Global Infectious Disease Drugs Market Outlook, 2031

The global infectious disease drugs industry covers medicines used to prevent and treat infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, antimalarials, antiparasitic drugs, tuberculosis treatments and monoclonal antibodies against infectious agents. It spans some of the most widely used medicines in the world, such as amoxicillin, azithromycin and artemisinin-based combinations, as well as high-value branded products such as Gilead's HIV regimens, ViiV Healthcare's long-acting injectables, Pfizer's Paxlovid and Cresemba, and Sanofi and AstraZeneca's Beyfortus for respiratory syncytial virus prevention in infants. Major companies include Gilead, GSK and ViiV, Merck, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, Novartis, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Shionogi, Roche, Basilea, Mundipharma, Cidara, Innoviva and F2G, alongside generic manufacturers in India and China that supply most of the world's low-cost anti-infectives. Global health organisations, including the WHO, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Unitaid, the Medicines for Malaria Venture, the TB Alliance, GARDP, Gavi and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, shape the market in low- and middle-income countries through funding, procurement and product development partnerships. Infectious diseases remain a leading cause of death, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, while antimicrobial resistance threatens the effectiveness of existing drugs worldwide. The pandemic temporarily made infectious disease drugs the centre of global attention, with COVID-19 antivirals and antibodies generating tens of billions of dollars in 2021 and 2022 before demand fell. Since then, the market has been shaped by several longer-term forces. HIV treatment and prevention have moved toward long-acting injectables, with twice-yearly lenacapavir approved for prevention in June 2025. Respiratory syncytial virus prevention has been transformed by long-acting antibodies, including nirsevimab, launched in 2023, and Merck's clesrovimab, approved as Enflonsia in June 2025, alongside new RSV vaccines. Antimicrobial resistance has driven new antibiotic approvals, including gepotidacin and zoliflodacin for gonorrhoea in December 2025. Antifungal innovation has also advanced, with rezafungin approved in 2023 and new classes such as olorofim and fosmanogepix in late-stage development, while drug-resistant Candida auris has spread in hospitals. In malaria, Novartis's Coartem Baby became the first malaria treatment approved for newborns in July 2025, and its next-generation ganaplacide-lumefantrine combination produced positive phase 3 results. Global health funding became more uncertain in 2025, when the United States dismantled USAID and cut global health programmes, and the Global Fund's eighth replenishment in November 2025 raised about USD 11.3 billion, below its target, putting pressure on HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programmes. Market Dynamics Market Drivers • Persistent Global Burden of Infectious DiseasesLower respiratory infections, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, diarrhoeal diseases and neglected tropical diseases continue to cause millions of deaths each year, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. Tuberculosis has again become the leading infectious killer, and malaria causes more than half a million deaths annually. Population growth, urbanisation, climate change expanding the range of mosquito-borne diseases and ageing populations in wealthy countries sustain demand for infectious disease medicines. • Antimicrobial Resistance and Emerging PathogensResistance to antibiotics, antifungals, antimalarials and antivirals is rising, requiring new drugs and more careful use of existing ones. Drug-resistant tuberculosis, carbapenem-resistant bacteria, artemisinin partial resistance in Africa and Candida auris are major concerns. New and re-emerging pathogens, including mpox, H5N1 avian influenza, dengue, Marburg and Ebola, drive investment in preparedness, stockpiles and broad-spectrum treatments. Market Challenges • Weak Commercial Incentives in Key AreasMany infectious disease drugs, particularly new antibiotics, antifungals, tuberculosis and malaria treatments, target patients in low-income countries or must be used sparingly to slow resistance, limiting sales. Large companies have reduced investment, and development depends heavily on public and philanthropic funding. Without new incentive models, pipelines for high-priority pathogens remain thin relative to the threat. • Funding Cuts and Access GapsReductions in international aid in 2025, particularly from the United States, disrupted procurement and delivery of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria medicines and weakened surveillance in many countries. The Global Fund's replenishment fell short of its target. Weak health systems, limited diagnostics and high out-of-pocket costs mean many patients in lower-income countries do not receive appropriate treatment, while shortages of generic anti-infectives affect even high-income countries. Market Trends • Long-Acting Prevention with Antibodies and InjectablesPrevention is shifting toward long-acting products that protect people for months with a single dose. Long-acting RSV antibodies protect infants for a full season, twice-yearly lenacapavir and bimonthly cabotegravir prevent