PASTEUR Act of 2026

Key Points

• Congress is proposing a new 'subscription' model for the government to buy lifesaving medicines. Instead of paying per pill, the government would pay drug companies a set annual fee between $75 million and $300 million for access to new antibiotics and antifungals that treat dangerous, drug-resistant infections.
• This policy aims to solve a major problem: because new antibiotics are often saved for the sickest patients to prevent germs from becoming resistant, they aren't profitable for companies to make. The guaranteed payments encourage companies to keep researching and producing these critical drugs even if they aren't sold in high volumes.
• Drug companies that receive these 10-year contracts must follow strict rules. They have to ensure a steady supply of the medicine, track how well it works against new 'superbugs,' and create education plans to make sure doctors use the drugs correctly so they remain effective for a long time.
• The bill includes $6 billion in funding to pay for these contracts and to help hospitals and clinics improve how they use antibiotics. Special grants would be prioritized for rural hospitals and those serving Tribal populations to help them set up programs that track and prevent the spread of drug-resistant germs.
• To better protect the public, the policy requires the government to improve how it tracks 'superbugs' across the country. It would collect data from pharmacies and hospitals to create an annual public report on where drug-resistant infections are spreading and which treatments are still working.

Votes

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Related Bills

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