Perseverance: We Should Continue to Strive for Novel Antibiotics and Companion Diagnostics.

Since Fleming's discovery of penicillin, antibiotic resistance has remained an inevitable biological reality; however, our guidelines and diagnostic practices are not keeping pace with the rising medical need. This viewpoint uses a real family case of recurrent Group C streptococcal pharyngitis to illustrate these gaps in an outpatient setting. The situation is obviously more dire with life threatening infections. Addressing the fragile antibiotic pipeline requires updated, accessible guidelines, routine culturing upon relapse, and public education to support fair pricing and sustained investment in novel antibiotics and companion diagnostics.