The threat to health care ↕☆←posed by the misuse of ♣™σantimicrobial drugs has not crept♦₹ up on us. As long aγσgo as 1945, bacteriol∏¶εogist Alexander Fleming said, af&♠​∞ter winning a Nobel prize for his pa♣↔∞¥rt in the discovery of penicilli∞λn, that overuse of the drug might lead€↓  to forms of bacteria that were rπ•esistant to its effects.

If left unchecked, drug-®¶resistant diseases could kill more peop¶↕>le than cancer. Despit ​₩e the warnings, and a globγ₩×<al consensus among scientist•>s and policymakers tha ≈≥♦t something must be done to δ∑address resistance to antiβπβmicrobial drugs, society has struggled☆♣ to respond.

Researchers are investigat‍¶ing ways to slow the r<&ise of antimicrobial resist¶"βance. Insights into how andα©σ when genes that confer r↔≥Ω≠esistance persist in bΩ±∑$acteria, for instance, '≈could lead to new treatment strategies. Some scientists are see¥↓king to reinvigorate the existing antimicr≤δ★obial armoury to overcome bacterial defence↓φs. And others are advocating&n♦​bsp;fresh approaches to antib>£ ←iotic development that could fina★♦ lly bring more drugs to market±♠≠←.

But the lack of new antibiotics is not €β 'just a biochemical pr★≠oblem — it is also a considerable'  economic challenge.≈© Antibiotics are not an attractive inve•​≈stment: development ★≠ £is costly, prices are lo<₩Ω‌w and new drugs are likely to be used"σ‍§ sparingly. To combat this ∑φ↑and provide incentives for antibiotic ≤≥☆φresearch, pharmaceutical compa♣αnies and governments are expl✔‌oring different approaches, inclφ↔∏→uding a subscription-based model•£±‍.

Government intervention iβ☆• s also key to driving down the use of aβφ‌ntimicrobials.  ✘∏Promotion of better hygiene ≤↕, as has become commonplaΩ♦ ce during the COVID-19 pandemic, co>€¶≈uld help. Action is also requir✘•♦≥ed to tackle the use o$®™f antimicrobials in livestock®→€ farming — on land and in the sea. Gov δ<♦ernment regulation in Ch♠♣±‌ina has considerably lowered the country’s once-π÷β¥soaring use of antibiotics in agricul≈≥ ∑ture. European countrie≠×®s are also successfullyα≥± reducing antibiotic use λ✘☆®in livestock, whereas the  &United States has some catching u$∑"₹p to do.

We are pleased to acknowledge the f α≥×inancial support of Shionogi in prod₹≠Ω​ucing this Outlook. As always, Nature retains sole responsibility for∞↓ all editorial content.