Five Leaders in the Infectious Disease Field Join Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics Board of Directors

  BOSTON MA - 06/26/2017 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

The Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA) announced the addition of five new members to its Board of Directors:

Robert Gaynes, MD, Professor - Distinguished Physician and Professor – Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine - Emory University School of Medicine

Infectious disease

Shahin Gharakhanian, MD – Pharmaceutical Medicine expert based at the Cambridge Innovation Center, infectious disease drug/vaccine development

Cristina Larkin, Chief Commercial Officer - Spero Therapeutics, biopharmaceutical portfolio management

Margaret Riley, PhD, Professor - Department of Biology - University of Massachusetts, Amherst, evolution of microbial resistance

David White, PhD, Associate Dean for Research - University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and Veterinary Microbiology, animal science

 “Our new board members occupy the highest levels of academic research, medicine, biopharmaceuticals and veterinary science,” said Dr. Stuart B. Levy, CEO of APUA. “Their areas of expertise harmonize to address the complexity of antimicrobial resistance. We welcome them.”

APUA extends its profound gratitude to Dennis Signorovitch as he completes ten years of outstanding service as a member of APUA's Board of Directors.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the world’s greatest health threats.  The CDC estimates that every year, at least 2 million people are infected with drug resistant bacteria and that the number of deaths resulting from these infections is equivalent to one fully loaded jumbo jet crashing each week. Antibiotic resistance occurs when an antibiotic has lost its ability to effectively control or kill bacterial growth; in other words, the bacteria are "resistant" and continue to multiply in the presence of therapeutic levels of an antibiotic. When antibiotics become ineffective, we disarm our capacity to fight infectious diseases and patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, dialysis for renal failure, and surgery for which the ability to treat secondary infections are rendered more vulnerable.  When antibiotics do not work, infections often last longer, cause more severe illness, require more doctor visits or extended hospital stays, involve more expensive and toxic medications or cause death. Antibiotics are some of the most commonly prescribed medicines in the world. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics threatens the usefulness of these important drugs and is the single most important factor leading to antibiotic resistance around the world. Decreasing inappropriate antibiotic use is a key strategy to control antibiotic resistance; aggressive action is needed now by promoting the development of new antibiotics and encouraging development of rapid diagnostic tests for resistant bacteria.

About APUA

APUA, the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (www.apua.org), founded in 1981, is a global non-governmental organization dedicated to preserving the power of existing antibiotics, prevention and increasing access to needed new agents and rapid diagnostics. With a chapter network spanning the developing world, APUA is engaged in research, education, and advocacy to improve public policy and responsible antibiotic treatment practices worldwide. Follow us on Twitter. Subscribe to our clinical journal at no charge.

Contact For APUA:  Jane A. Kramer, Director

jane.kramer@tufts.edu   781-799-9524