Since the early 1990s, there has been a sharp decline of FDA approvals for antibiotics, as pharmaceutical companies ceased antibody development due to high costs and low returns. However, with numerous government incentives for fighting antimicrobial resistance, companies are beginning to renew interest in the field. A May-June survey of 18 biotechnology, pharmaceutical and diagnostics companies indicated that they plan to increase antibiotic research investments by 36% and increase the number of research employees by 6.5% this year. Of the total surveyed, 5 drug candidates are in initial stages of patient testing, 4 are in mid-stage trials and 9 are in advanced studies. The US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority plans to invest $170 million in AstraZeneca’s antibiotic research and funded GlaxoSmithKline with $200 million. Similarly, Britain and China created a joint fund for antimicrobial resistance research last year. Many startup companies are also emerging with experimental medicines for antimicrobial resistance.

Source: Bloomberg