3 Companies Tackling the Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Crisis

Antibiotics have saved countless lives since they were discovered nearly 90 years ago. However, decades of overuse have caused some bacteria to evolve antibiotic resistance, which poses a huge threat to public health. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that at least 2 million Americans are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year, and at least 23,000 people die as a direct result.

Solving this problem is going to be a monumental undertaking, but, given the need for treatments that can safely defeat these bacteria, once next-generation antibiotics cross the finish line, they will likely be huge sellers.

Paratek Corp. (NASDAQ: PRTK), Nabriva Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NBRV), and Cempra (NASDAQ: CEMP) are three small-cap biotechs that all have potential new antibiotics in clinical trials. Which is the best bet for investors today?

Source: Fool.com