HIV, and monoclonal antibodies against malaria and COVID-19 are in development or use for high-risk groups. These products blur the line between drugs and vaccines and require new procurement and delivery approaches. • New Classes and Shorter RegimensDevelopers are introducing new classes and shorter treatment regimens that improve adherence and address resistance. Six-month BPaLM regimens have replaced much longer treatments for drug-resistant tuberculosis, new antifungal classes are advancing, first-in-class antibiotics have reached approval, and next-generation antimalarials such as ganaplacide-lumefantrine aim to overcome emerging resistance. Artificial intelligence is increasingly used to discover new antimicrobial compounds. Segment Analysis Antivirals account for the largest share of infectious disease drug value, driven by HIV medicines, while antibiotics account for the largest volume of use and antifungals, antiparasitics and antibodies form smaller but growing segments. Antivirals, led by HIV antiretrovirals and supplemented by hepatitis B and C, influenza, COVID-19, herpes and cytomegalovirus drugs, generate the largest share of infectious disease drug revenue, with Gilead's Biktarvy among the world's highest-selling medicines. Antibiotics are the most widely used anti-infectives by volume, mostly generic penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides and fluoroquinolones, with branded agents for resistant infections forming a small but important segment. Antifungals, including azoles such as fluconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole and isavuconazole, echinocandins such as caspofungin, micafungin and rezafungin, and amphotericin B formulations, treat serious infections in immunocompromised patients. Antimalarials, including artemisinin-based combination therapies, artesunate for severe malaria, seasonal malaria chemoprevention drugs and tafenoquine and primaquine for relapse prevention, are supplied mainly through global health programmes. Tuberculosis drugs include first-line regimens and newer drugs such as bedaquiline, pretomanid and delamanid for resistant disease. Antiparasitic drugs treat neglected tropical diseases such as schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, onchocerciasis, leishmaniasis and Chagas disease, often donated by manufacturers. Monoclonal antibodies, including nirsevimab and clesrovimab for RSV, bezlotoxumab and antibodies against COVID-19, form a growing segment. Bacteriophage and microbiome-based therapies are emerging. Viral infections account for the largest share of infectious disease drug value, while bacterial infections account for the largest number of treated patients and fungal and parasitic infections represent high-need niche segments. Viral infections, including HIV, hepatitis B and C, influenza, COVID-19, RSV, herpes viruses and cytomegalovirus, generate the largest share of revenue because HIV requires lifelong therapy and branded antiviral prices are high in wealthy countries. Bacterial infections, including respiratory, urinary, skin, bloodstream and sexually transmitted infections, account for the largest number of prescriptions globally, and resistant bacterial infections in hospitals generate demand for high-value new antibiotics. Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, affects about 10 million people each year and requires months of combination therapy. Fungal infections, including invasive candidiasis, aspergillosis, cryptococcal meningitis, mucormycosis and Candida auris infections, mainly affect people with weakened immune systems, including cancer, transplant and intensive care patients, and have high mortality. Parasitic infections, including malaria, which causes more than 240 million cases a year, and neglected tropical diseases, affect mainly poor populations in tropical regions. Emerging and outbreak infections, including mpox, Ebola, Marburg, dengue, chikungunya and avian influenza, require treatments that may be used rarely but are critical during outbreaks. Clostridioides difficile infection and other healthcare-associated infections form a specialised hospital segment. Oral formulations account for the largest share of infectious disease drug use, while intravenous hospital treatments and long-acting injectables generate significant value. Oral tablets, capsules and suspensions are the most common route for infectious disease drugs, including most antibiotics prescribed in primary care, HIV and hepatitis regimens, antimalarials, tuberculosis drugs, oral antifungals and influenza and COVID-19 antivirals. Oral dispersible and paediatric formulations, such as Coartem Baby, child-friendly tuberculosis drugs and dolutegravir for children, are important in low-income countries. Intravenous formulations are used in hospitals for serious bacterial and fungal infections, severe malaria, sepsis and hospitalised viral infections, and many of the highest-priced new antibiotics and antifungals are intravenous. Long-acting injectables, including cabotegravir and rilpivirine for HIV treatment, cabotegravir and lenacapavir for HIV prevention, and nirsevimab and clesrovimab for RSV, are the fastest-growing route. Rezafungin, a once-weekly intravenous echinocandin, reduces the need for daily hospital infusions. Inhaled formulations, such as inhaled amikacin for non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung disease, and topical and ophthalmic formulations for skin and eye infections, form