Guardians of Antimicrobials – Chapter 1
April 12, 2020, Saika Esani
Companies are shutting down their antibiotic pipelines. Producing antibiotics is expensive, with low incentives. Pharma giants like Novartis and Allergan have terminated their antibiotic research programs. After Novartis, AstraZeneca and Sanofi followed suit.
Big players remaining in the game are Merck, GSK, Pfizer, and Roche. However, a lot of antibiotics come from startups that later get acquired.
Here are three Indian companies that are in the battle against superbugs 👇🏼
Bugworks Research, Bangalore
Bugworks Research is a child of experience and passion. The company is at the forefront of developing novel antibiotics.
Vitas Pharma, Hyderabad
Vitas Pharma is actively working against AMR. Vitas Pharma focuses on pathogens involved in hospital-acquired infections. They are working relentlessly on novel drugs and novel diagnostics.
Aurobindo Pharma, Hyderabad
Named after Indian philosopher, yogi, poet, and guru, the company is known for manufacturing generics and active ingredients. Aurobindo recognizes AMR as a severe threat and has contributed to the 2018 benchmarking exercise, and the Antimicrobial Resistance Benchmark 2018 report was published in January 2018.
This list is not exhaustive, and we expect to see more players in the game. Overcoming AMR would have to be a collaborative effort. Industry, government, and research organizations need to funnel ideas and funds.
