Market Challenges And Opportunities
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 - 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.
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