Science & Grit: The Making of New Antibiotics

The world desperately needs new antibiotics. A set of Indian scientists and entrepreneurs are diving in

- Jessica Jani

Over a decade ago, global pharma major AstraZeneca started pulling out of anti-infectives research. In 2014, it shuttered an Indian research site in Bengaluru, axing early-stage research on neglected tropical diseases, tuberculosis, and malaria.

At the same time, in the same city, Bugworks, a biotech firm, was taking shape. A group of scientists and executives from AstraZeneca came on board, embarking on drug research around infectious diseases.

Founded by Anand Anandkumar, Balasubramanian V., Santanu Datta and Shahul Hameed, the company set its sights on a growing global crisis—antimicrobial resistance. There is a dire need for new antibiotics as existing drugs are losing efficacy. Bacteria evolve to grow immune to medicines meant to kill them.

The company has raised close to $43 million in funding since inception and has two novel antibiotic drug candidates in the pipeline—one in phase I trials and the second at the preclinical stage. A drug candidate is a molecule which has passed initial discovery and is being further studied.

The biotech's genesis exemplifies a larger story. As Big Pharma started vacating infectious diseases research to chase more lucrative segments like oncology and diabetes, it left behind a gaping void. A handful of plucky innovators in India, the world's generic pharmacy, are addressing the gap, weathering financial storms and scientific uncertainty to give the world much-needed new antibiotics.

In early 2024, Chennai-based Orchid Pharma's molecule, Enmetazobactam, became the first new chemical entity discovered in India to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Drugmaker Wockhardt has over five novel antibiotics in its pipeline, with two already rolled out in India.