This is a Antibiotics marketing research and can include information on the background, market structure, definitions, competitors, trends and developments of antibiotics and is related to other topics such as medical, immunity, infection and disease.

Table of Contents

[edit] Background

Antibiotics are used in many different forms to help the body fight against infectious diseases. Chemically each antibiotic is different; therefore, each may require a slightly different manufacturing procedure. The antibiotic is developed to destroy a bacterium by affecting the structure of their cells. Some attack the cell wall causing the bacterium to burst and others disrupt the metabolism.

Commercial development of an antibiotic is a long and costly proposal. Developing an antibiotic begins with research of identifying organisms which produce antibiotic compounds. In this phase, hundreds of species of organisms are screened for signs of antibacterial effects. When found, the species is tested against a variety of known infectious bacterium. If an organism shows promising results, it’s grown on a large scale so the antibiotic compound can be isolated. If the antibiotic compound is unique it then passes onto clinical trials. These tests consist of studies to prove the antibiotic works and are safe for use in animals and humans. If passed at this point, the Food and Drug Administration must then approve the antibiotic compound as a new drug. Once approved by the FDA the drug manufacturer can then proceed to market and sell the antibiotic.

[edit] Market Structure

The antibiotic industry is contained within two individual groups, the major drug manufacturers, and the generic drug manufacturers.

The major drug manufacturers spend millions on research and development to find the newest cure for diseases. Once found and approved they then begin a massive advertising and sales campaign. These corporations are able to continue this action on each drug they have developed until the patent expires. Upon expiration of the patent, generic drugs are made available from competitors in the industry. To combat this large generic drug market, a major drug manufacturer can form a partnership with a generic drug manufacturer to produce the generic drug prior to the expiration of the patent. This provides not only profit from the original drug but a continued payment from the generic drugs as well.

The generic drug manufacturers also research new cures in the search to find an FDA approved drug. With that in mind they are also producing generic drugs of brand name drugs to supplement the market and help bring reasonable prescription prices for the public. Some of the generic drug manufacturers specialize in “super generic” drugs; these often require more research and could be held to approval from the FDA.

[edit] Industry Definitions

• Antibiotic – Compound created from a bacterium or molds, which can be used to fight an infection. They are ineffective towards viral infections.

• Brand Name Drug – Original drug, marketed under a protected name – Once FDA approved, the manufacturer holds exclusive patent rights for a period of 20 years.

• Generic Drug – Copy of a brand name drug that has exactly the same dosage, intended use, effects, side effects, route of administration, risks, safety, and strength as the original drug.

• Super Generic Drug – Copy of the idea of the original drug, but differs from original in formulation or delivery method. Sometimes this could require approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

[edit] Market Metrics

Antibiotics have been/are taken by majority of the world’s population to help rid the body of infections.

In 1954, 2 million tons of antibiotics were produced, in 2006 over 56 million tons. That balance is expected to rise as the population increases and the development of 3rd world countries progresses.

The following list is a compilation of the most prescribed antibiotics. The generic version of each is usually manufactured by more than one generic drug manufacturer.

Generic Name			Brand Name		Brand Manufacturer

1. Amoxicillin			Amoxil		        GlaxoSmithKline
2. Azithromycin		        Zithromax		Pfizer
3. Clavulanate Potassium	Augmentin		GlaxoSmithKline
4. Ciprofloxacin		Cipro			Bayer AG
5. Cephalexin			Keflex			MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals
6. Clarithromycin		Biaxin			Abbott Laboratories
7. Levofloxacin		        Levaquin		Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical 
8. Cefprozil			Cefzil			Bristol-Myers Squibb
9. Cefuroxime			Ceftin			GlaxoSmithKline

[edit] Industry Players

The development of a new drug is undoubtedly a costly proposition, of which the largest pharmaceutical companies have completed over 75% of the antibiotic research in the last decade.

The industry is dominated by mega-corporations that can generate the enormous amounts of cash to fund research and development in pharmaceuticals. The corporations are divided into two categories; the first is manufacturers of brand name drugs, the second is of manufacturers of generic and super generic drugs. A representative list of the major players of 2007 includes the following:

Major Drug Manufacturers Location Revenue Market Cap

1. Pfizer					USA		48.44B		167.98B
2. GlaxoSmithKline				UK		46.37B		147.27B
3. Bayer AG					DEU		44.03B		 57.91B
4. Abbott Laboratories			        USA		24.11B		 80.15B
5. Bristol-Myers Squibb			        USA		17.77B		 54.87B
6. Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical1		        USA		57.14B		178.53B
7. MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals		        USA		8.07M		105.43M

Generic Drug Manufacturers Location Revenue Market Cap

1. Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc.			USA		 2.39B		  5.47B
2. Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.		        USA		 2.34B		   3.2B
3. Mylan Laboratories, Inc.			USA		 1.80B		   3.8B
4. Par Pharmaceutical Companies		        USA		725.1M	         718.7M
5. Helicos Biosciences Corp.			USA		  394K		 179.1M

[edit] Recent Trends and Developments

In the mid 80’s research in the areas of antibiotics were on a decline until the alarming discovery of antibiotic-resistant diseases. The results of an epidemic of antibiotic-resistant diseases could have disastrous consequences unless new drugs are discovered or improvements are made for the ones available. This is a challenging problem that will continue to be at the fore-front of the antibiotic industry for years to come.

[edit] Sources

• Yahoo Finance
• Forbes.com
• CDC
• FDA
• Web MD

[edit] Related ResearchWikis

Antibacterials Marketing Research