Of the multitude of problems associated with developing new antibiotics, finding a way to provide financial incentives to companies doing the research is especially crucial. This is because antibiotics are not used like other drugs. Unlike a statin, which will be taken for life, they are used for a limited period of time. And they will not be "thrown around" as were the dozens of oral antibiotics that once came routinely from the pharmaceutical industry. We have learned this lesson the hard way. New classes of antibiotics will be controlled carefully, and be used mostly in hospitals. So, there is now little incentive for any company to remain in, or reenter the field, knowing that it will either make little money (or more likely, lose it) even if they come up with a successful drug.
In order to address the economic factors that make antibiotic research feasible, there are two basic incentivizing options that have been discussed over the years. They are referred to as "push" and "pull," both of which are described in detail in the Office of Health Economics May 2107 report entitled "Incentives for New Drugs to Tackle Anti-Microbial Resistance."
