Access to New Antibiotics in Asia at a 'Critical' Level

An Average of 3.5 Drugs per Country... Korea Ranks Among the Lowest
Hyukmin Heo: "Improving Access to New Drugs Is Crucial for Patient Care"

A report has revealed that access to new antibiotic drugs in Asia, including Korea, is critically low.

On April 13, Samsung Medical Center announced that a research team led by Professor Hyukmin Heo of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Samsung Medical Center and Professor Youngho Lee of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Chung-Ang University Hospital, in collaboration with researchers from the Asian Network for Surveillance of Resistant Pathogens (ANSORP) under the Asia Pacific Foundation for Infectious Diseases, analyzed the introduction status of new antibiotic drugs in 10 Asian countries. The study found that the shortage of new antibiotics in Asia has reached a severe level. The research was published in the latest edition of the international journal "International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents."

Kyungmin Hur, Professor at Samsung Seoul Hospital, Youngho Lee, Professor at Chung-Ang University Hospital. Samsung Seoul Hospital

Multidrug-resistant bacteria are difficult to treat due to resistance to multiple antibiotics, making the development and introduction of new antibiotics crucial. No single new drug can treat all multidrug-resistant bacteria, so a variety of antibiotic treatment options is necessary.

According to the study, out of the 22 new antibiotics approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past 15 years, as of 2025, only an average of 3.5 drugs per country are actually available for use in the 10 Asian countries surveyed. In particular, Korea was found to be in a very poor position regarding the introduction of new antibiotic drugs compared to other Asian countries.

Number of New Antibiotic Drugs by GDP Per Capita. Samsung Seoul Hospital

For example, countries with similar economic levels such as Japan and Taiwan have access to six new antibiotics each, whereas Korea can use only two, ranking at the bottom among the countries studied. This is fewer than Malaysia (four), Indonesia (three), and Thailand (three), all of which have lower GDP than Korea.

According to the study, the two new antibiotics available in Korea are ceftazidime-avibactam and ceftolozane-tazobactam, both of which are used to treat carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

Korea has not introduced any new drugs for the treatment of other types of multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter (CRAB) or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which are also major concerns in the country.

The research team identified several independent barriers that disadvantage the introduction of new drugs, including complex approval procedures, prolonged price and reimbursement negotiations, and a lack of commercial incentives for pharmaceutical companies.

They stressed that an urgent policy shift is needed to break away from existing frameworks. The team suggested referring to market policies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Sweden, where pharmaceutical companies can maintain antibiotic supplies without relying on initial sales volumes.

Status of Antibiotic New Drug Introduction in 10 Asian Countries. Samsung Seoul Hospital

Japan is also preparing a pilot program to guarantee pharmaceutical companies a fixed annual amount, and Taiwan has secured high access to new drugs by actively integrating health technology assessments (HTA) into the new drug review process, the research team added.

Professor Heo, who led the study, said, "Improving access to new antibiotics is crucial for patient care in Asia, where the burden of multidrug-resistant infections is high," adding, "We hope that these research findings will serve as evidence to support the improvement of national policies for the introduction of new antibiotics."

This study was conducted under the leadership of the multinational research network, the Asian Network for Surveillance of Resistant Pathogens (ANSORP).

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