Antibiotics Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Antibiotics Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The antibiotics market was valued at USD 47,150.78 million in 2021, and it is expected to reach USD 63,017.22 million by 2027, registering a CAGR of 5.10% during the forecast period.

COVID-19 impacted the global supply chain of pharmaceuticals, affecting the antibiotics market. However, many antibiotics were initially used to treat COVID-19 and are widely prescribed and studied as the COVID-19 remedy. For instance, in March 2020, Pfizer announced positive data for using its azithromycin (Zithromax) drug, along with hydroxychloroquine, in a coronavirus (COVID-19) clinical trial performed in France. There was a huge demand for antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic, which also impacted the studied market of antibiotics. For instance, according to a July 2021 published article titled, “Sales of antibiotics and hydroxychloroquine in India during the COVID-19 epidemic: An interrupted time series analysis”, COVID-19 contributed to about 216 million excess doses of non-CAF (child-appropriate formulations) of antibiotics in total and 38 million excess doses of azithromycin between June and September 2020 in India.

The rising prevalence of bacterial infections and the need for effective and newer antibiotics are driving the demand for advanced antibiotics. For instance, according to the October 2021 report of the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1.5 million people worldwide died because of tuberculosis (TB) in 2020, and approximately 10 million people fell ill with TB globally. As per the same source from WHO, of the estimated new cases of tuberculosis in 2020, 1.1 million were in children, and 86% of the TB cases were reported from the 30 high TB burden countries. One-third of the total cases were reported from eight countries, including India, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and South Africa.

With the urbanization and destruction of natural habitats, climate change, and changing ecosystems, the rate of emergence of infectious diseases has increased recently. The population group primarily affected by these infectious diseases is people aged 65 and more (geriatric population). They are more prone to contracting infection due to their less responsive immune system. Thus, the growing geriatric population around the world is further expected to increase the demand for antibiotics worldwide and augment the growth in the antibiotics market over the forecast period. For instance, as per the World Population Ageing Highlight 2020 report published by the United Nations, the global geriatric population is expected to increase from 727 million in 2020 to 1.5 billion by 2050, which is an almost two-fold increase as the share of the geriatric population in 2020 was about 9.3%, which is projected to increase to 16% by 2050. Thus, with the growing aging population, the burden of infectious diseases is expected to increase, complementing the growth of the studied market during the forecast period.

The emergence of anti-MRSA/VRE drugs, increasing awareness about infectious diseases, and the government’s initiatives in improving the availability of antibiotics around the world for various diseases are further expected to augment the growth of the antibiotics market. However, factors such as the growing prevalence of antibiotics resistance, regulatory constraints, and decreasing number of companies involved in the research of antibiotics are expected to impede the growth of the antibiotics market over the forecast period of the study.

Antibiotics Market TrendsCephalosporins Expected to Hold Major Market Share in the Antibiotics Market Over the Forecast Period

Cephalosporins are a type of beta-lactam antibiotic that helps inhibit the synthesis of peptidoglycan, which are present in the bacterial cell wall and thus, used to manage a wide range of infections from gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. These antibiotics are commonly used to treat pneumonia, skin infections, ear infections, meningitis, upper respiratory tract infections, etc.

The first cephalosporin was discovered in 1945, and with time, there were many advancements to improve the efficacy of cephalosporin against a wide range of bacteria. Each advancement was termed as a generation, and currently, there are five generations of cephalosporins. Due to their wide applicability and flexible route of administration (oral or intravenous), cephalosporins are prescribed and used widely around the world, which is the major factor for their growth in the antibiotics market. Also, with the growing incidences of infection, the companies are evolving their product offering and launching new ones, which is expected to significantly impact the growth of the studied market over the years. For instance, in November 2019, United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Cefiderocol (Fetroja) for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), including pyelonephritis caused by susceptible gram-negative bacteria.

The emergence of COVID-19 is also anticipated to have an impact on the cephalosporin segment as in many studies, different generations of cephalosporins were evaluated against COVID-19, and positive results were observed from those studies. For instance, according to the research study published in October 2021, titled “Efficacy of Ceftazidime and Cefepime in the Management of COVID-19 Patients: Single Center Report from Egypt”, the use of antibiotics for COVID-19 patients have shown considerable therapeutic benefits, particularly with patients with severe pneumonia or those receiving glucocorticoids or other immunosuppressant therapeutics, both ceftazidime and cefepime showed very good inhibitory activity toward COVID-19, and concluded that repurposing of ceftazidime and cefepime is highly effective for the symptomatic improvement of moderate and severe COVID-19 patients. Therefore, due to these factors mentioned above, the cephalosporin segment is expected to grow and occupy a major share in the antibiotics market over the forecast period of the study.

North America Expected to Dominate the Antibiotics Market Over the Forecast Period

North America dominates the market for antibiotics and is expected to show a similar trend over the forecast period, owing to the high demand and consumption of antibiotics in the region due to the high burden of infectious diseases and the growing aging population.

For instance, according to the October 2021 update of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2020, approximately 7,174 new cases of tuberculosis (TB) were reported in United States. As per the same source, the prevalence of TB was reported to be highest among Hispanic or Latino persons, who accounted for about 30% of the total TB cases reported in the country. Thus, the presence of new TB cases in the country is expected to drive the demand for antibiotics in the region which is likely to drive the growth of the studied market in the region.

The other major factor that will complement the demand for antibiotics in the region is the growing geriatric population, more prone to infections. For instance, according to the World Population Ageing Highlight report of 2019 published by the United Nations, the geriatric (aged 65 years and more) population of United States was 53,340,00; 6,602,000 in Canada, and 9,462,000 in Mexico. By 2050, it is projected to increase to 26,416,000 in Mexico, 11,436,000 in Canada, and 84,813,000 in United States.

Moreover, in North America, United States is expected to hold a major share in the antibiotics market during the forecast period due to the high prevalence and incidence of infectious diseases and the wide availability of antibiotics. For instance, according to the research study published by researchers from the University of Missouri on ‘Community-acquired Pneumonia,’ the annual incidence of community-acquired pneumonia was reported to be 24.8 cases per 10,000 adults. The incidence increases as the age increases. According to the November 2021 article of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the common cold affects millions of people in United States each year. Adults have 2-3 colds every year on average, and children get even more. Thus, due to the high burden of bacterial infectious diseases in the country, United States is expected to hold a major share in the antibiotics market in the North American region.

Antibiotics Market Competitive Analysis

The antibiotics market is highly competitive and consists of several major players. In terms of market share, few major players currently dominate the market. However, with technological advancements and product innovations, mid-size to smaller companies increase their market presence by introducing new products at lower prices. Companies like GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer PLC, Bayer AG, Novartis AG, and Abbott Inc. hold significant market shares in the antibiotics market.

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