Thailand`s junta leader swatted away critics, vowing to stay in power despite &quot;people&#39;s hatred&quot; for him, &nbsp;as tensions simmered before a referendum which the military says will pave the way for elections.&nbsp; 
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha seized power two years ago from the elected government when he was army chief, promising to heal a bitter decade-long political divide.&nbsp; 
But his regime has curbed free speech, outlawed political activities and penned a new charter designed to entrench the military`s role in government.&nbsp; 
&quot;I won`t go anywhere as long as the country is not at peace and in order. I won`t leave, despite how much you hate me,&quot; Prayut, who is renowned for his often irate outbursts, said in remarks to a forum in Bangkok.&nbsp; 
While he was speaking Wednesday morning a Thai folk singer was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for royal defamation -- one of several harsh laws the junta has used to curb critics, especially on the Internet.&nbsp; 
The singer, known by his stage name Tom Dundee, was convicted for comments he made in a 2013 speech at a political rally organised by supporters of the now-ousted government. 
Prayut also defended the sweeping powers granted to him as junta chief, saying &quot;there are still some politicians expressing their opinions&quot;.&nbsp; 
On the surface the political climate has calmed significantly under the junta, following years of competing street protests that often turned deadly.&nbsp; 
But disquiet is returning before an August referendum on the charter, despite a new law which punishes campaigning in the run-up to the vote with up to 10 years in prison.&nbsp; 
The junta has promised elections will go ahead in 2017 but has not clarified what will happen if the charter is rejected in the referendum, raising fears the timetable will slip once again.&nbsp; 
Prayut`s speech comes after the junta appeared to be loosening its grip by ending travel restrictions on many former politicians and promising to move its &quot;attitude adjustment&quot; sessions -- a common punishment for critics -- from military camps to government buildings and police stations.&nbsp; 
Critics say the regime is bent on dismantling the powerful political network of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, whose parties have long dominated the polls but are reviled by Bangkok`s military-allied elite.&nbsp; 
Analysts say the political troubles are exacerbated by the failing health of the 88-year-old monarch Bhumibol Adulyadej as competing elites jostle for power before the succession.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha had seized power two years ago from the elected government when he was the army chief, promising to heal a bitter decade-long political divide

Thailand`s junta leader swatted away critics, vowing to stay in power despite "people's hatred" for him, as tensions simmered before a referendum which the military says will pave the way for elections. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha seized power two years ago from the elected government when he was army chief, promising to heal a bitter decade-long political divide. But his regime has curbed free speech, outlawed political activities and penned a new charter designed to entrench the military`s role in government. "I won`t go anywhere as long as the country is not at peace and in order. I won`t leave, despite how much you hate me," Prayut, who is renowned for his often irate outbursts, said in remarks to a forum in Bangkok. While he was speaking Wednesday morning a Thai folk singer was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for royal defamation -- one of several harsh laws the junta has used to curb critics, especially on the Internet. The singer, known by his stage name Tom Dundee, was convicted for comments he made in a 2013 speech at a political rally organised by supporters of the now-ousted government. Prayut also defended the sweeping powers granted to him as junta chief, saying "there are still some politicians expressing their opinions". On the surface the political climate has calmed significantly under the junta, following years of competing street protests that often turned deadly. But disquiet is returning before an August referendum on the charter, despite a new law which punishes campaigning in the run-up to the vote with up to 10 years in prison. The junta has promised elections will go ahead in 2017 but has not clarified what will happen if the charter is rejected in the referendum, raising fears the timetable will slip once again. Prayut`s speech comes after the junta appeared to be loosening its grip by ending travel restrictions on many former politicians and promising to move its "attitude adjustment" sessions -- a common punishment for critics -- from military camps to government buildings and police stations. Critics say the regime is bent on dismantling the powerful political network of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, whose parties have long dominated the polls but are reviled by Bangkok`s military-allied elite. Analysts say the political troubles are exacerbated by the failing health of the 88-year-old monarch Bhumibol Adulyadej as competing elites jostle for power before the succession.

