Race Against Resistance: Pfizer takes on AMR

A new film produced for Pfizer by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions puts the spotlight on the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a health crisis with global, and personal, impact. "Race Against Resistance” explores how the rise of antibiotic resistance, the process by which bacteria adapt and mutate to avoid the very drugs designed to kill them, is threatening to undo almost 100 years of progress in medicine. 

“Race Against Resistance” shows what’s being done to tackle this global health threat, spotlighting scientists, innovators, and researchers at the forefront of the fight against AMR. It also features stories from people who’ve experienced the devastating realities of drug-resistant infections. 

“Antibiotic resistance is not a distant threat; nearly 1.27 million deaths globally were attributed to difficult-to-treat bacterial infections in 2019,” says Jay Purdy, Anti-Bacterials & Anti-Fungals Lead, Global Medical Affairs at Pfizer. “Antibiotic resistance is also sometimes referred to as ‘antimicrobial resistance’ or ‘AMR’, which applies to a broader set of microbes such as viruses, fungi, and parasites that can all develop resistance to drugs.” 

“Race Against Resistance” delves into the impact AMR could have on medicines we’ve come to rely upon. Chances are you have taken antibiotics in your lifetime. These medicines are used to treat everything from ear infections and urinary tract infections (UTIs) to more serious life-threatening conditions like sepsis. They are even used prophylactically in common procedures like hip replacements and caesarean sections to help prevent complications from surgery.   

The film explores the consequences of AMR, including the potential for today’s reliable antibiotics becoming ineffective, which could render historically treatable conditions or infections more severe or even life-threatening. 

AMR is a problem that requires action from industry, governments, and the public. “’Race Against Resistance’ shows us how bleak a post-antibiotic era could be” says Jay Purdy. “But there are simple steps you can take today to be a good steward of these vital medicines. Don’t share your antibiotics, only take them for as long as your doctor recommends, and make sure you are up to date with your vaccinations—preventing infection in the first place helps avoid the need for antibiotics.” 

“We were so proud to be a part of producing this important film and hope it inspires action against this global health threat. Our Pfizer teams are working hard to fight AMR every day—whether that’s working to bring the latest antibiotics to the patients that desperately need them, or by making pathogen surveillance data from our industry-leading ATLAS program available to the global health community,” says Didier Perilleux, Hospital Global Marketing Lead at Pfizer.

Visit YouTube to see the full film and watch the trailer for “Race Against Resistance” here:

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is classed by the World Health Organization as a serious and worsening global health emergency. Scientists fear that we could soon be facing a crisis in modern medicine. This is the story of the global race against antimicrobial resistance.