Ecraid EPI-Net Develops New Metric to Monitor Emerging Antibiotic Resistance, Published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases

Featured in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, research from the Epidemiology Network (EPI-Net) group of the ECRAID-Base project proposes an innovative approach to tracking emerging antibiotic resistance. Drawing on data from the EPI-Net data repository, the research introduces a new tool, the “Emerging Resistance Index” (ERI), designed to monitor emerging resistance to newly developed antibiotics.

The authors present quantitative parameters for each of the 13 new antibiotics approved by the European Medicines’ Agency (EMA) over the past 10 years, describing:

• the trend in resistance reporting on journal publications and surveillance bulletins;

• the time lag between approval and first reporting of resistance;

• the number of outbreaks involving bacteria that are resistant to each new antibiotic;

• the strength of monitoring systems in place, considering the availability of surveillance of both antibiotic consumption and resistance.

By integrating these components, the ERI offers a dynamic metric for early identification of antibiotics particularly prone to resistance. These insights can guide priority exercises for the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship policies, strengthen surveillance of existing antibiotics, and support the development of new molecules targeting specific pathogens.

What’s next?

This important research is the result of over 8 years of collaboration between experts from the University of Verona (Italy), the University of Tübingen (Germany), and several “EPI-Net Excellence Centers” across Europe. While this marks a major milestone, it’s not the end of the journey.

The team is already looking ahead to the next challenge: refining and validating the ERI in different regions worldwide, with the ultimate goal of establishing a “global standard” to support international efforts to address antimicrobial resistance.

Full publication is available HERE