Thailand's junta leader says he will stay in power despite 'people's hatred' for him

Prime Minister Najib Razak&#39;s government threw its support in parliament this week behind an Islamic penal code that includes amputations and stoning, shocking some of his allies and stoking fears of further strains in the multi-ethnic country.

Critics believe the scandal-tainted prime minister is using &#39;hudud&#39;, the Islamic law, to shore up the backing of Muslim Malay voters and fend off attacks on his leadership ahead of critical by-elections next month and a general election in 2018.

The government on Thursday unexpectedly submitted to parliament a hudud bill that had been proposed by the Islamist group Parti Islam se-Malaysia&#39;s (PAS).

Although debate on the law was deferred to October by PAS leader Abdul Hadi Awang, its submission to parliament brought criticism from leaders across the political spectrum, including allies of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, who represent the ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.

Najib sought to ease tensions with his allies on Friday, saying the bill was &quot;misunderstood&quot;.

&quot;It&#39;s not hudud, but what we refer to as enhanced punishment,&quot; he told a news conference after meeting leaders of his ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party.

&quot;It applies only to certain offences and this comes under the jurisdiction of the Syariah court and is only applicable to the Muslims. It has nothing to do with non-Muslims.&quot; 
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<h5>Many fear such a move would open doors for other states to bring in the Islamic penal code. Hudud stipulates ancient religious punishments for Muslims who violate the law.</h5>
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<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Many fear such a move would open doors for other states to bring in the Islamic penal code. Hudud stipulates ancient religious punishments for Muslims who violate the law.">&nbsp;</a></div>
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He added that the punishments would be limited and canings meted out under the law would not injure or draw blood.

Earlier in the day, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a key party in the BN coalition, called the submission of the hudud bill to parliament &quot;unconstitutional&quot;.

&quot;As we repeatedly pointed out, the implementation of Hudud law is against the spirit of the Federal Constitution, and would ruin the inter-ethnic relationship in the country,&quot; MCA President Liow Tiong Lai said.

Arguments for and against the introduction of hudud have divided Malaysia for years. Most of the Southeast Asian country&#39;s states implement sharia, the Islamic legal system, but its reach is restricted by federal law.

Still, the hudud bill appears doomed as the UMNO-led coalition lacks the two-thirds majority needed to pass it into law.

The Islamist party PAS is pushing for a constitutional amendment that would allow hudud to be implemented in Kelantan, a northern state where nightclubs are banned and there are separate public benches for men and women. 
 
&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Even bad coffee is better than no coffee at all. David Lynch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/amwriting?src=hash">#amwriting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/writing?src=hash">#writing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/writingtip?src=hash">#writingtip</a> <a href="https://t.co/ho15a54eLB">pic.twitter.com/ho15a54eLB</a>
&mdash; The UnNovelist (@TheUnNovelist) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheUnNovelist/status/736501099331489792">May 28, 2016</a></blockquote>

<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

Many fear such a move would open doors for other states to bring in the Islamic penal code. Hudud stipulates ancient religious punishments for Muslims who violate the law.

&nbsp;

EYEING POLLS

Critics say that Najib, with an eye on by-elections for two parliamentary seats on June 18, is seeking to appease the majority Muslim votebank with his stand on hudud and to deflect attention from a multi-billion-dollar scandal at the state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

They allege Najib was a beneficiary of 1MDB&#39;s funds, after about $680 million was deposited in his bank account before a 2013 election. Najib has denied any wrongdoing.

Some political heavyweights in Najib&#39;s party have questioned whether he can lead them to victory in the 2018 general election. However, he has consolidated power by sacking dissenters within UMNO, which has ruled Malaysia since 1957, and using a controversial and repressive colonial-era sedition law to silence other critics.

Najib seized on the resounding victory of a coalition partner in a Borneo state election earlier month as evidence that he and his government remain popular. The by-elections in peninsula Malaysia are likely to be a closer contest.

