Active controlled studies in antibiotic drug development

The increasing concern of antibacterial resistance has been well documented, as has the relative lack of antibiotic development. This paradox is in part due to challenges with clinical development of antibiotics. Because of their rapid progression, untreated bacterial infections are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. As a consequence, placebo-controlled studies of new agents are unethical. Rather, pivotal development studies are mostly conducted using non-inferiority designs versus an active comparator. Further, infections because of comparator-resistant isolates must usually be excluded from the trial programme. Unfortunately, the placebo-controlled data classically used in support of non-inferiority designs are largely unavailable for antibiotics. The only available data are from the 1930s and 1940s and their use is associated with significant concerns regarding constancy and assay sensitivity. Extended public debate on this challenge has led to proposed solutions by some in which these concerns are addressed by using very conservative approaches to trial design, endpoints and non-inferiority margins, in some cases leading to potentially impractical studies. To compound this challenge, different Regulatory Authorities seem to be taking different approaches to these key issues. If harmonisation does not occur, antibiotic development will become increasingly challenging, with the risk of further decreases in the amount of antibiotic drug development. However with clarity on Regulatory requirements and an ability to feasibly conduct global development programmes, it should be possible to bring much needed additional antibiotics to patients.