Lubbock Times

On July 25, 2024, the House Budget Committee convened a bipartisan roundtable to discuss the budgetary impacts of antimicrobial resistance and challenges in antibiotic development. The session was led by Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and Health Care Task Force (HCTF) Chairman Michael C. Burgess, MD (R-TX). Representatives Drew Ferguson (R-GA) and Scott Peters (D-CA), who introduced H.R. 2940, known as the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act, also participated.

Chairman Arrington highlighted the need for innovative approaches: “We have the best physicians, the best facilities, the best technology, and everybody else has the technology we develop here, but we just can't seem to put it all together. Dr. Burgess is leading the charge to think outside the box, and unleash new ideas for us to examine, leaning on the market forces of innovation, competition, and consumer choice in a way that truly saves lives and creates value for taxpayers. I want to also thank Dr. Ferguson for being the champion on this important issue.”

HCTF Chairman Burgess emphasized public health protection: “We are here tasked with safeguarding public health. That is extremely important to us. That’s why we're so fortunate to have Drew leading the charge on the PASTEUR Act, to try to make some budgetary sense of the way this country handles antibiotics. I would far rather practice in a time when antimicrobials are available than a time when they were not available. We're here to explore innovative solutions. Our commitment is to collaborate to curb antimicrobial resistance and protect future generations in this crucial endeavor.”

Representative Ferguson pointed out ongoing investments: "We've been investing in AMR for a number of years, and there's some great research being done. But then these innovative companies go bankrupt. Now, we have a bipartisan, bicameral bill moving. It's important for America, and it's important for the world. We want to be the ones solving this problem. We don't want our adversaries solving this problem for us."

Representative Peters discussed market challenges: “I represent the third largest biotechnology cluster in the country in San Diego. When I talk to companies, I believe in the market as a way to generate solutions for these things. But the market doesn't work here because the course of treatment is so slow that everyone's getting out of it; you can't induce investment into that risk with no return. We are trying to figure out a way to make it make sense that people will create new antibiotics. But another thing I think we're up against is how we budget; we must be willing to spend some money today to save money later and CBO doesn't always give us that mechanism."

The roundtable featured industry experts discussing potential solutions aimed at fostering antibiotic development while addressing fiscal constraints.