&quot;Najib did not want the 1MDB global scandal to become the issue in both by-elections,&quot; said Lim Kit Siang, parliamentary leader of the Democratic Action Party, adding that Najib has ensured the focus will now be on hudud.

People freak out as government decides to base legal code on religion instead of independent moral and intellectual principles

Prime Minister Najib Razak's government threw its support in parliament this week behind an Islamic penal code that includes amputations and stoning, shocking some of his allies and stoking fears of further strains in the multi-ethnic country. Critics believe the scandal-tainted prime minister is using 'hudud', the Islamic law, to shore up the backing of Muslim Malay voters and fend off attacks on his leadership ahead of critical by-elections next month and a general election in 2018. The government on Thursday unexpectedly submitted to parliament a hudud bill that had been proposed by the Islamist group Parti Islam se-Malaysia's (PAS). Although debate on the law was deferred to October by PAS leader Abdul Hadi Awang, its submission to parliament brought criticism from leaders across the political spectrum, including allies of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, who represent the ethnic Chinese and Indian communities. Najib sought to ease tensions with his allies on Friday, saying the bill was "misunderstood". "It's not hudud, but what we refer to as enhanced punishment," he told a news conference after meeting leaders of his ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party. "It applies only to certain offences and this comes under the jurisdiction of the Syariah court and is only applicable to the Muslims. It has nothing to do with non-Muslims." Many fear such a move would open doors for other states to bring in the Islamic penal code. Hudud stipulates ancient religious punishments for Muslims who violate the law. He added that the punishments would be limited and canings meted out under the law would not injure or draw blood. Earlier in the day, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a key party in the BN coalition, called the submission of the hudud bill to parliament "unconstitutional". "As we repeatedly pointed out, the implementation of Hudud law is against the spirit of the Federal Constitution, and would ruin the inter-ethnic relationship in the country," MCA President Liow Tiong Lai said. Arguments for and against the introduction of hudud have divided Malaysia for years. Most of the Southeast Asian country's states implement sharia, the Islamic legal system, but its reach is restricted by federal law. Still, the hudud bill appears doomed as the UMNO-led coalition lacks the two-thirds majority needed to pass it into law. The Islamist party PAS is pushing for a constitutional amendment that would allow hudud to be implemented in Kelantan, a northern state where nightclubs are banned and there are separate public benches for men and women. Even bad coffee is better than no coffee at all. David Lynch #amwriting #writing #writingtip pic.twitter.com/ho15a54eLB — The UnNovelist (@TheUnNovelist) May 28, 2016 Many fear such a move would open doors for other states to bring in the Islamic penal code. Hudud stipulates ancient religious punishments for Muslims who violate the law. EYEING POLLS Critics say that Najib, with an eye on by-elections for two parliamentary seats on June 18, is seeking to appease the majority Muslim votebank with his stand on hudud and to deflect attention from a multi-billion-dollar scandal at the state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). They allege Najib was a beneficiary of 1MDB's funds, after about $680 million was deposited in his bank account before a 2013 election. Najib has denied any wrongdoing. Some political heavyweights in Najib's party have questioned whether he can lead them to victory in the 2018 general election. However, he has consolidated power by sacking dissenters within UMNO, which has ruled Malaysia since 1957, and using a controversial and repressive colonial-era sedition law to silence other critics. Najib seized on the resounding victory of a coalition partner in a Borneo state election earlier month as evidence that he and his government remain popular. The by-elections in peninsula Malaysia are likely to be a closer contest. "Najib did not want the 1MDB global scandal to become the issue in both by-elections," said Lim Kit Siang, parliamentary leader of the Democratic Action Party, adding that Najib has ensured the focus will now be on hudud.

Outrage in multi-ethnic Malaysia as government backs Islamic law

New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) Criticising the central government over attacks on African nationals in India, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said that such attacks were a serious issue with international repercussions. 
 
 
&quot;Attacks on Africans in Delhi is a serious issue with international repercussions. The BJP government can`t wish them away,&quot; Yechury said in a tweet. 
 
