Whilst it may have been eclipsed by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the next wave of healthcare crisis is already here (and perhaps even more deadly). The economics of antibiotics development has historically made it an unattractive area of pharmaceutical research. We need creative solutions from the pharmaceutical industry and governments around the world to properly incentivise this vital area of research. Failure, potentially means sacrificing nearly 100 years of medical advancement since the discovery of penicillin.