title: Research and development of antibiotics: insights from patents and citation network.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bacterial resistance to antibiotics develops at an alarming rate and leads to the increasing morbidity and health-care costs in recent years. However, the global research and development (R&D) of antibiotics has fallen behind the emergence and spread of bacterial resistance and the world is heading towards a 'post-antibiotic era'. In this context, systematic understanding of the technology landscape and evolving process of antibiotic R&D may help to provide insights for discovering future antibiotics more rationally.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patents and patent citations are broadly believed to be powerful tools in representing the technology advances and capturing technology flows. In all, 707 U.S. patents related to antibiotic R&D are collected and analyzed. Furthermore, patent citations are visualized by a network-based approach, while the inter-relationship between patented technologies on antibiotics is further revealed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current dry pipeline of antibiotic development requires substantial awareness and political support. It is essential to build an attractive and supportive environment for investment. Thus, a new antibiotic business model is needed to chase the balance between the market-oriented investment and public health goals. Additionally, drug development targeting Gram-negative bacteria, especially resistant Gram-negative bacteria, demands attentions from stakeholders because of their unmet medical needs.
authors.affiliation: a School of International Pharmaceutical Business , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing , Jiangsu , China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine , University of Macau , Macao , China.
authors.forename: Xiangjun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: c Faculty of Health Sciences , University of Macau , Macao , China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine , University of Macau , Macao , China.
authors.forename: Jian-Bo
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine , University of Macau , Macao , China.
authors.forename: Yitao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine , University of Macau , Macao , China.
authors.forename: Yuanjia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: a School of International Pharmaceutical Business , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing , Jiangsu , China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shao
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D015195:Drug Design; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D010330:Patents as Topic; D000071220:Pharmaceutical Research / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Antibiotics; patent; patent citation network; technology flows; technology landscape