Charted: Deaths Related to Bacterial Infection vs. Research Efforts

Charted: Deaths Related to Bacterial Infection vs. Research Efforts

More people die every year directly from antimicrobial resistance than from HIV/AIDS, malaria, or any one form of cancer other than lung cancer. Clearly, a drug-resistant bacterial infection is a major health threat. But are researchers giving infections the attention they need?

In part two of this series on antimicrobial resistance, we partnered with the MSCI Sustainability Institute to show the gap between deaths related to bacterial infection and research efforts.

The Mismatch Between Deaths and Research

Globally, a bacterial infection causes nearly 14% of deaths. More than half of these deaths are linked to resistance. Unfortunately, fewer than 2% of all clinical trials study bacterial infections.

With rising antibiotic resistance, new drugs are desperately needed—but research isn’t keeping up. There are far more products in development for cancer, neuropsychiatric conditions, and other non-communicable diseases. 

Even among the antibiotics that researchers are developing, the World Health Organization found that they had little benefit over existing drugs and very few target the most resistant bacteria.

The Challenges of Tackling Bacterial Infection

Why are companies developing so few drugs? Manufacturers face challenges and a lack of financial incentives:

• Small companies account for 81% of antibacterial therapeutics in clinical testing, but have difficulty securing stable funding throughout product development.
• New antimicrobials are managed carefully and used as a last resort, making high-volume sales unrealistic. 
• Compared to many other drugs, antibiotics are used for a shorter period of time and have a limited lifespan due to rising resistance.

The lack of investment into new treatments is a serious problem, but also presents an opportunity.

Opportunities for Investors

Governments can play a role in addressing these issues. One example is the UK’s “subscription-style” model for antibiotics which pays companies upfront to access their drug based on its value rather than the amount used. 

There’s also substantial room for investors to create change. For instance, investors can engage with companies on antimicrobial resistance issues, such as a meat producer’s antibiotic use. They can also help fund research across the product development cycle to speed up new drugs or alternative treatments.