The antibiotic development and commercialization system fails to deliver needed treatments
#00372
Scientific risk, weak commercial returns and unequal market access leave too few innovative antibiotics for priority resistant pathogens and limit delivery after approval.
Parent issue
#00365 Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections make common treatment increasingly unreliable
Sustainable Development Goals
Location
Description
Antibiotic development is scientifically difficult, expensive and slow. New products must then be conserved to delay resistance, so responsible use suppresses the sales volume on which conventional pharmaceutical returns depend. Small developers can fail even after approval, while patients in many countries cannot access recently approved products.
The WHO 2025 antibacterial pipeline analysis found that the clinical pipeline decreased from 97 products in 2023 to 90 in 2025, with insufficient innovation and uneven activity against priority pathogens. The bankruptcy of Achaogen after approval of plazomicin illustrates how the volume-based model can fail to reward successful antibiotic development. Independent financial analysis
This issue concerns the research, development, financing and commercialization system. It excludes inappropriate prescribing after products reach routine care.
Sub-issues
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