World Sepsis Day, which takes place annually on September 13, aims to raise awareness and understanding of this life-threatening condition. World Sepsis Day 2025 also marks one year since the launch of the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis by the Global Sepsis Alliance. This strategy aims to reduce the global incidence of sepsis by at least 25% and improve survival rates by over 20% by 2030, compared to 2017-2020 baseline levels. The launch of the first global strategy to avert millions of preventable deaths and disabilities from sepsis was a major accomplishment for the field. However, sepsis remains significantly under prioritized. Greater political investment will be essential in the coming years to meet these targets, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Sepsis refers to a hyperactive immune response to a localized infection that leads to tissue damage and organ dysfunction. It is a medical emergency and can lead to septic shock (a hypotensive state), multi-organ failure, and death, especially if it is not recognized and treated early enough.
Fiona Chisholm, Associate Director of Infectious Diseases at GlobalData, comments: “The global burden of sepsis is extremely high with the condition being a leading cause of death worldwide. Despite this, significant gaps remain in the awareness and understanding of sepsis, even among healthcare professionals. This is particularly the case as many symptoms of sepsis such as fever and confusion are non-specific, which leads to diagnostic delays and contributes to the high mortality rate.”
According to GlobalData epidemiologists, there were 7.8 million diagnosed incident cases of sepsis and 2.0 million deaths attributable to sepsis across the eight major markets (8MM*) in 2024, equating to a mortality rate of 26.0%. Furthermore, among patients with septic shock, the mortality rate reached 49.7% with 1.4 million diagnosed incident cases and 697,600 deaths across the 8MM in the same year.
Chisholm continues: “There is a clear unmet need to improve understanding of sepsis so that more cases are recognized, diagnosed and treated earlier. However, there is also a strong unmet need for new therapeutics that can provide patients with more efficacious and targeted treatment options.”
At present, sepsis treatment predominantly relies on generic antimicrobials alongside supportive therapies, such as fluids, vasopressors or immunomodulators. According to a GlobalData survey of high-prescribing physicians conducted in 2025**, the most commonly used antimicrobials across the 8MM include piperacillin/tazobactam, vancomycin, and meropenem. However, these types of drugs have efficacy limitations as they do not specifically target the underlying pathophysiological processes, which can vary across patient subsets.
According to GlobalData’s pipeline product database, there are currently 11 products in late-stage development across the 8MM, many of which employ novel mechanisms of action or therapeutic approaches. For example, Adrenomed’s monoclonal antibody enibarcimab utilizes a precision medicine approach. In the AdrenOSS-2 Phase II trial, two biomarkers – bio-ADM and DPP3 – were used to identify septic shock patients most likely to benefit from enibarcimab treatment. Enibarcimab was found to improve organ function and reduce 28-day mortality in targeted patient groups.
Chisholm concludes: “Continued R&D investment in innovative therapeutics should be an important focus area in order to provide diverse patient groups with improved treatment options.”
*8MM- the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan, and China
**GlobalData surveyed 170 high-prescribing physicians with expertise in the management of sepsis across the 8MM
GlobalData’s upcoming report ‘Sepsis: Eight-Market Drug Forecast and Market Analysis’ is due for publication in 2025
