Major pharma firms pulling out of antibiotic R&D, worrying experts
A new report shows a sharp drop in projects from large pharmaceutical companies, down 35% in just five years, from 92 to 60 projects.
With drug-resistant infections already causing more than 1 million deaths each year, experts are worried about our ability to fight back if this trend continues.
Small companies are now leading the charge
While big pharma is stepping back (Pfizer has reduced its antibiotic R&D activity), smaller firms are now leading most early-stage research—There are 232 preclinical programs across 148 groups, and 90% of the companies involved have fewer than 50 employees.
GSK stands out among major players, with the most ongoing projects.
Promising developments in the pipeline
There's still hope on the horizon: In late 2025, two new antibiotics were approved in the US the first in decades, for treating gonorrhea and UTIs.
Plus, more than $2 billion is going into global partnerships like CARB-X to help speed up antibiotic development.