Drug-Resistant Superbugs Forecast to Kill Tens of Millions by 2050, Study Warns

Infections that resist treatment by antibiotics could cause nearly 40 million deaths by 2050, according to a new study urging immediate action.

A pharmacy technician counts out a prescription of antibiotic pills in Miami, Fla., on Aug. 7, 2007. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Drug-resistant infections are projected to claim the lives of up to 40 million people over the next 25 years, according to new research that calls for urgent action to combat what it describes as a looming public health crisis.

The study, published on Sept. 16 in The Lancet, provides a stark forecast for the future impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and highlights the growing threat posed by drug-resistant pathogens.