India Now Has Its Own Antibiotic, But Here’s the Catch

India has developed its first indigenous antibiotic, Nafithromycin, designed to combat drug-resistant bacteria. While it is being touted as a breakthrough, the real issue lies not only in developing new antibiotics but in ensuring their responsible use. Amid the ongoing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis—a phenomenon where bacteria adapt to resist the effects of antibiotics, rendering them ineffective—this new antibiotic alone cannot guarantee a solution.

Globally, AMR has emerged as a leading cause of mortality, surpassing HIV/AIDS, malaria, and even COVID-19, with an estimated 1.27 million deaths reported in 2019 alone, according to World Economic Forum. In India, AMR claimed 300,000 lives in 2019, as noted by Observer Research Foundation.