Political Quotes

“I come to the floor to talk about antibiotic resistance, a public health threat to Americans across the country. I have heard first hand from hospitals, health care providers, public health officials, scientists, and life sciences companies in Maryland that we need new antibiotics in our arsenal. Bacteria, like viruses, are crafty and constantly evolving to thwart existing treatments. Everyday, Americans are infected by multi-drug resistant microbes. In most instances, antibiotics, much like vaccines, are not meant to be used everyday to treat a condition for months, years, or a lifetime. You use antibiotics sparingly, so you do not build up resistance. Yet, drug development for these infectious pathogens can take just as long as developing any other drug whether it is for HIV, heart disease, or cancer. Because antibiotics are used for a short period of time, they are not really profitable to the companies investing the time and money to develop the product. There are not many small start-up companies or big pharma companies that want to take the risk. Research and development costs hundreds of millions of dollars, so these companies are reluctant to invest in a safe and effective drug that doctors are told to use sparingly. Bottom line, developing a next generation Viagra pill is far more profitable for shareholders.…”