A new antibiotic test gets a faster path to market

US health regulators are making it easier to approve a new test for the antibiotic plazomicin. This means patients will get access to the test faster, and companies will face fewer hurdles to bring similar new tests to market.

Getting new medical tests approved in the US is often a long and expensive process. This decision moves the plazomicin test system into a category with fewer regulatory requirements. It signals a willingness by regulators to speed up access for certain new diagnostic tools, especially those for critical antibiotics.