World Cell-Based Assays Market Will Reach $2.78bn in 2012

Wednesday 5 September 2012, Amsterdam

A new report predicts that the world market for cell-based assays will reach $2.78 bn in 2012. That sales forecast appears in Cell-Based Assays: World Market Prospects 2012-2022, published in January 2012.

This report estimates that in 2011 primary and secondary screening accounted for more than three quarters of cell-based assays used. Most assays used in target validation and lead identification are cell-based assays. Over the coming 10 years, cell-based assays used for toxicity testing will drive market growth. This application accounted for less than 10% of cell-based assay usage in 2010. Human cell-based assays have advantages over animal models for predicting toxicity in human beings.

This study forecasts the future of two submarkets: cell-based assay products and cell-based assay services. In 2010, cell-based assay services accounted for less than a quarter of the total market. As drug developers increasingly use cell-based assays in drug discovery, they will benefit from the expertise of CROs to a greater extent. CROs also offer the advantage of improved time management and greater cost efficiency. The cell-based assay services submarket will expand faster than the overall market, growing with a CAGR of 15.9% to 2016.

Richard Lang, a pharmaceutical industry analyst said: “The technology and equipment for cell-based testing have improved significantly over the past decade. The market will be driven by the automation and miniaturisation of this equipment, allowing cell-based assays to be used more often in high throughput screening. The development of 3D culture techniques will help improve the in vivo predictivity of these assays.”

This report also analyses nine leading national markets – the US, Japan, the EU5, China and India. In 2010, the US was the world’s largest market for cell-based assays. A significant proportion of the world’s drug discovery research occurs there, with drug developers keen to adopt new technologies that save time and money. Developed national markets will achieve strong revenue growth to 2022, benefiting from increased uptake of cell-based assays in various drug discovery processes.

Many emerging technologies in cellular testing underpin the use of cell-based assays in pharma R&D. Beyond 3D assay systems, miniaturisation and automation, the greatest driver of revenue growth will be increased use of label-free detection. New systems allow higher throughput, offering greater opportunities for inclusion in drug discovery. Cell-Based Assays: World Market Prospects 2012-2022 adds a wide range of analytical reports on industries and markets in healthcare.