Yechury`s comments come after a 23-year-old Nigerian student was allegedly beaten by a local over a parking dispute in Hyderabad.&nbsp; 
 
The incident comes days after a 23-year-old Congolese national was beaten to death in south Delhi`s Vasant Kunj area over a minor dispute. 
 
The incidents of attacks has angered African envoys in Delhi who have protested to the Indian government, which has assured protection for the thousands of African students who study in India. 
 
The attack on the Congolese national saw repercussions in Democratic Republic of Congo capital Kinshasa, where Indian shops were attacked a some Indians injured in apparent retaliation earlier this week. 
 
--IANS

Criticising the central government over attacks on African nationals in India, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said that such attacks were a serious issue with international repercussions

New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) Criticising the central government over attacks on African nationals in India, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said that such attacks were a serious issue with international repercussions. "Attacks on Africans in Delhi is a serious issue with international repercussions. The BJP government can`t wish them away," Yechury said in a tweet. Yechury`s comments come after a 23-year-old Nigerian student was allegedly beaten by a local over a parking dispute in Hyderabad. The incident comes days after a 23-year-old Congolese national was beaten to death in south Delhi`s Vasant Kunj area over a minor dispute. The incidents of attacks has angered African envoys in Delhi who have protested to the Indian government, which has assured protection for the thousands of African students who study in India. The attack on the Congolese national saw repercussions in Democratic Republic of Congo capital Kinshasa, where Indian shops were attacked a some Indians injured in apparent retaliation earlier this week. --IANS

Attacks on Africans a serious issue: Yechury

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
One in three Americans will suffer type 2 diabetes by 2050. These superfoods can save us <a href="https://t.co/S3aVNdDsUw">https://t.co/S3aVNdDsUw</a>
&mdash; Salon.com (@Salon) <a href="https://twitter.com/Salon/status/736464526636371968">May 28, 2016</a></blockquote>

<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>Drugmakers are renewing efforts to develop medicines to fight emerging antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but creating new classes of drugs on the scale needed is unlikely to happen without new financial incentives to make the effort worth the investment, companies and industry experts said. 
 
 
dna &rlm;@dna 3m3 minutes ago WHO rejects call for Olympics to moved due to #ZikaVirus

American military researchers on Thursday announced the first U.S. case of a patient with an infection found to be resistant to the antibiotic colistin, the drug often held in reserve for when all else fails.

That put a spotlight on the urgent need for new medicines that can combat what health officials have called &quot;nightmare bacteria.&quot;

Drugmakers on Friday acknowledged that in the absence of a new way of compensating them, it simply does not make economic sense to pour serious resources into work on new antibiotics.

&quot;The return on investment based on the current commercial model is not really commensurate with the amount of effort you have to put into it,&quot; said David Payne, who heads GlaxoSmithKline PLC&#39;s (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GSK.L">GSK.L</a>) antibiotics drug group.

Other pharmaceutical companies expressed a similar sentiment.

In January, some 80 drugmakers and diagnostics companies, including Pfizer Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=PFE.N">PFE.N</a>), Merck &amp; Co (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=MRK.N">MRK.N</a>), Johnson &amp; Johnson (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=JNJ.N">JNJ.N</a>) and Glaxo, signed a declaration calling for cooperation among governments and companies to create incentives to revitalize research and development of new antibiotics.

It proposed a new business model in which profit would not be linked to higher sales. For example, governments and health organizations could offer lump-sum rewards for development of a successful new antibiotic. A British government panel suggested this month that drug companies be offered up to $1.5 billion for successful development of a new antibiotic.

In the United States alone, antibiotic-resistant bacteria causes 2 million serious infections and 23,000 deaths annually, according to U.S. health officials.

