GLOBAL ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE MARKET SIZE AND SHARE ANALYSIS - GROWTH TRENDS AND FORECASTS (2024 - 2031)

The global antibiotic resistance market was valued US$ 8.83 Bn in 2023 and is expected to reach US$ 13.37 Bn by 2031, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3% from 2024 to 2031.

Global Antibiotic Resistance Market - Regional Insights

• North America is expected to be the largest market for antibiotic resistance during the forecast period, accounting for over 43.7% of the market share in 2023. North America has established itself as the dominant region in the global antibiotic resistance market. Oxazolidinones have proven highly effective at treating drug-resistant bacterial infections like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) that are challenging to treat with other antibiotic classes. Linezolid, the main oxazolidinone drug, has benefits over other treatments as it can be administered both orally and intravenously, allowing flexibility in patient care settings. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Linezolid has strong activity against clinically relevant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in the US. The ability of Linezolid to treat these dangerous antibiotic-resistant pathogens in both hospital and outpatient settings has made it the preferred therapy for over two decades, keeping the Oxazolidinones sub-segment at the forefront of the North America.
• Asia Pacific is expected to be the second-largest market for antibiotic resistance, accounting for over 25.2% of the market share in 2023. Asia Pacific is projected to emerge as the fastest growing region over the coming years. Countries like China, India, Japan, and South Korea are prioritizing initiatives and policies to strengthen their antibiotic resistance management programs. This includes investments in advanced diagnostics to aid rapid identification of drug-resistant pathogens. The favorable regulations and improving healthcare expenditure have encouraged global as well as local players to tap into opportunities by establishing manufacturing facilities. Furthermore, the rising medical tourism across Asia Pacific economies due to affordable treatment costs is augmenting the sales of antibiotics and alternate therapies.

Figure 1. Global Antibiotic Resistance Market Share (%), By Region, 2023

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Analyst’s Views:

The global antibiotic resistance market is growing rapidly due to the rising prevalence of infectious diseases and increasing misuse of antibiotics. Lack of new antibiotics in the pipeline is a major concern as many pharmaceutical companies have shifted focus to other therapeutic areas. Development of new drugs takes 10-15 years and cost billions of dollars, which poses a significant challenge for sustainable growth in this market. However, the implementation of stringent regulations to curb antibiotic overuse and emerging initiatives like AMR Action Fund present lucrative opportunities.

Asia Pacific is expected to register the highest growth due to rising awareness, growing healthcare expenditure and increasing generic consumption in developing countries like India and China. North America will continue to dominate the market supported by well-established healthcare infrastructure and high diagnostic rates. On the other hand, market growth in underdeveloped African countries will be hampered by lack of proper sanitation and infrastructure. Further development of rapid diagnostics will help optimize antibiotic usage and reduce unnecessary prescriptions. Collaboration between government, healthcare organizations and private players is critical to attract R&D investment to develop novel antibiotics. Novel drug delivery approaches also hold promise to minimize resistance development.

Global Antibiotic Resistance Market- Drivers

• Rising prevalence of infectious diseases: Several factors such as the misuse and overuse of antibiotic drugs, lack of development of new antibiotics, lack of clean water and sanitation in many parts of the world leading to spread of diseases, inter-connected world leading to easy spread of infection, lifestyle changes, etc. have contributed to the growth of antimicrobial resistance. This has reduced effectiveness of available antibiotics against many bacterial infections. Growing incidences of drug-resistant tuberculosis, gonorrhea, and salmonellosis due to growing antimicrobial resistance poses serious health threats and economic burden. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year, with more than 35,000 people dying as a result.
• Advancement in antibiotic resistance diagnosis: Advancement in antibiotic resistance diagnosis is one of the major factors driving the growth of the global antibiotic resistance market. The ability to quickly and accurately detect antibiotic resistant bacteria is becoming increasingly important for effective treatment of infections. Traditional methods for antibiotic susceptibility testing in laboratories can take several days to provide results. However, with ongoing research and development, more rapid and point-of-care diagnostic tests are being introduced that can detect antibiotic resistance directly from patient samples in 1-2 hours.
• Growing number of R&D activities: The rising threat of antibiotic resistance globally is one of the major drivers behind the growth of the antibiotic resistance market. As more and more bacterial strains develop resistance against existing antibiotics, pharmaceutical companies and research institutions are investing heavily in R&D to develop new and effective treatment alternatives. According to the review on antimicrobial resistance by the U.K. government, there will be an estimated 10 million annual deaths from antibiotic-resistant infections by 2050 if no action is taken. This alarming projection is causing international health organizations and governments to increase funding and focus on combating the issue.

Global Antibiotic Resistance Market - Opportunities

• Emerging economies: Emerging economies represent a major opportunity for growth in the global antibiotic resistance market. These developing nations are experiencing rapid population growth and economic development, leading to increases in healthcare spending and antibiotic usage. However, regulations and infrastructure in these countries still lag behind international standards in many areas. As a result, overuse and misuse of antibiotics remains common, exacerbating the development of resistant bacterial strains. A 2020 report from the World Health Organization found that in several emerging nations, over 50% of surveyed hospitals reported resistance to commonly used "last resort" antibiotic classes like carbapenems and colistin. If left unaddressed, high resistance rates threaten to undermine medical progress and economic development gains in these regions.
• Growing awareness regarding antibiotic resistance: The growing awareness amongst consumers and healthcare professionals about the rising threat of antibiotic resistance is presenting a huge opportunity for the global antibiotic resistance market. There is a heightened understanding now that the over prescription and misuse of antibiotics has severely compromised their efficacy. Several studies conducted by the WHO and CDC in recent years have underscored the projection that antibiotic resistance could lead to 10 million annual deaths by 2050 if no actions are taken. This alarming possibility is driving significant focus on curbing the unnecessary and excessive use of antibiotics

