SUPERBUGS

Drug-resistant bacteria - known as superbugs - are one of the biggest medical threats of our time. Here, a doctor, researcher, and ethics professor tells the exhilarating story of his race to beat them and save countless lives. From the muddy trenches of the First World War, where Alexander Fleming searched for a cure for soldiers with infected wounds, to breakthroughs in antibiotics and antifungals today that could revolutionize how infections are treated, Dr Matt McCarthy takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride through the history and future of medicine. Along the way, we meet a series of patients. And we also learn why potentially life-saving treatments are often delayed for years to protect patients from exploitation. Can McCarthy get his trial approved and underway in time to save the lives of his countless patients infected with deadly bacteria, who have otherwise lost all hope?