Whooping Cough Treatment Market Trends

Growth Drivers  

• Growth in manufacturer strategies: Major pharmaceutical companies are in the process of developing better vaccines. Combination vaccines (DTaP, Tdap) are being introduced to cover multiple vaccine-preventable diseases. Manufacturers are looking to obtain public health reimbursement and plan campaigns to increase uptake and education about pertussis. Direct-to-consumer marketing is actively encouraging uptake of adult and booster vaccination in areas where recent adult pertussis increases have been seen. Companies are pursuing ways to establish themselves in the developing areas of the world where the burden of the disease is high.
• Rising disease prevalence: Since the social restrictions related to the pandemic were lifted, the incidence of pertussis cases has surged. For instance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in January 2025, the U.S. reported more than 35,435 cases of pertussis in 2024 in 2024. The spikes in pertussis cases are creating demand for pertussis therapeutics. This resurgence is driving governments and healthcare providers to strengthen vaccination campaigns and expand access to antibiotic therapies.
• Government spending and reimbursement policies: Substantial government healthcare expenditure is a primary demand driver. In the USA, Medicare and Medicaid coverage for antibiotic treatments and hospital care for pertussis ensures patient access. Spending on infectious disease management, including pertussis, is a significant part of the public health budget. CDC allocates funds for vaccines and therapeutics, directly influencing market volume. Stable government funding surges a predictable demand base for manufacturers and suppliers serving public health systems.

Number of Reported Pertussis Cases Per Year

Source: CDC, April 2025, CDC, January 2025

Challenges

• Stringent price controls & reimbursement hurdles: Government health technology assessment (HTA) bodies, like NICE in the UK and IQWiG in Germany, demand extensive cost-effectiveness data for new treatments. For a disease largely managed by generic antibiotics, demonstrating superior value for a new product is exceptionally difficult. Payers are reluctant to reimburse premium-priced therapies when established, cheap alternatives exist. This creates a huge barrier to market access, as manufacturers cannot secure a price that justifies R&D investment, hence slowing down innovation in space.