Joe Schwarz pens MLive op-ed about the GAIN (Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now) act | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
 
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Joe Schwarz pens MLive op-ed about the GAIN (Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now) act

March 7, 2012

Joe Schwarz wrote an op-ed for MLive encouraging lawmakers to approve the GAIN (Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now) act to combat drug-resistant bacteria.

According to Schwarz, each year multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria claim the lives of more than 100,000 people in the U.S. and incur $21-34 billion in health care costs, but the development of new treatments is waning.

Schwarz writes, "Despite the enormous health and economic costs associated with resistance, the antibiotic development pipeline is in danger of running dry. Fortunately, the GAIN (Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now) Act will make it economically viable for pharmaceutical innovators to begin rebuilding a robust antibiotic pipeline. This legislation will spur innovation through: extending exclusivity for innovator drugs; providing exclusivity for drugs paired with a companion diagnostic test; allowing eligibility for priority review and fast-track approval of antibiotics by the FDA; and reviewing antibiotic clinical trial guidelines."

Schwarz is a medical doctor, visiting lecturer at the Ford School, and a former member of Congress.