Infectious diseases have been largely forgotten by Pharma R&D and investors, as chronic diseases, cancer and rare diseases gave better short term ROI thanks to continuous treatment or higher prices.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic has shed new light on the critical importance of fighting and preventing infections, both viral and bacterial, not mentioning growing concern about antibiotic resistance.
Beyond the incredible effort that led to the development of several successful COVID-19 vaccines in just a few months, and thanks to new platforms such as mRNA-based treatments, there is growing consensus that investing R&D money on infectious diseases will pay off, both from an public health and ROI perspectives.
