The Next Line of Defense

Researchers are exploring alternatives: bacteriophages (viruses that eat bacteria), CRISPR-based approaches, and antimicrobial peptides. Some countries are testing subscription models — paying drug companies a fixed fee for access to new antibiotics regardless of how much is sold.

The clock is ticking. Without action, routine surgeries and minor infections could become life-threatening again, dragging medicine back to the pre-penicillin era.