Extending the Antibiotic Era

This Gordon Research Conference will bring together industry, academic and government leaders involved in the discovery and development of novel antibacterial agents. The discovery of antibiotics and their introduction into clinical practice in the 1940s fundamentally changed the practice of medicine. The increase and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the reduced investment in this space by the pharmaceutical industry have given rise to the specter of a return to the pre-antibiotic era. Ultimately, it is the goal of the scientific community, and certainly that of the attendees, to forestall that event and to prevent the serious consequences that would come inexorably from it.

Previous meetings have defined the challenges facing the field. These range from the innate ability of bacteria to defend themselves in the face of the challenge by antibiotics, to the regulatory hurdles to the approval of novel agents, to the economic forces reducing investment in this space. But they have also helped identify some of the possible solutions, including further investment in basic biology, increased academic-industry partnership, and ways to move outside traditional discovery and development pathways. The goal of the 2014 GRC will be to further the discussion of solutions, with an emphasis on going back to the basics, moving beyond the limitations of high-throughput-screening-driven target-based discovery, and looking to fields outside traditional antibiotic research for inspiration and solutions. The conference will bring together an international, multi-disciplinary group of researchers from industry, academics, government and foundations and will help lay the groundwork for the next generation of life-saving antibiotics.