Towards new business models for R&D for novel antibiotics

Drug Resist Updat. 2011 Apr;14(2):88-94. doi: 10.1016/j.drup.2011.01.006. Epub 2011 Mar 25.

Abstract

In the face of a growing global burden of resistance to existing antibiotics, a combination of scientific and economic challenges has posed significant barriers to the development of novel antibacterials over the past few decades. Yet the bottlenecks at each stage of the pharmaceutical value chain-from discovery to post-marketing-present opportunities to reengineer an innovation pipeline that has fallen short. The upstream hurdles to lead identification and optimization may be eased with greater multi-sectoral collaboration, a growing array of alternatives to high-throughput screening, and the application of open source approaches. Product development partnerships and South-South innovation platforms have shown promise in bolstering the R&D efforts to tackle neglected diseases. Strategies that delink product sales from the firms' return on investment can help ensure that the twin goals of innovation and access are met. To effect these changes, both public and private sector stakeholders must show greater commitment to an R&D agenda that will address this problem, not only for industrialized countries but also globally.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Bacteria / pathogenicity
  • Bacterial Infections / drug therapy
  • Bacterial Infections / microbiology
  • Drug Discovery
  • Drug Industry / economics*
  • Drug Industry / organization & administration
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial*
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays
  • Humans
  • Internationality
  • Investments / economics
  • Neglected Diseases / drug therapy
  • Pandemics / prevention & control*
  • Public-Private Sector Partnerships / economics*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents