WHO Reports 40 Percent Jump in Antibiotic-Resistant Infections; BU-Based Nonprofit Leads the Fight Back
CARB-X, an antibiotics research accelerator, is helping bring new medicines, vaccines, and tests to clinics worldwide
A scientist tests for antibacterial resistance. A new WHO report says increasing resistance is a “growing threat to global health.” Photo by TopMicrobialStock/iStock
WHO Reports 40 Percent Jump in Antibiotic-Resistant infections; BU-Based Nonprofit Leads the Fight Back
CARB-X, an antibiotics research accelerator, is helping bring new medicines, vaccines, and tests to clinics worldwide
They are among our most essential modern medicines—and they are becoming increasingly ineffective, putting everyone’s health at greater risk. In a major new report, the World Health Organization (WHO) says antibiotics are losing their punch, finding that antibiotic resistance jumped 40 percent between 2018 and 2023.
The United Nations agency urges countries to step up surveillance and interventions to take on the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It’s a mission being led, in part, by the Boston University–based nonprofit CARB-X. Its goal is to pioneer new medicines, tests, and vaccines to keep life-threatening infections in check.
The WHO’s worrying Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025—which surveyed 22 antibiotics used to treat common ailments like gonorrhea and urinary tract infections—concludes that “increasing resistance to essential antibiotics poses a growing threat to global health.” The report pulled data from more than 100 countries, with resistance rates highest in Southeast Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean. “The burden of AMR is not evenly distributed,” the WHO says. “It is heaviest in countries with weaker health systems, limited diagnostic capacity and restricted access to effective essential antibiotics.”
Since its founding in 2016, CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) has given more than $450 million in funding to researchers and companies around the world developing promising new antibiotics, vaccines, and rapid diagnostics. That’s helped push three new products into the market—two diagnostic and one therapeutic—and another dozen into clinical trials. CARB-X was founded by the United States government and the global charitable foundation Wellcome, and its work is currently funded by a range of private foundations and national governments, including the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
The Brink spoke with CARB-X’s executive director Kevin Outterson, the BU School of Law’s Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Law, to find out how concerned we should be about the WHO’s latest report—and what the CARB-X team is doing to fight back against AMR.
Q&A
with Kevin Outterson
The Brink: The findings are frightening. How worried should we be?
Outterson: Those who are not worried about the rising threat of drug-resistant bacterial infections simply are not paying attention. The WHO’s report shows that about one-in-six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections were resistant in 2023, with particularly severe and rising resistance among Gram-negative bacteria that drive sepsis, organ failure, and high mortality. That level of resistance is already reducing treatment options and, without action, is expected to drive substantially higher morbidity and mortality. This translates to not only more human suffering, but strains on already-fragile healthcare systems.
Without unified and dedicated action, the world can expect more deaths from routine infections, higher surgical and cancer care risks, longer hospital stays, soaring healthcare costs, and potentially a return to an era where common infections become untreatable. Economically, unchecked AMR drains health systems and undermines development. The Lancet projections and WHO modeling show large increases in deaths without meaningful intervention. In short: more human suffering and collapsing resilience in healthcare.
The Brink: Did the findings surprise you?
No, not entirely surprised. We have been beating the drum of the threat of rising resistance for some time. However, the scale and pace are worse than many policymakers appreciate. Surveillance coverage has expanded with more countries reporting, which partly explains higher totals. Even allowing for reporting bias, the trends are alarming and consistent with other pipeline and diagnostics warnings.
The Brink: Is this just about the overuse of antibiotics or are there other factors at play?
Overuse and misuse are major drivers of growing resistance, but they’re not the whole story. AMR is multifactorial: inadequate infection prevention and control, poor access to rapid diagnostics that guide targeted therapy, overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture, and, critically, a failing commercial model to support antibiotic R&D [research and development]. We are simultaneously losing antibiotics to resistance and failing to replace them with new, innovative products. Tackling AMR requires stewardship and a global push to restore a healthy innovation pipeline.
The Brink: What is CARB-X doing to combat AMR?
CARB-X advances the development of innovative antibacterial products, including therapeutics, vaccines, and rapid diagnostics, by providing funding and expert scientific support. The result is much-needed antibacterial candidates entering Phase 1 trials and therefore a more robust global clinical pipeline. By incentivizing and accelerating the best science from anywhere in the world, which often comes from very small biotech companies, CARB-X supports an antibacterial drug-development ecosystem that prioritizes rigorous science while taking bets on risky projects. CARB-X also requires stewardship and access planning from developers so products that reach the market can benefit patients equitably.
The Brink: Which current CARB-X projects are you most excited by?
It’s difficult to single out one project. Overall, the breadth and maturity of the portfolio as a whole is exciting. CARB-X was designed to take a strategic, portfolio-based approach, investing across the full spectrum of antibacterial innovation.
This month, CARB-X product developers announced progress made on two projects CARB-X supported. The biotech Peptilogics has raised $78 million to advance its lead candidate, Zaloganan, into a Phase 2/3 pivotal trial; it is designed to treat device-associated biofilm infections, an especially urgent unmet need in orthopedic surgery, with high failure rates under current care. This represents a strong example of early-stage push funding translating into late-stage commercial interest, underscoring how the CARB-X portfolio is helping to de-risk antibacterial innovation. Also, the biotech Clarametyx Biosciences has completed enrollment in its Phase 1b/2a trial of CMTX‑101, an immune-enabling antibody therapy for biofilm-driven respiratory infections in people with cystic fibrosis. Together, these developments reflect the growing maturity of the CARB-X-supported ecosystem.
The Brink: You frequently speak to lawmakers and policymakers around the globe. What more would you like them to do and are there particular policies that your research shows would have the biggest impact?
There are five key policy levers that can bend the curve. First, provide sustainable funding for push mechanisms, such as CARB-X, that attract private investment into AMR R&D by lowering the costs and risks of product development. Sustainable public funding is essential to maintain a healthy pipeline of new antibiotics and related products. Second, implement strong pull incentives—including revenue guarantees and advanced market commitments—that help repair the broken commercial model and expand the potential future revenues for successful innovators once a product is approved.
Third, ensure sustainable and equitable access to maximize the public health impact of new antibiotics and prevent the emergence of resistance. Efforts should prioritize affordability, reliable supply, and stewardship, especially in low- and middle-income countries where the AMR burden is highest. Fourth, invest in prevention, which immediately reduces antibiotic demand. Vaccines, infection control, and water, sanitation, and hygiene programs are our first line of defense. Last, strengthen diagnostics for both surveillance and clinical treatment. We cannot use the right drug unless we know the bug. Expanding diagnostic capacity is critical to guide appropriate antibiotic use, detect resistance early, and inform public health responses.
The science warns us; responsive and unified global policy can still change the outcome.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
