Anti-Infective Agents Market By Drug Class (Antibiotics, Antivirals, Antifungals, Antiprotozoals, Anthelmintics, Others), By Application (Skin Infections, Respiratory Tract Infections, Gastrointestinal Infections, Central Nervous System Infections, Others), By Route of Administration (Oral, Topical, Injectable, Inhalation), By End-User (Hospitals and Clinics, Homecare Settings, Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs),Research and Diagnostic Laboratories), Global Market Size, Segmental analysis, Regional Overview, Company share analysis, Leading Company Profiles And Market Forecast, 2025 – 2035

Industry Outlook

The Anti-Infective Agents market accounted for USD 144.3 Billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 217.5 Billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of around 3.8% between 2025 and 2035. The anti-infective agents market is the branch of the industry that deals with the creation, manufacture, and sale of medications for the treatment of bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections. Such agents include antibiotics, antiviral agents, antifungal agents, and antiparasitic agents. Several reasons contribute to the market's growth, including rising illness rates, bacterial resistance to antibiotics, and a demand for better treatments. Market growth is fueled by the development of novel therapies, the acquisition of new information about drugs, and people's growing awareness of health concerns. This study finds that the market plays an important role in healthcare delivery for preventing infectious diseases and improving patient experiences.

Report Scope:

Market Dynamics

Rising global incidence of infectious diseases driving demand for treatments.

The high incidence of infectious diseases across the world is one of the key factors that drive the anti-infective agent’s market. The aggravating factors that contributed to the increased spread of communicable diseases include occupational density, globalization, and climate change. Further, the emergence of increased antimicrobial resistance (AMR) means that such infections become more difficult to treat and increase the need for new and effective therapy. Long-term illnesses such as diabetes and cancer, which lower the body's immunity, raise the chance of infection. WHO estimates that AMR is already killing around 700,000 people every year, emphasizing the importance of new approaches to the anti-infective sector.

Growing awareness of drug-resistant infections boosts the need for new anti-infectives.

The growing notion of drug-resistant infection is a significant driver of the anti-infective agents market. The quest for novel and improved therapies is becoming more pressing. Current medications are abused and misused, and they do not match the needs of healthcare systems, necessitating the search for new remedies. An increasing number of patients with chronic diseases, immune-compromised states, and frequent global travelers are at high risk of infection, necessitating the development of more effective anti-infectives. In the same framework, funding for field research is being offered in response to the growing need to combat emerging diseases and meet the demand for more treatments.

Policy assistance and public-private partnerships also encourage creative procedures, which can aid market growth. Increased hospital-acquired illnesses and a growing global geriatric population are pushing rising demand for anti-infective medications. Moreover, technological developments and genetics have already accelerated the growth of the targeted therapy business, pointing to new ways to tackle rising resistance and extend the market.

High research, development, and approval costs limit the growth of anti-infectives.

Huge research, development, and approval expenses are the primary factors limiting the growth of the anti-infective agents market. It takes time and money to develop new anti-infectives since they must first uncover new chemicals that may be effective at treating diseases and then go through preclinical and clinical trials before being licensed for use. This remains an extremely expensive and time-consuming procedure, and many medication candidates may fail throughout the testing phase. Other costs include regulatory fees, which, as many will attest, are exorbitant due to the extensive paperwork and stringent procedures required when obtaining authorization from authorities such as the FDA.

Further, AMR is widely used, lowering the chances of generating effective treatments. New antibiotics are obtaining less coverage from healthcare systems, reducing the incentive to invest due to low market returns and expensive development expenses. Generic versions of older pharmaceuticals successfully compete with new anti-infectives, posing a financial risk to corporations. All of these problems conspire to limit the anti-infective agent market.

Advancements in personalized medicine offer targeted treatments for infectious diseases.

Electronic health has been highlighted as another major trend with a high potential for driving the growth of the anti-infective agents market. Several genetic, microbiological, and immunological connections grew, and medicines became more customized and patient-safe. Personalized medicine also tends to reduce the establishment of resistance because it aims to target specific diseases by ensuring that the proper drug reaches the right patient. Improvements in diagnostic technologies enable illnesses to be diagnosed more rapidly, leading to more effective treatment deployment. This is especially true in locations where antibiotic-resistant illnesses are becoming increasingly difficult to treat using standard means.

Moreover, assessing the interpretation of genetic and microbiota principles for therapy boosts dosage modifications and regimens and improves treatment efficacy. When such specific adaptation solutions become more widespread, the novel market and targeted anti-infective agents will expand, promoting market development. Along with the growing demand for targeted immunological prophylaxis and tailored biologics, another key consideration is the potential expansion of infectious diseases that are difficult to treat with traditional vaccinations.

Expanding healthcare infrastructure in emerging markets increases demand for anti-infective treatments

As the population in many developing countries gains access to more advance healthcare facilities, so does the anti-infective agents market. Along with improving the healthcare delivery system, these regions have grown into a greater market for medications to treat various forms of infectious disorders, including bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal infections.

Population density, growth, and demographic transition all contribute to higher rates of novel diseases in rising metropolitan regions where people lack access to adequate health care. This creates a high need for effective and inexpensive anti-infective products. Furthermore, widespread anti-antibiotic resistance and enhanced therapy programs promote the creation of novel antibiotics. With more healthcare dollars and increased knowledge of infection management, the market for anti-infective treatments will expand proportionally, making it profitable for pharmaceutical companies to capitalize on this increasing market.

