FDA NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release: Sept. 24, 2012 Media Inquiries: Stephanie Yao, 301-796-0394, stephanie.yao@fda.hhs.gov Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA New FDA task force will support innovation in antibacterial drug development The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the formation of an internal task force that will support the development of new antibacterial drugs, a critical public health care goal and a priority for the agency. As part of its work, the Antibacterial Drug Development Task Force will assist in developing and revising guidance related to antibacterial drug development, as required by the Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN) Title of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA), signed into law on July 9, 2012. Research and development for new antibacterial drugs has been in decline in recent decades, and the number of new FDA-approved antibacterial drugs has been falling steadily since the 1980s. During this time, the persistent and sometimes indiscriminate use of existing antibacterial drugs worldwide has resulted in a decrease in the effectiveness of these drugs. This phenomenon, known as antibacterial drug resistance or antibiotic resistance, has become a serious issue of global concern. […]

By Peter Eisler, USA TODAY Just days after doctors successfully removed a tumor from Bailey Quishenberry’s brain, the 14-year-old was spiraling downhill, delirious and writhing in pain from an entirely new menace. Her abdomen swollen 10 times its normal size and her fever skyrocketing, Bailey began wishing she could die, just to escape the agony. Bailey had contracted a potentially fatal infection called Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, that ravages the intestines. The bacteria preys on people in hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities — the very places patients trust to protect their health. […]