Antibiotics, Antimicrobials and Antibiotic Resistance

Market Analysis

Market analysis:

The antibiotics market is expected to reach USD 57.0 billion by 2024, according to the new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Rising prevalence of infectious diseases especially in developing regions such as Asia Pacific and MEA is anticipated to contribute towards market growth.

More than 15.0% of the deaths, in children below the age of five, are estimated to be due to pneumonia and according to the statistics provided by the WHO about 9.2 million deaths were recorded in 2015. Similar to tuberculosis, the highest prevalence of the disease is identified to be in the South Asian and Sub-Saharan regions. Currently, the required antibiotic treatment is available only to one third of the infected population, thereby increasing the disease burden.

Government reforms specific to antibiotics such as the Generating Antibiotics Incentives Now (GAIN) Act in the U.S. are projected to help market growth over the forecast period. This further expected facilitate development of advanced drugs.

Antibiotics market Major Players -

• GlaxoSmithKline
• Johnson & Johnson
• Merck (EMD Millipore)
• Pfizer Inc
• AstraZeneca
• Bayer AG
• Novartis AG
• Sanofi SA
• Abbott
• Roche

 

Report Overview:

The global antibiotics market size was valued at USD 40.7 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5% from 2021 to 2028. The rising prevalence of infectious diseases and supportive government legislation are the major drivers of the market. Moreover, an increase in antibiotic resistance infections due to misuse or overuse of antibiotics is expected to shift the prescription patterns to novel therapies to treat bacterial infections. According to the CDC, the incidence of antibiotic-resistant infections is more than 2.8 million in the U.S. The pathogens such as Enterobacteriaceae, P. aeruginosa, and K. pneumoniae have a high resistance rate of an average of 40% in developed countries.

The increased efforts of pharmaceutical companies in the development of novel therapies to treat infectious diseases are expected to drive the market over the forecast period. According to Pew Charitable Trust, in December 2019, around 41 promising molecules were being investigated for the treatment of serious bacterial infections. Out of these 41 investigational drugs, 17 are in the third phase of the clinical trials or have filed NDA for approval and are expected to be commercialized during the forecast period. In the second half of 2019, four new antibiotic drugs have received U.S. FDA approval. Furthermore, supportive government legislation such as the GAIN Act and REVAMP Act is anticipated to expedite the approval process globally. The launch of new antibiotic drugs is expected to support the growth of the market over the forecast period.

The demand for antibiotics is significantly increasing owing to the increasing incidence of infectious diseases. The high prevalence of infectious diseases, such as lower respiratory infections, pneumonia, malaria, and tuberculosis, is also fueling the market growth. Increasing disease burden is compelling government and non-government bodies to invest in R&D initiatives and boost the development of novel antibiotics and supportive regulatory policies to expedite the approval process and research funding. For instance, BARDA in alliance with the government has extended its support to several companies to aid the development process of new therapies for infectious diseases.

The collaborations for the development of antibiotics are expected to lead to the development of a high number of antibiotic drugs in the foreseeable future. Pharmaceutical companies are collaborating on the development of new therapies to reduce the cost burden of the drug development process. For instance, in July 2019, Nosopharm announced a partnership with Evotec AG for the development of NOSO-502. It is a first-in-class novel antibiotic against Enterobacteriaceae infections. Furthermore, in April 2019, Forge Therapeutics, Inc. and Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. announced a research collaboration and license agreement to develop novel antibiotics.

Moreover, the increasing number of public-private collaborations, wherein funding and innovative R&D approaches are provided by public agencies to firms developing antibiotics, is expected to boost the product pipeline. For instance, in March 2019, the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) announced a public-private partnership with Evotec AG for the development of first-in-class antibiotics for treating drug-resistant bacterial infections.

Action Mechanism Insights

Cell wall synthesis inhibitors dominated the market in 2020 with a share of 52.1% and are anticipated to maintain their lead throughout the forecast period. High consumption as per prescription patterns and significant government funding are the key factors driving the segment. Cell wall synthesis inhibitors are the most widely used antibiotics as they are characterized by a wide spectrum of action against gram-positive and negative bacteria. Cell wall synthesis inhibitors are expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period owing to an increase in research activities, coupled with government funding. For instance, in February 2019, Bicycle Therapeutics announced the development of a novel cell wall synthesis inhibitor, after receiving a grant of USD 640,000 from the government of the U.K.

