Biden's Urgent Action Against Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria - Allocates $100M to Battle Deadly Superbugs

U.S. President Joe Biden is set to unveil a $100 million research initiative to tackle the growing threat of drug-resistant bacteria. 

More than a million people worldwide succumb to infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria annually, as reported by the World Health Organization. 

In the U.S. alone, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented over 35,000 deaths each year attributed to such infections.

Global health authorities have been ringing alarm bells over the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, which have created a breeding ground for these dangerous "superbugs."

The urgent need for new antibiotics to combat these resilient bacteria has been evident for some time, Reuters noted.

However, drug manufacturers have been hesitant due to the limited profitability of antibiotics and the imperative to discourage their overuse to prevent the development of further resistance.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a government research agency initiated by President Biden and Congress, will spearhead this critical antimicrobial effort.

President Biden is scheduled to announce this in San Francisco during a meeting with the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. 

The council comprises distinguished academic experts and representatives from prominent tech companies, including Advanced Micro Devices Inc AMD, Microsoft Corp MSFT, and Alphabet Inc's GOOG GOOGL Google. 

During the meeting, President Biden will also discuss an upcoming executive order on artificial intelligence, slated for release in the autumn.