The increasing collaboration between companies offers the involved groups several advantages, such as combined technologies as well as a wider and diversified portfolio of products to work with. Thus, it is an emerging trend in the veterinary antibiotics market. The collaborations also improve the quality of the antibiotics and the speed at which they are produced. One such example is that of Bayer AG, which entered a strategic collaboration in April 2019 with Adiva GmbH to develop therapeutic antibodies for veterinary medicine.

Veterinary antibiotics are used to fight against infections and diseases in animals that are caused due to bacteria. The industry includes companies that are involved in the production of antibiotics used for therapeutic and prophylaxis treatment of animals. The global veterinary antibiotics market was valued at about $2.54 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow to $2.95 billion at a rate of 3.8% through 2022, as shown in Fig. 1. North America is the largest region in the veterinary antibiotics market while Asia Pacific is forecasted to register the highest growth rate in the market during 2018-2023.

Fig. 1. Forecasted growth of global veterinary antibiotics market, seen at a rate of 3.8%.

The veterinary antibiotics market is driven by the increase in the number of animals affected by zoonotic diseases – infectious diseases caused by microscopic organisms, infections, and parasites that spread between animals and humans. Two of the most common zoonotic pathogens are salmonella and campylobacter, which if present in the intestines of these animals could result in disease – also posing as a threat to humans as the pathogens can be transferred through the food chain. Highest incidences of illness per 100,000 population in the USA are caused due to infectious diseases such as campylobacter, salmonella, and shigella. Therefore, along with the general care of the animals themselves, this gives additional urgency in the need to diagnose these diseases in animals at an early stage, which is a major driver of the veterinary antibiotics market.

While it is important to curb the spreading of such pathogens at the first opportunity, the rising threat of antibiotic resistance is a major restraint for the veterinary antibiotics market. Antibiotic resistance can be a result of using antibiotics more than the prescribed limit, as the microbe gains the ability to withstand the impact of an antibiotic that could once successfully treat against the same microbe. In this regard, the European Union (EU) has approved various restrictions on veterinary antibiotics, including the ban of antibiotics for animals and prohibiting the usage of antimicrobials in food. The veterinary antibiotics prescription drugs market is regulated by Section 503(f) of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of FDA. According to this law, veterinary antibiotics drug labels are mandated to include a caution statement which states that these drugs can only be used with the permission of a licensed veterinarian. The sale and use of antibiotics prescription drugs without a prescription is usually reported to the FDA and strict action is taken based on it. Hence, regulations such as these would control veterinary antibiotics manufacturers and sellers.