BACTERIOPHAGE THERAPY MARKET ANALYSIS

The global bacteriophage therapy market is estimated to be valued at US$ 1,280.9 million in 2023 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 3.7% during the forecast period (2023-2030).

Analysts’ Views on Global Bacteriophage Therapy Market:

Increasing investment funding by key market players is expected to drive market growth over the forecast period. For instance, in May 2021, Phico Therapeutics Ltd. (‘Phico’), a biotechnology company developing engineered phage technology, announced US$7.5 million (£7 million) in new investment by BGF, the U.K. based active growth capital investor. The funds were used to support the continued development of Phico’s SASPject technology platform and, in particular, the progression of its lead product, PT3.9, towards the clinic.

Figure 1. Global Bacteriophage Therapy Market Share (%), By Product Type, 2023

Global Bacteriophage Therapy Market– Drivers

• Increasing Prevalence of Infectious Diseases: The increasing prevalence of infectious diseases is expected to drive the growth of the global bacteriophage therapy market over the forecast period. For instance, in July 2022, according to data provided by the National Library of Medicine, the absolute number of cases of  urinary tract infections (UTIs) increased by 60.40% from 252.25 million in 1990 to 404.61 million in 2019. Globally, 404.61 million cases, 236,790 deaths, and 520,200 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were estimated in 2019.
•  Increasing research and development activities: Increasing research and development activities by key market players to expand their product portfolio is expected to drive market growth over the forecast period. For instance, On January 12, 2023, Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, Inc. (APT), a clinical-stage biotechnology company, announced the first patient has been dosed in the PHAGE clinical study, an early-stage clinical trial evaluating bacteriophage therapy in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) who carry Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) in their lungs.

Figure 2. Global Bacteriophage Therapy Market Share(%), By Region, 2023

Global Bacteriophage Therapy Market- Regional Analysis

Among regions, North America is estimated to hold a dominant position in the global bacteriophage therapy market over the forecast period. North America is estimated to hold 33.5% of the market share in 2023. The global bacteriophage therapy market is expected to witness significant growth in the coming years, owing to increasing inorganic growth strategies such as investment funding by key market players to expand their product portfolio in the North America region. For instance, in October 2022, Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, Inc. (“APT) announced that the Defense Health Agency (DHA), a U.S. based joint, integrated combat support agency, had awarded an additional US$5 million to support the clinical development of APT’s adaptive bacteriophage (“phage”) therapy in the treatment of diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO). APT is evaluating the safety and efficacy of its precision phage-based therapy in the ongoing Phase 1/2 DANCE (DFO Adaptive Novel Care Evaluation) clinical trial.

Global Bacteriophage Therapy Market– Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

Since the COVID-19 virus outbreak in December 2019, the disease has spread to over 100 countries across the globe, and the World Health Organization declared it a public health emergency on January 30, 2020.

COVID-19 affected the economy in three main ways: by directly affecting the production and demand of drugs, by creating disruptions in distribution channels, and through its financial impact on firms and financial markets. Due to nationwide lockdowns, several countries, such as China, India, Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., Egypt, and others, are facing problems with the transportation of things from one place to another.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic had a positive impact on the global bacteriophage therapy market, owing to increased approval by regulatory authorities for the treatment of bacterial infections during COVID-19. For instance, in November 2020, Adaptive Phage Therapeutics (APT) announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  cleared the company’s Expanded Access for APT’s phage bank treatment for pneumonia or bacteremia/septicemia due to Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus in COVID-19 patients. The FDA’s decision provides a new treatment option for critically ill COVID-19 patients with bacterial infections resistant to nearly all other available therapies. This COVID-19 patient population is rapidly increasing in line with the overall number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Global Bacteriophage Therapy Market Segmentation:

The global bcteriophage therapy market report is segmented into targeted bacteria, disease indication, route of administration, distribution channel and region.

• By targeted bacteria, the market is segmented into escherichia coli, staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus, pseudomonas aeruginosa, salmonella, and others. Out of which, escherichia coli is expected to hold a dominant position in the global bacteriophage therapy market during the forecast period, and this is attributed to increasing growth strategies such as acquisition by key market players.
• By disease indication, the market is segmented into urinary tract infections, chronic otitis, dental extraction, chronic ulcerative colitis, bone infection, wound and skin infections, cystic fibrosis, and others. Out of which, urinary tract infections is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period, and this is attributed to the increasing prevalence of urinary tract infections.
• By route of administration, the market is segmented into oral, topical, and parenteral. Out of which, oral is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period, and this is attributed to the increasing prevalence of infectious diseases.
• By distribution channel, the market is segmented into hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies and online pharmacies. Out of which, hospital pharmacies is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period, and this is attributed to the increasing number of hospital pharmaices.
• By Region, the market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. Out of which, North America is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period, and this is attributed to the increasing growth strategies such as partnership by key market players.