Global Antibiotic Resistance Market – Trends

• Adoption of newer technologies like AI and analytics by staffing agencies: Antibiotic resistance is significantly influencing the global antibiotic resistance market. Due to the rising threat of widespread antibiotic resistance, there is growing emphasis on developing rapid and accurate diagnostics to detect antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Novel antibiotic resistance diagnostics allow physicians to prescribe tailored antibiotic treatment based on the specific bacteria and their drug sensitivities, thereby ensuring appropriate usage of antibiotics.
• Drug resistance bacteria surveillance systems: Drug resistance bacteria are becoming a major threat across the world as many common bacterial infections are now becoming harder to treat due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. As per their latest global report on antimicrobial resistance published in 2022, antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been identified in every region assessed. If no action is taken, drug-resistant diseases could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050.

Global Antibiotic Resistance Market - Restraints

• Side effects associated with existing drugs: The growing concerns over side effects associated with existing antibiotics is a major factor restraining the growth of the global antibiotic resistance market. Many commonly used antibiotics can cause undesirable and sometimes potentially harmful side effects. For example, fluoroquinolone antibiotics like ciprofloxacin that are frequently prescribed for urinary tract and other bacterial infections have been known to cause serious side effects affecting the tendons, muscles, joints, nerves and central nervous system. According to a study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from 2021, these kinds of antibiotics may cause tendonitis or tendon rupture during or after treatment which can take months or even years to fully recover from. Similarly, broad-spectrum antibiotics from the beta-lactam group that include penicillins and cephalosporins are commonly associated with mild to severe allergic reactions and life-threatening anaphylaxis in sensitive individuals.
• High costs involved in new drug development: The high costs involved in new drug development is posing significant challenges for the growth of the global antibiotic resistance market. Developing a new antibiotic drug is an extremely long, complex and costly process. It takes on an average 10-15 years for a new drug to be discovered, developed and brought to market. The costs for research and development involved in each step of drug discovery and clinical trials runs into billions of dollars.
• With the risk of failure and attrition rates being very high at each stage of drug development, there is considerable financial uncertainty for pharmaceutical companies in this sector. According to data from the WHO, only about 5% of compounds that enter preclinical testing proceed to clinical development and just 1 in 5 of those that enter human clinical trials ultimately receive approval. This lengthy and expensive development cycle discourages significant investments from companies in combating antibiotic resistance. With high costs and low success rates, many companies are choosing to step back from antibiotic R&D altogether.

• Counterbalance– Thus, key market players should form strategic alliances with other providers or healthcare networks to increase the research and development activities to minimize the side effects of existing drugs.

Figure 2. Global Antibiotic Resistance Market Share (%), By Drug Class, 2023

Global Antibiotic Resistance Market- Recent Developments

• In May 2023, Melinta Therapeutics, LLC, a pharmaceutical company, and Xediton Pharmaceuticals Inc, a pharmaceutical company, entered in private agreement for the commercialization and licensing of anti-infective products in Canada, including BAXDELA, KIMYRSA, ORBACTIV, and VABOMERE.
• In May 2023, Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, entered into strategic partnership with Zai Lab (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a biotechnology company, to develop and commercialize omadacycline, an innovative therapy based on tetracycline chemistry, specifically for patients in China.
• In November 2023, Melinta Therapeutics LLC, a pharmaceutical company, collaborated with Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, in the U.S. This collaboration aims to commercialize cefepime-taniborbactam, a combination antibiotic designed for complicated urinary tract infections and hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia in adults.

Top Companies in the Global Antibiotic Resistance Market

• Melinta Therapeutics
• Merck & Co., Inc.
• Allergan
• Pfizer Inc.
• Tetraphase Pharmaceutical, Inc.
• Theravance Biopharma
• WOCKHARDT
• Entasis Threapeutics
• Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Seres Therapeutics
• Achaogen Inc.
• Basilea Pharmaceutical Ltd.
• Nabriva Threapeutics plc
• NEMESIS BIOSCIENCE LTD.

Definition: Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria or other microbes develop the capacity to withstand antibiotics that previously combated infections they caused. This resistance emerges when bacteria undergo genetic changes or mutations allowing them to persist and multiply despite antibiotic exposure, thereby diminishing or nullifying the drug's therapeutic efficacy.

Antibiotics have been one of the most effective treatments against bacterial infections. However, with widespread use, bacteria are evolving and developing resistance to existing antibiotic drugs. This is a major global concern known as antibiotic resistance. There are several types of antibiotic drugs that work by different mechanisms to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. The main types are beta-lactams, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, and tetracyclines.

Beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillins and cephalosporins work by inhibiting the bacteria's cell wall synthesis. They have been very effective first line treatments but resistance is growing. Fluoroquinolones attack the bacteria's ability to replicate DNA while macrolides and tetracyclines inhibit protein synthesis. However, all antibiotic classes are now compromised to some degree by emerging and mutating bacterial resistance mechanisms. This resistance occurs through natural selection, enabling bacteria to survive exposure through genetic mutations or mobile resistance elements like plasmids.