June 25 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly ( LLY ) said on Tuesday it

will collaborate with OpenAI to leverage its generative AI to

develop antimicrobials that can be used to treat drug-resistant

bacteria.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Public health authorities such as the World Health

Organization and industry experts have raised concerns over the

thin pipeline of new treatments to tackle antibiotic-resistant

bacteria, which they say is not enough to combat the so-called

superbugs.

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses,

fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to

medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the

risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

In the U.S. more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant

infections occur each year.

CONTEXT

The partnership supports Lilly's earlier commitment, which

started in 2020 when it pledged $100 million to the AMR Action

Fund.

The fund was launched to help struggling antibiotic makers

tackle the threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

BY THE NUMBERS

AMR Action is a $1 billion fund that aims to bring 2 to 4

new antibiotics to patients by 2030.