollars for antimicrobials that are newly developed, but these drugs are not required to prove clinical effectiveness before entering the market. Additionally, studies have shown that most new antimicrobials and antibiotics approved in recent years are not shown to improve patient outcomes compared to older drugs. In fact, new antibiotics may be worse, as they are approved based on studies that include few – if any – patients with resistant infections and intentionally exclude patients who are older or sicker, the exact types of patients for whom the drugs are intended.
Additionally, the PASTEUR Act is not relevant to be included as part of the NDAA. We agree that antimicrobial resistance is a threat to readiness, but available evidence from the Department of Defense shows that stewardship efforts are working. The signatories of this letter agree that this means there is time to develop drugs that have been proven to be effective for the patients who need them the most.
We look forward to working with Congress on a truly effective solution to antimicrobial resistance that will save lives and improve the health of all patients facing infection.
Please find the full letter here urging leaders in Congress not to include PASTEUR in this year’s NDAA.
About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. We are 27,000 physicians and medical students in all 50 states, representing all areas of specialization. Our impact areas focus on access to affordable care, community health and prevention, and health justice and equity. DFA focuses solely on what is best for our patients, not on the business side of medicine, and does not accept any funding from pharmaceutical or medical device companies; which uniquely positions DFA as the organization that puts patients over politics and patients over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on Twitter @drsforamerica.
For press inquiries for members of the FDA Task Force and Doctors for America please contact Claire Onyechi with Continuum Health Group ([email protected]).
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