Jordan Harbinger avatar

Dexa/Jordan Harbinger

Learn more
Published Jul 9, 2019

222: Matt McCarthy | The Race to Stop a Superbug Epidemic

In an urgent exploration of the superbug epidemic, infectious disease expert Matt McCarthy delves into the critical need for new antibiotics, the ethical intricacies of vaccination and public health, and the complex challenges faced by pharmaceutical companies in combating resistant bacteria.
Episode Highlights
The Jordan Harbinger Show logo

Topics covered

Popular Clips

Questions from this episode

Episode Highlights

  • Superbugs

    and explore the alarming rise of superbugs, antibiotic-resistant bacteria that pose a significant threat to global health. Dr. McCarthy explains how these superbugs evolve and why they are a growing concern, emphasizing the lack of new antibiotics being developed to combat them 1. He highlights the potential for a pandemic, noting that infections can jump from animals to humans, especially in areas with high exposure to wildlife and poor sanitation, such as Los Angeles 2.

    Many people have a superbug called MRSA on their skin and you could live your entire life with that MRSA never affecting you at all.

    ---

    The conversation underscores the need for awareness and proactive measures to prevent outbreaks 3.

       

    Stewardship

    Antibiotic stewardship is crucial in preventing the development of superbugs, as explains. He discusses the role of antibiotic stewards in hospitals, who ensure that antibiotics are prescribed responsibly to avoid unnecessary use 4. The overprescription of antibiotics, such as tetracycline for acne, has long-term consequences, as evidenced by its presence in bones and teeth 5.

    We have people called antibiotic stewards...when a doctor prescribes a valuable antibiotic, there's a check-in place and that's a steward has to approve it.

    ---

    This oversight is essential to maintaining the effectiveness of existing antibiotics and preventing the rise of resistant strains.

       

    Antibiotics

    The development of new antibiotics faces significant challenges due to market dynamics and research hurdles. points out that the business model for antibiotics is less profitable compared to other drugs, leading to a lack of investment in new antibiotic research 6. Despite the high costs and lengthy approval processes, researchers are exploring innovative methods, such as using big data and AI to discover new antibiotics from soil samples 7.

    We have recognized that those chemicals that they're sifting out and they're pumping out can actually be drugs, life-saving drugs.

    ---

    The urgency to develop new treatments is underscored by predictions that superbugs could cause more deaths than heart disease and cancer by 2050 8.

Related Episodes