What are the challenges in commercial non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) drug discovery and how should we move forward?

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Despite the great clinical need, the development of drugs for treating non-tuberculous mycobacteria lung disease (NTM-LD), partly from the scientific difficulty, but also because the eventual size and types of markets for commercially-developed drugs has been unclear.Areas Covered Here, key questions regarding the markets for commercial NTM-LD drugs are discussed, together with potential solutions for resolving these questions.Expert Opinion Many of these questions will become better resoled over time, but uncertainties will remain around likely competition and whether approval and reimbursement will be achieved for all NTM-LD or smaller subsections of the market. Additionally, both 'push' and 'pull' incentives should be considered by policymakers to ensure the NTM-LD market is successfully addressed.