A call to arms

Widespread resistance to our arsenal of antibiotics is no longer a threat — it is reality. With no new antibacterial drugs expected to reach the market any time soon, immediate action is needed to avert a looming healthcare disaster. But antibacterial discovery faces immense scientific and business challenges. What needs to be done to turn the tide? As part of this special Focus issue on Antibacterials, Nature Reviews Drug Discovery asked representatives from industry, academia, the FDA and the clinic working on different aspects of antibacterial research to give their own perspectives on where the next generation of antibiotics will come from.