THIS DRUG CAN GIVE US AN EDGE IN THE BACTERIA-ANTIBIOTICS ARMS RACE

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

Bacteria can evolve genetic survival tactics much faster than humans can find new drugs to kill them. Scientists from Baylor College of Medicine discovered that a drug commonly used as a topical antiseptic significantly slows the evolution of bacteria and makes cipro, the second most prescribed antibiotic in the US, much more effective at fighting infection. Their study suggests that it may be possible to slow down pathogen evolution to the point where the body's immune system can deal with the infection without antibiotics. Global antibiotic resistance was responsible for nearly 1.3 million deaths in 2019.