Fewer than half of the antibiotics companies that have gone public in the past decade remain active today, according to research from an industry organization.
The reduced number of active antibiotics companies is one of several key findings in a report from the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), a global trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers, and related organizations.
David Thomas
Although the 20th century yielded more than 90% of all antibacterial drugs that resulted in a significant reduction in deaths from bacterial infections, the 21st century continues to present challenges with respect to drug effectiveness and future drug development, according to authors David Thomas, CFA, BIO's vice president for industry research, and Chad Wessel, BIO's director of industry research and policy analysis.
"More than 1.2 million people worldwide are dying each year from antibiotic resistant infections, and it is estimated this number will grow to 10 million per year by 2050," they write.
For the report, the authors examined recent investments in antibacterial innovation and the current clinical pipeline. They defined antibacterials as direct-acting therapeutics that either kill bacteria or stop bacterial growth and as indirect-acting therapeutics that either boost the effectiveness of direct-acting drugs or inhibit the exotoxins secreted by bacteria.
