Pew, Stakeholders Urge Senate to Address Drug Resistance When Renewing User Fee Agreement

On March 15, The Pew Charitable Trusts joined more than 40 organizations in asking Congress to include the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act in the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Agreement (PDUFA). In a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, the organizations—representing clinicians, scientists, patients, public health, animal agriculture, and the pharmaceutical and diagnostics industries—highlighted the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the urgent need for new antibiotics in addressing this public health issue as part of PDUFA legislation.

The bipartisan PASTEUR Act supports the development of new antibiotics and promotes their appropriate use. The bill was introduced by Representatives Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Drew Ferguson (R-GA) and Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Todd Young (R-IN).