New network fights against the looming antibiotic pandemic!

New network fights against the looming antibiotic pandemic!

Today the commitment of German scientists in the fight against antibiotic resistance becomes clear. Prof. Dr. Sören Gatermann, the head of the National Reference Center (NRZ) for gram-negative hospital pathogens at the Ruhr University Bochum, will be a new member of the German Network against Antimicrobial Resistance (DNAMR). Together with Dr. Niels Pfennigwerth, deputy head of the NRZ, will be part of this initiative, which was founded in 2022 to advance the development of new antibiotics. The challenges posed by resistant bacteria are constantly increasing, as the NRZ annual report, published in May 2025, makes clear. There, an increase in resistant germs is documented in samples, many of which are insensitive even to reserve antibiotics. This represents a dangerous situation for patients being treated in hospital as there are few treatment options left. This situation adds to the urgency of DNAMR's concerns.

The DNAMR aims to motivate politicians to strengthen the economic system around the research and development of new antibiotics. The focus is particularly on the development of ten to fifteen new antibiotics, which are to be brought onto the market in the next 15 years. According to an international research group, there were around 4.95 million deaths worldwide in 2019 due to infections with resistant bacteria.

A slow pandemic

The G7 countries and the World Health Organization (WHO) describe the increasing number of resistant bacterial pathogens as one of the greatest global threats. The DNAMR network strives to inform German politicians about the urgency of the issue and to make appropriate recommendations for political measures. These efforts are essential to create a broader framework of support for the development of resistance-breaking antibiotics.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. This makes it much more difficult to treat bacterial infections such as pneumonia, blood poisoning, and urinary tract and skin infections. The pathogens of particular concern include:Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureusandKlebsiella pneumoniae. These bacteria lead to more severe disease and higher death rates, while at the same time increasing costs for the healthcare system.

Global challenges

The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Antimicrobial Resistance Collaborators investigate the development of AMR and provide regular reports on the global burden of resistant pathogens. Recent data collection encompasses over 520 million datasets, including microbiological studies, hospital discharge data, death registers, pharmaceutical sales, and surveys on antibiotic use. This data serves as the basis for forecasts of the future development of AMR up to 2050.

The Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) in Ghana has made an important contribution to this valuable research. The commitment of such institutions and networks remains essential in order to overcome the challenges posed by antibiotic resistance and to ensure medical care in the future.