Bacteriology & Applied Microbiology

Antibiotics: Market Analysis & Business Opportunities

Antibiotics, also called antibacterials or antimicrobials, is a group of medicines used in the treatment of infections caused by germs—bacteria and certain parasites—by inhibiting the growth of microorganisms or killing them. Since the discovery of the antibiotic penicillin in 1920, various antibiotic compounds have been widely used to treat several bacterial infections. Increasing incidence of chronic and infectious diseases across the globe and efficacy of antibiotics to treat a wide spectrum of bacterial infections have led to the rapid evolution of the global antibiotic market. Based on geography, the report segments the global antibiotic markets into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (ROW). Currently, Asia Pacific accounts for the leading share in the global antibiotic market. The region is likely to present exciting growth opportunities along the forecast period, driven by the prevalence of various infectious diseases, favorable regulatory reforms, and significant demand for generic medicines. A large number of players have been actively focusing on new drug development and clinical trials. Prominent biotechnology companies are entering into strategic alliances, which has helped them make considerable investments in drug discovery. Pharmaceutical companies are actively developing analogues of existing antibiotic classes based on innovative approaches to fight bacterial infections. Key players operating in the global antibiotic market include Pfizer Inc., Astellas Pharma, Inc, Roche, Novartis AG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Bayer HealthCare AG, Abbott Laboratories, MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Company, Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Eli Lilly and Co., and Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The antibiotics market was valued at USD 39.8 billion 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 - 2020. Furthermore, supportive government legislations, such as the Generating Antibiotics Incentives Now (GAIN) Act are expected to expedite the approval process. GAIN Act has provisions which facilitate development of therapy against antibiotic resistant pathogens.