Among all the segments, the disease indication segment is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period, and this is attributed to increasing research and development activities by key market players to expand their product portfolio. For instance, in May 2022, Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, Inc. (“APT”) announced that the first patient has been dosed in its DFO Adaptive Novel Care Evaluation (DANCE) trial, a Phase 1/2 clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of APT’s precision bacteriophage (“phage”) therapy in patients with Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis (DFO).

Global Bacteriophage Therapy Market- Cross Sectional Analysis:

The increasing inorganic growth strategies, such as agreements by key market players, are expected to boost demand of the global bacteriophage therapy market in the North America region. For instance, in November 2021, Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, Inc. (APT) announced that it had entered into an agreement with the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG), a group conducting clinical trials, to support a multi-center Phase 1b/2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessing the safety and microbiological activity of a single dose of bacteriophage therapy in cystic fibrosis subjects colonized with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Global Bacteriophage Therapy Market: Key Developments

• On July 11, 2023, Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company, announced that it has received a US$25 million new financing transaction from Innoviva, Inc., a company engaged in the development, commercialization, and financial management of biopharmaceuticals, to advance the company's pipeline of therapeutic phage candidates, including APPA02 and APSA02, which target infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively.
• On June 13, 2023, Adaptive Phage Therapeutics (APT) announced that it had received a US$12 million upfront investment from funds managed by AMR Action Fun, the public-private partnership investing in antibiotics. This investment enables the continued clinical progression of APT’s pipeline of phage therapies to combat antimicrobial infections.
• On April 30, 2023, Astellas Pharma Inc., a pharmaceutical company, announced the acquisition of Iveric Bio., a company focusing on the discovery and development of novel treatments in the field of ophthalmology. In the acquisition, Iveric Bio will become an indirectly wholly owned subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc.
• In December 2022, Fixed-Phage Ltd, a company that provides phage solutions, announced that it had received US$1.6 million in funding from Scottish Enterprise, a U.K. based national economic development agency, to further scale the development and commercialization of bacteriophage technology in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

Global Bacteriophage Therapy Market: Key Trends

• Increasing Inorganic Growth Strategies Such as Acquisition: Increasing inorganic growth strategies, such as acquisitions by key market players to expand their product portfolio, are expected to drive market growth over the forecast period. For instance, in October 2021, BioNTech SE, a biotechnology company, announced the acquisition of PhagoMed Biopharma GmbH, a biotechnology company specializing in the development of a new class of antibacterials, to expand its infectious disease portfolio capabilities. This acquisition enables BioNTech SE to accelerate its development programs to fight antimicrobial resistance.

Global Bacteriophage Therapy Market: Restraint

• Challenges of Phage Therapy: The challenges of phage therapy are expected to hamper the growth of the bacteriophage therapy market over the forecast period. For instance, in May 2020, according to data published by FEMS Microbiology Reviews, an open access journal, phage therapy has various challenges such as quality and safety requirements, stability of phage preparations, fast phage screening methods, efficacy of phages against biofilms, evolution of bacterial resistance to phages, regulatory framework of phage therapy, and others that are expected to hamper the growth of the bacteriophage market. Key players are focusing on reducing the challenges of phage therapy for developing advanced products, which is expected to drive market growth over the forecast period.

Global Bacteriophage Therapy Market - Key Players

Major players operating in the global bacteriophage therapy market include Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eliava Biopreparations Ltd., Pherecydes Pharma, Intralytix, Inc., Phagelux, Inc., Nextbiotics, InnoPhage, Ltd, Locus Biosciences, Inc., TechnoPhage, Eligo Bioscience SA, Phagomed Biopharma GmbH., PhagePro, Inc., Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, Enbiotix, Inc., Intodeworld, Inc., BiomX Ltd., Phi Therapeutics, Fixed-phage Ltd., Micreos BV, ContraFect Corporation, OPTIPHARM Co., Ltd.

*Definition: Phage therapy (PT) is also called bacteriophage therapy. It uses viruses to treat bacterial infections. Bacterial viruses are called phages or bacteriophages. They only attack bacteria; phages are harmless to people, animals, and plants. Phage therapy mainly utilizes obligately lytic phages to kill their respective bacterial hosts while leaving human cells intact and reducing the broader impact on commensal bacteria that often results from antibiotic use.