>But because of the difficulty, time and capital requirements, this is something that can't be left to the market economics. It will be too late by the time we need them because of the years it takes to develop a single new drug.
Isn't this exactly what people used to say about the food supply?
Nope. It is what it is: capital-intensive research that is hard and it takes a long time to come up with a molecule that will stop an infection without killing or disabling the patient. That can't be done last minute like in the movies.
FYI: One of the last-ditch antibiotics (I forget the name) has a side-effect of permanently damaging hearing. I have to basically yell at 95 yo grandmother for her to hear me. :)
Isn't this exactly what people used to say about the food supply?