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<h5>Drug companies can&#39;t make an economic case for investing in superbug drugs</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a an="" case="" class="twitter popup" drugs="" economic="" for="" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Drug companies can" in="" investing="" make="" superbug="" t="">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

 
Unrestrained overuse of current antibiotics by doctors and hospitals, often when they are not needed, and widespread antibiotic use in food livestock have contributed to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

But in recent years, major drugmakers have poured most of their research dollars into highly profitable medicines to fight cancer, rare diseases and hepatitis C. These drugs not only command high prices, they also are typically used far longer than antibiotics.

And the companies, which have come under intense criticism in recent months for continually raising prices on popular drugs, say it costs about as much to develop a new antibiotic as it does to bring to market new cancer drugs that can command more than $100,000 a year per patient.

&quot;Drug companies can&#39;t make an economic case for investing in superbug drugs,&quot; said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan&#39;s Ross School of Business.

Gordon said governments and foundations need to get more involved in research and funding to spearhead efforts to combat the problem.

To critics who argue that U.S. companies have enormous cash reserves that could be used to address a public health crisis, drugmakers say they have a fiduciary duty to shareholders to maximize profits.

&nbsp;

ON THE R&amp;D FRONT LINES

One reason companies are calling for alternative compensation is that aggressive sales and use of new antibiotics could help create ever more dangerous bacteria that develop resistance to the new medicines.

Glaxo and Merck are among the large pharmaceutical companies developing new antibiotics they hope can beat back resistant bugs, while Pfizer is working on vaccines aimed at reducing the need for their use.

Industry experts said small, lesser-known companies with promising approaches to tackling resistant superbugs included: Entasis Therapeutics, an AstraZeneca PLC spinoff, Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=TTPH.O">TTPH.O</a>); and Achaogen Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AKAO.O">AKAO.O</a>).

&quot;We believe plazomicin, our lead drug in late-stage development, has the potential to play an important role in treating this dreaded superbug,&quot; Achaogen Chief Executive Kenneth Hillan said.

Allan Coukell, an antibiotics expert at the Pew Charitable Trusts nonprofit research and policy organization, said what is needed is a wave of new drugs based on new chemistry or that work in new ways.

&quot;Most of what&#39;s being developed are variations on drugs that we&#39;ve had for decades,&quot; Coukell said.

Pew has outlined what its calls a scientific roadmap to create a body of work around new drug discovery that companies and academic researchers could draw upon to help jumpstart the process of finding new antibiotics.

Glaxo said its experimental antibiotic gepotidacin, in midstage testing, belongs to an entirely new class of antibacterials.

&quot;Based on that, we&#39;re predicting it would work against infections that could be caused by bacteria that are resistant to available antibiotics,&quot; Payne said.

Other companies with late-stage studies underway for antibiotics include: Cempra Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=CEMP.O">CEMP.O</a>), whose drug was recently validated in a Japanese trial; Medicines Co (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=MDCO.O">MDCO.O</a>); and Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=PRTK.O">PRTK.O</a>). J&amp;J is also putting money into battling antibiotic resistance.

&quot;If there is a bright side, it is that the world policymakers and health leaders have focused on this issue like never before,&quot; Coukell said. &quot;But we&#39;ve got a long way to go.&quot;

&nbsp;

(Reporting by Bill Berkrot, Caroline Humer and Ransdell Pierson in New York and Natalie Grover and Amrutha Penumundi in Bangaluru; Editing by Eric Effron and Will Dunham)

Major drug companies seek enormous government subsidy to combat fatal bacteria they helped create