The RNA synthesis inhibitors segment is anticipated to witness significant growth over the forecast period due to the increase in the number of product launches and R&D efforts. For instance, in November 2018, Cosmo Pharmaceuticals N.V. introduced Aemcolo (rifamycin) as extended-release tablets for the treatment of Travelers’ Diarrhea in the U.S. Furthermore, the U.S. FDA granted Fast Track designations, Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation, and marketing exclusivity till 2028 for the product.

Drug Class Insights:

Penicillin accounted for the largest share of 23.9% in 2020 and is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period due to maximum prescription and the largest number of generic manufacturers in the space. These drugs form the first line of choice in treating infections, such as pharyngitis, skin infections, bronchitis, gonorrhea, and ear infections. Cephalosporin emerged as the second-largest drug class segment after Penicillin and is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period.

The cephalosporin and fluoroquinolone segments are expected to grow at a significant rate from 2021 to 2028. The growth of these segments can be attributed to the commercialization of new drugs during the forecast period. Currently, there are three cephalosporin drugs in the third phase of clinical trials and are anticipated to commercialize in the next 3 to 4 years. Moreover, the U.S. FDA approval of Shionogi’s Fetroja (cefiderocol) in November 2019 is expected to increase the market share. Similarly, the approval of Lasvic (lascufloxacin) by Japan PMDA and the new drug application submission by Wockhardt Ltd. in India is going to propel the growth of the fluoroquinolone segment.

The others segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate in the coming years owing to the presence of novel therapies in the pipeline, which are expected to launch over the forecast period. This segment consists of various existing classes of antibiotics as well as some newly developed antibiotic drugs, such as tetracyclines, lincosamides, imidazoles, amphenicols, oxazolidinone, and combination drugs. The commercialization of iclaprim, gepotidacin, ridinilazole, and zoliflodacin is anticipated to boost market growth during the forecast period.

GLOBAL ANTIBIOTICS MARKET BY REGION:

America Region

The antibiotics market was valued at USD 39.8 million in 2015 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 4.0% over the forecast period. Increasing efforts are being witnessed toward the development of advanced products. According to the data published by the Pew Charitable Trust, in March 2016, about 37 promising molecules were being investigated within the U.S. market. Majority of these, are in phase II clinical trials and are anticipated to hit the market between 2018- 2028.

Europe Region

Antibiotic resistance is a serious problem globally. New antibiotics to tackle resistant bacteria are urgently needed; however, a recent report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) warns of an almost empty pipeline, leaving patients vulnerable to dangerous infections. If new antibiotics are not developed, the entire healthcare industry could face challenges not seen since the pre-bacteria era.

Asia pacific Region

The global market for systemic antibiotics is expected to grow to $41.2 billion by 2018 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.8% between 2013 through 2018. Asian countries account for the fastest-growing market with a five-year CAGR of 1.2% due to the increasing aging population, increasing GDP rate and increasing awareness about healthcare.

Middle East Region

The use of antimicrobial agents in food-producing animals has recently become a very important public health issue. The Middle-East & Africa market for anticoccidial drugs is estimated to grow from $163.1 million in 2015 to $218 Million by 2020 at a CAGR of 5.95% The Middle-East & Africa anticoccidial drugs market is classified based on various types of animals and by type of antibiotics.

Organizations working on Antibiotics around the Globe:

• Infectious diseases Society of America
• World Health Organization
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Center for a Livable Future (CLF)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• American Medical Association
• Animal Welfare Approved (AWA)
• Center for Food Safety
• Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)
• Food Animal Concern Trust (FACT)
• The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
• The Pew Charitable Trusts
• Food and Water Watch
• Healthy Food Action
• Keep Antibiotics Working (KAW)
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
• American Nurses Association
• American Public Health Association
• Institute of Medicine, National Academies of Science
• American Society for Microbiology