Industry Experts Opinion

"The growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance has significantly impacted the demand for new anti-infective agents. As infections become harder to treat, the pharmaceutical industry is responding with more targeted therapies. In addition to bacterial resistance, there is a rise in fungal infections, contributing to a greater need for innovative treatments across the anti-infective spectrum"

• Dr. David R. Weber, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina.

Segment Analysis

Based on the drug class, the anti-infective agents market is classified into Antibiotics, Antivirals, Antifungals, Antiprotozoals, Anthelmintics, and Others. Antibiotics are the largest segment of the anti-infective agents market. This is mostly due to the high prevalence of bacterial illnesses in the population and the frequent use of antibiotics in both community and hospital settings. Antibiotics are used to treat a wide range of bacterial illnesses, including minor infections like pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and serious infections like sepsis. Although antimicrobial resistance remains one of the most pressing concerns that must be addressed, antibiotics continue to be the primary treatment for infectious diseases, accounting for the vast majority of the market.

Based on the application, the anti-infective agents market is classified into Skin Infections, Respiratory Tract Infections, Gastrointestinal Infections, Central Nervous System Infections, and Others. Respiratory Tract Infection (RTI) continues to be the largest sector in the Anti-Infective Agents Market. This is mostly because respiratory infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis, and influenza are extremely frequent among the global population. RTIs occur in both affluent and developing countries, and they frequently result in significant symptoms and hospitalizations. The growth in antibiotic-resistant infections of respiratory disorders highlights the need for improved anti-infective drugs. Further, the rising incidence of flu season and newly emerging respiratory disorders such as COVID-19 have heightened interest in developing more effective anti-infective medicines for RTI treatment.

Regional Analysis

The North American anti-infective agents market is leading owing to rising infection rates, the need for high-quality and novel medications, and the development of new technologies. The United States is the largest market due to its well-equipped healthcare system and increased spending on medications and infectious disease research. Antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics are the most common therapeutic classes, and antimicrobial drug resistance has emerged in this region necessitating the development of new medications. Therefore, the industry is supported by a substantial pipeline of approved anti-infective drugs and government-led programs to combat life-threatening infections. It is supported by increased collaboration among the pharmaceutical sector, academic institutions, and government organizations to promote innovation and useful medicines. However, some challenges, such as dealing with drug-resistant pathogens and pricing controls, persist throughout the North American region.

The Asia-Pacific anti-infective agents market has grown due to advances in the number of infectious diseases, improved health awareness, and infrastructure. The rise in anti-infective demand, particularly for antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, and antiparasitics, is mostly due to the rising prevalence of various infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, viral, and other resistant infections.

Asia is grabbing the majority of this market because of a larger patient pool, more access to healthcare, and government programs to raise health awareness and reduce sickness. Nonetheless, issues such as AMR, legal constraints, and a shortage of professional health care in particular locations stymie industry expansion. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of expanding the availability and development of anti-infective treatments in the research region. Increased R&D spending and the development of innovative treatment procedures affect the market.

Competitive Landscape

Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co., GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Johnson & Johnson, Novartis AG, and others are among the leading participants in the anti-infective agents market. They are attempting to create even more advances and competition through new drugs, mergers, and acquisitions. For instance, Pfizer and Merck's breakthroughs in oral antiviral drugs such as Lagevrio have contributed to the COVID-19 vaccine's designation as an infectious disease.

GSK has attempted to discover novel molecular entities and rebuild its antibiotic portfolio, while Sanofi has concentrated on the development of new antibiotics for resistant bacterial infections. AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly are developing innovative medicines for emerging infections, such as monoclonal antibodies and next-generation antivirals. Teva's other generic anti-infective pharmaceutical biotech companies have recently expressed a renewed commitment to enhancing critical medication supply. Because antibiotic resistance remains a global issue, these companies are stepping up their research to combat superbugs and other emerging diseases.

Anti-Infective Agents Market, Company Shares Analysis, 2024

To explore in-depth analysis in this report - Request Free Sample Report

Recent Developments:

• In March 2024, Sandoz opened a new antibiotic production facility in Kundl, Austria, with a USD 53.81 million (EUR 50) investment. This expansion increases capacity by 20%, enabling the production of 240 million packages annually. The facility will produce an additional one billion penicillin tablets, doubling the output of key pediatric formulations.
• In January 2024, Basilea Pharmaceutica announced its acquisition of a preclinical antibiotics program from Spexis AG. The program targets multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria using novel antibiotics that disrupt lipopolysaccharide transport, a key mechanism for bacterial survival.

Report Coverage:

By Drug Type

• Antibiotics
• Antivirals
• Antifungals
• Antiprotozoals
• Anthelmintics
• Others

By Application

• Skin Infections
• Respiratory Tract Infections
• Gastrointestinal Infections
• Central Nervous System Infections
• Others

By Route of Administration

• Oral
• Topical
• Injectable
• Inhalation

By End-User

• Hospitals and Clinics
• Homecare Settings
• Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs)
• Research and Diagnostic Laboratories

By Region

North America

• U.S.
• Canada

Europe

• U.K.
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain
• Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

• China
• Japan
• India
• Australia
• South Korea
• Singapore
• Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

• Brazil
• Argentina
• Mexico
• Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

• GCC Countries
• South Africa
• Rest of Middle East & Africa

List of Companies:

• Pfizer Inc.
• Merck & Co., Inc.
• GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
• Johnson & Johnson
• Novartis AG
• Sanofi S.A.
• Spexis AG
• AstraZeneca PLC
• Eli Lilly and Company
• Bristol-Myers Squibb
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
• F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.
• Mylan N.V.
• Allergan
• Basilea Pharmaceutical
• Globe Biotech Ltd.
• Cubist Pharmaceuticals

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)