Scientists have over the years produced some life-saving, miracle-working drugs. But many deadly illnesses no longer respond to drugs. At least 2 million Americans get sick and 23,000 die each year from infections resistant to antibiotics.
With this frightening factoid in mind, Dr. Helen Boucher will gather with other experts in Washington on Tuesday. Boucher, an infectious disease expert at Tufts Medical Center, was named to the Obama administration’s new Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.
The panel’s 15 specialists also include Dr. John Rex, senior vice president of the global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Rex is based in the Waltham
The advisory council’s goals include slowing the spread of resistant bacteria, improving diagnosis of bacterial infections, and boosting research of vaccines and treatments.
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“The key thing now is to have an action plan,” Boucher said.
Priyanka Dayal McCluskey can be reached at priyanka.mccluskey@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @priyanka_dayal.