As the reimbursement status for the cost of hospital-acquired infections is under pressure by payors, interest in preventing these complications at the outset is growing.Nosocomial vaccines offer one route of prevention. This report assesses the clinical pipeline candidates five key nosocomial pathogens and their potential market environment including target population size estimates.
The increasing incidence and severity of nosocomial infections has sparked an interest in preventive strategies such as vaccination. High costs and reimbursement cuts associated with nosocomial infections provide a strong incentive for healthcare stakeholders to invest in infection prevention, providing a strong rationale for vaccine development.
In the highly cost-conscious nosocomials market, a prudent definition of vaccination target groups will be crucial to satisfy the stringent cost-benefit analysis. Whereas patients undergoing planned hospital stays will benefit from vaccination, alternative prevention methods may be preferable for immuno-compromised, newborn and acute patients.
Datamonitor believes that C. difficile vaccines will have the easiest route to market due to the large and well-defined target population and a high unmet need. Vaccines against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa could prove valuable in selected target groups, whereas there is only a limited potential for vaccines against S. epidermidis and enterococcus.
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