LONDON, England (CNN) -- New research suggests penicillin is
becoming obsolete, and antibiotic resistance could lead to a
"major health crisis" unless governments act to promote research
into new drugs. Over prescription of antibiotics means drugs
including penicillin are becoming obsolete. Antibiotics such as
penicillin have been key to the decline of infectious diseases
over the last 60 years, but bacteria are becoming increasingly
resistant to existing drugs. That means many antibiotics are no
longer effective at combating common diseases, and a lack of
research into new drugs means there is a dire shortage of
alternatives, according to the report by London School of
Economics and Political Science (LSE). Elias Mossialos,
professor of health policy at LSE, led the research and has
called for governments to do more to tackle the problem. He told
CNN that penicillin is becoming obsolete in some developing
countries, as well as in France, Spain and Romania, because of
over-prescription by doctors and pharmaci