Antibiotic resistance is recognized worldwide as a major problem in the management of infectious disease, both in hospital settings and the community. There remains an urgent need for new antibiotics, particularly those effective against multidrug resistant bacteria such as Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, many Enterobacteriaceae, as well as enterococci and staphylococci. There is also a growing need for new agents with activity against resistant community-acquired pathogens. Most major pharmaceutical companies have either abandoned or reduced efforts in antibiotic research and development in favor of areas such as chronic illness. Smaller companies face many challenges but are still pursuing a wide variety of approaches.

The pharmaceutical industry, academic and government researchers are calling for new and increased collaborations among pharmaceutical companies, academic researchers and regulatory agencies to strengthen the research and drug development process. Improved information and active networks may help linking resources and knowledge.