GlaxoSmithKline’s Collegeville facility is leading the charge against superbugs with cutting edge antibacterial research, writes Stephanie Baker for Bloomberg.

Most of Big Pharma is cutting back research in this realm, since it’s not as profitable as other specialized areas. GSK, meanwhile, has invested more than $1 billion over the last 10 years into researching antibiotics.

The main problem is that antibiotics are only used for a short time to fight an infection. The most profitable drugs are those patients need longer.

There has not been a new antibiotic since Eli Lilly & Co discovered daptomycin in 1984. However, GSK believes that with the slow rise of superbugs worldwide, it needs to keep on top of developments as these bacteria are becoming more resistant to traditional antibiotics.

“High-tech medicine faces a very substantial threat,” potentially jeopardizing everything from intensive care units to major surgery, said David Livermore, professor of medical microbiology at London’s University of East Anglia. “We face major resistance problems with gonorrhea and tuberculosis.”

Read more about this cutting edge research from Bloomberg by clicking here.