NEWS RELEASE

AMR Conference Puts Focus on Research, Stewardship, Innovation and Diagnostics

Leading infectious disease experts will highlight issues critical to confronting, controlling and reversing the growing global public health threat of pathogens that are increasingly unresponsive to existing treatments, as the World Antimicrobial Resistance Congress opens today in Washington, DC. Drawing more than 400 health providers, regulators, funders, researchers, investors and industry as well as health policy leaders, the conference will examine urgent needs, challenges and solutions for antibiotic research and development, antimicrobial stewardship, rapid diagnostic technologies, and collaborative partnerships.

Dr. Paul Auwaerter, immediate past president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, will discuss the need to invest in the clinical, research and public health workforce to ensure comprehensive responses to antimicrobial resistance in a keynote address “The Other Pipeline Problem: Where are the AMR experts?” IDSA Senior Vice President Amanda Jezek, who will lead a discussion on working with policymakers on antimicrobial resistance solutions, also will participate in a panel examining “pull” incentives for antibiotic research and development. Participating IDSA members will discuss stewardship, rapid diagnosis and early treatment of infections, and clinical trial designs in the development of new diagnostics.

The conference will run through Friday, Oct. 26.