These findings highlight the need for balanced communication to manage public expectations and support responsible antibiotic use. (6)

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While antibiotic expectations decreased across all conditions, the optimistic news led to unrealistic perceptions about solving AMR with the new antibiotics, a negative effect mitigated by the additional cautious messaging. (5)

Participants read different versions of a fictional medical article: one with optimistic news about the discovery of new antibiotics, one with additional cautious messaging about prudent antibiotic use, and a control article focused solely on AMR. (4)

In two studies (N=847), we investigated how news about new antibiotics affects public perceptions of AMR and expectations for receiving antibiotics. (3)

In 2024, the discovery of a new antibiotic, zosurabalpin, showed promise against resistant bacteria, sparking media coverage that hailed it as a major step in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). However, overly optimistic reporting risks creating a false sense of safety among the public. (2)

Communicating about antimicrobial resistance #AMR and prudent antibiotic use is important when new antibiotics are discovered. #WorldAMRAwarenessWeek #WAAW2025 (1)👇

So happy to have been part of this project!