One in three Americans will suffer type 2 diabetes by 2050. These superfoods can save us https://t.co/S3aVNdDsUw — Salon.com (@Salon) May 28, 2016 Drugmakers are renewing efforts to develop medicines to fight emerging antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but creating new classes of drugs on the scale needed is unlikely to happen without new financial incentives to make the effort worth the investment, companies and industry experts said. dna ‏@dna 3m3 minutes ago WHO rejects call for Olympics to moved due to #ZikaVirus American military researchers on Thursday announced the first U.S. case of a patient with an infection found to be resistant to the antibiotic colistin, the drug often held in reserve for when all else fails. That put a spotlight on the urgent need for new medicines that can combat what health officials have called "nightmare bacteria." Drugmakers on Friday acknowledged that in the absence of a new way of compensating them, it simply does not make economic sense to pour serious resources into work on new antibiotics. "The return on investment based on the current commercial model is not really commensurate with the amount of effort you have to put into it," said David Payne, who heads GlaxoSmithKline PLC's (GSK.L) antibiotics drug group. Other pharmaceutical companies expressed a similar sentiment. In January, some 80 drugmakers and diagnostics companies, including Pfizer Inc (PFE.N), Merck & Co (MRK.N), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) and Glaxo, signed a declaration calling for cooperation among governments and companies to create incentives to revitalize research and development of new antibiotics. It proposed a new business model in which profit would not be linked to higher sales. For example, governments and health organizations could offer lump-sum rewards for development of a successful new antibiotic. A British government panel suggested this month that drug companies be offered up to $1.5 billion for successful development of a new antibiotic. In the United States alone, antibiotic-resistant bacteria causes 2 million serious infections and 23,000 deaths annually, according to U.S. health officials. Drug companies can't make an economic case for investing in superbug drugs Unrestrained overuse of current antibiotics by doctors and hospitals, often when they are not needed, and widespread antibiotic use in food livestock have contributed to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But in recent years, major drugmakers have poured most of their research dollars into highly profitable medicines to fight cancer, rare diseases and hepatitis C. These drugs not only command high prices, they also are typically used far longer than antibiotics. And the companies, which have come under intense criticism in recent months for continually raising prices on popular drugs, say it costs about as much to develop a new antibiotic as it does to bring to market new cancer drugs that can command more than $100,000 a year per patient. "Drug companies can't make an economic case for investing in superbug drugs," said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. Gordon said governments and foundations need to get more involved in research and funding to spearhead efforts to combat the problem. To critics who argue that U.S. companies have enormous cash reserves that could be used to address a public health crisis, drugmakers say they have a fiduciary duty to shareholders to maximize profits. ON THE R&D FRONT LINES One reason companies are calling for alternative compensation is that aggressive sales and use of new antibiotics could help create ever more dangerous bacteria that develop resistance to the new medicines. Glaxo and Merck are among the large pharmaceutical companies developing new antibiotics they hope can beat back resistant bugs, while Pfizer is working on vaccines aimed at reducing the need for their use. Industry experts said small, lesser-known companies with promising approaches to tackling resistant superbugs included: Entasis Therapeutics, an AstraZeneca PLC spinoff, Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals Inc (TTPH.O); and Achaogen Inc (AKAO.O). "We believe plazomicin, our lead drug in late-stage development, has the potential to play an important role in treating this dreaded superbug," Achaogen Chief Executive Kenneth Hillan said. Allan Coukell, an antibiotics expert at the Pew Charitable Trusts nonprofit research and policy organization, said what is needed is a wave of new drugs based on new chemistry or that work in new ways. "Most of what's being developed are variations on drugs that we've had for decades," Coukell said. Pew has outlined what its calls a scientific roadmap to create a body of work around new drug discovery that companies and academic researchers could draw upon to help jumpstart the process of finding new antibiotics. Glaxo said its experimental antibiotic gepotidacin, in midstage testing, belongs to an entirely new class of antibacterials. "Based on that, we're predicting it would work against infections that could be caused by bacteria that are resistant to available antibiotics," Payne said. Other companies with late-stage studies underway for antibiotics include: Cempra Inc (CEMP.O), whose drug was recently validated in a Japanese trial; Medicines Co (MDCO.O); and Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc (PRTK.O). J&J is also putting money into battling antibiotic resistance. "If there is a bright side, it is that the world policymakers and health leaders have focused on this issue like never before," Coukell said. "But we've got a long way to go." (Reporting by Bill Berkrot, Caroline Humer and Ransdell Pierson in New York and Natalie Grover and Amrutha Penumundi in Bangaluru; Editing by Eric Effron and Will Dunham)

Major drug companies claim it doesn't make economic sense to fight nightmare bacteria

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