Twenty-five years of phage therapy funding: rapid growth, narrow base

Phage therapy grant funding grew 12.2% per year (recorded funding 16.6% per year) from 1999–2023, but only about USD 13 million/year reached a narrow set of funders and countries.

• Why it matters: As antimicrobial resistance rises and phage therapy shifts toward regulated clinical use, it is unclear who finances research and whether investment reaches low- and lower-middle-income settings.
• What they did: The study screened 1,521 Dimensions grant records (802 with amounts) starting 1999–2023, estimating growth rates, concentration using HHI and Gini, and mapping recipient institutions and topics; sensitivity analyses tested alternative definitions and added 272 relevant grants without amounts.
• The result: US funders supplied 47.7% and NIAID 21.0% (23.3% in 2016–2023), the top 10% of institutions received 53.4%, low- and lower-middle-income countries got 0.33%, and only 7 grants linked Global North and Global South recipients.

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