The Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s annual conference is the industry’s mecca, a gathering of thousands where biotech leaders showcase top-line data on experimental drugs and diagnostics, thousands of attendees wander eye-catching company exhibits that stretch for the equivalent of city blocks, and hope of new deals springs eternal.
And last week’s gathering in San Diego did not disappoint. BIO 2026 featured numerous sessions focused on drugs and diagnostics for key clinical challenges, from Alzheimer’s to oncology, from gene therapy to regenerative medicine. But one clinical field was dramatically under-represented. Only five of the more than 130 panel discussions focused on infectious disease. One of those focused on how to remain prepared for outbreaks when huge cuts have been proposed for pandemic prevention and infectious disease research by the U.S. government, the largest funder of such research on the planet. And just a single session focused on one of our largest public-health problems: antimicrobial resistance.
No wonder antimicrobial resistance is called the silent pandemic.
Over the next quarter century, drug-resistant pathogens are projected to kill 39 million people, which is more than five times the number who died from COVID from 2020 to 2024.
Many of the people most at risk are already medically vulnerable. They’re residents of low- and middle-income countries with poorly funded healthcare systems. They’re children. They’re poor. They’re elderly. And many are projected to succumb following medical procedures that today are relatively safe. These include lifesaving cardiovascular surgeries, hip transplants and cancer treatments of all sorts. Without effective antibiotics we can trust to squelch incipient infections, much of modern medicine is at risk.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
disAMR exists to counter the threat of antimicrobial resistance. As an organization, we’re working to empower stakeholders in academia, industry, NGOs, and public health by building infrastructure the AMR fight needs.
We’ll spotlight innovative solutions and the people developing them, we’ll explore paths forward, and we’ll connect the AMR community by convening digital events, and, eventually, live ones. That community includes our more than 700 AMR Ambassadors, who span the globe and deserve a special shout-out for their dedication to the cause.
Together, we’re building a space for those passionate about fighting antimicrobial resistance to learn about the challenge, explore solutions and meet the people developing them. It’s time to make some noise about the silent pandemic. Come join us, and if you are not already receiving our newsletter, disAMR Matters, sign up to receive it.