smaller segments. Rectal artesunate is used as pre-referral treatment for severe malaria in children. Hospital pharmacies and retail pharmacies account for most infectious disease drug value in high-income countries, while government and donor-funded programmes supply a large share of volume in low- and middle-income countries. Hospital pharmacies supply intravenous antibiotics, antifungals and antivirals for serious infections, and they are the key channel for new drugs targeting resistant pathogens and invasive fungal disease, with stewardship programmes controlling use. Retail pharmacies dispense most oral antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals prescribed in primary care, and in many countries antibiotics are sold without prescription. Specialty pharmacies distribute high-cost HIV, hepatitis and long-acting medicines in the United States. Online pharmacies and telehealth have grown for sexually transmitted infections, urinary tract infections, HIV prevention and COVID-19 treatment. Government and donor-funded programmes, including national HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programmes supported by the Global Fund, PEPFAR, the President's Malaria Initiative and Unitaid, procure large volumes of medicines, often through pooled procurement mechanisms and at negotiated low prices. The WHO prequalification programme approves quality-assured products for these programmes. Donation programmes supply drugs for neglected tropical diseases. Government stockpiles hold influenza antivirals, smallpox treatments and emergency antibiotics. Immunisation programmes and maternity services deliver RSV antibodies to newborns. Regional Analysis North America leads the infectious disease drugs market by value because of high prices for HIV, hepatitis and branded anti-infectives, while Africa and South Asia carry the largest burden of infectious diseases and rely heavily on generic medicines and global health funding. North America, led by the United States, generates the largest share of infectious disease drug revenue, driven by branded HIV treatment and prevention, hospital anti-infectives, antifungals and RSV antibodies. The FDA approved several anti-infectives between 2024 and 2025, including gepotidacin, zoliflodacin, aztreonam-avibactam, clesrovimab and lenacapavir for HIV prevention, and US agencies such as BARDA fund development of medical countermeasures. Changes in US global health policy in 2025 reduced support for programmes abroad. Europe is a major market with strong public health systems, antibiotic stewardship and new pull incentives in the UK, and the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority funds countermeasures. Asia-Pacific is a large and growing market, with India and China major producers of generic anti-infectives, India carrying the world's largest tuberculosis burden, and China, Japan and South Korea having large markets for antibiotics, hepatitis B drugs and influenza antivirals. Japan's Shionogi is a leading developer of antivirals and antibiotics. Sub-Saharan Africa bears the largest burden of HIV, malaria and many neglected tropical diseases, relying on generic medicines procured through national programmes and donors, and funding cuts in 2025 created serious gaps. Latin America faces dengue, Chagas disease and rising antimicrobial resistance, with Brazil a major market, and the Middle East has growing concerns about resistant hospital infections. Key Developments December 2025: The FDA approved gepotidacin and zoliflodacin for uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhoea, the first new oral treatments for the infection in decades. November 2025: Donors pledged about USD 11.3 billion to the Global Fund for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programmes, below the organisation's target, amid broader cuts to global health aid. July 2025: Swissmedic approved Novartis's Coartem Baby for infants weighing less than 5 kg, filling a gap in malaria treatment for newborns and young infants. June 2025: Merck's long-acting monoclonal antibody was approved to protect newborns and infants from RSV during their first season. June 2025: Gilead's Yeztugo, a twice-yearly injection, was approved for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, the longest-acting HIV prevention option available. March 2023: Cidara and Mundipharma's once-weekly echinocandin was approved for candidaemia and invasive candidiasis, the first new antifungal for these infections in more than a decade. Considered in this report • Historic Year: 2020 • Base Year: 2025 • Estimated Year: 2026 • Forecast Year: 2031 Aspects covered in this report • Global Infectious Disease Drugs Market with its value and forecast along with its segments • Various drivers and challenges • Ongoing trends and developments • Top profiled companies • Strategic recommendation By Drug Class • Antivirals • Antibiotics • Antifungals • Antimalarials and Antiparasitics • Tuberculosis Drugs • Anti-Infective Monoclonal Antibodies By Infection Type • Viral Infections • Bacterial Infections • Tuberculosis • Fungal Infections • Parasitic Infections By Route of Administration • Oral • Intravenous • Long-Acting Injectable • Other By Distribution Channel • Hospital Pharmacies • Retail Pharmacies • Specialty and Online Pharmacies • Government and Donor Programmes

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Sikandar Kesari

Research Analyst

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