Originally Published IVD Technology
March 2004
INDUSTRY NEWS
Reports anticipate growth in molecular diagnostics |
| Table I. Projected growth (2001–2007) by test application in the molecular diagnostics market. Source: Drug & Market Development Publications (Westborough, MA). Click to enlarge. |
The molecular diagnostics market has not yet reached the level of growth that has been anticipated for several years. However, there continues to be optimism about the potential of this market, according to two recently published reports.
A report by Drug & Market Development Publications (Westborough, MA) titled “Molecular Diagnostics: Transforming the Pharmaceutical Market” predicts that most growth in molecular diagnostics will likely occur in the infectious diseases sector. This growth will be driven by viral detection and blood screening, which will grow at compound annual rates of 21% and 20%, respectively (see Table I).
A number of factors will continue to drive growth in molecular diagnostics, according to another report by
Research and Markets (Dublin, Ireland) titled “Molecular Diagnostics: Revolution or Hype.” One factor is a need for faster methods that will diagnose disease states and medical disorders early, and give a powerful and reliable tool for fast therapy decisions. Another factor is a need for automated and easy-to-handle methods combining optimized sample preparation, analysis, and data evaluation in one. There is also a need to contain costs in the healthcare system without compromising accuracy or reliability.
This report adds another thing that will drive growth in molecular diagnostics is pharmacogenetics, the personalization of diagnosis and therapy by identifying genes associated with complex diseases, optimizing the drug response, and reducing side effects and failure rates.
“Although there are few products currently on the market, ‘companion diagnostics’ is generating excitement throughout the scientific, clinical, and diagnostic communities,” says Richard S. Schifreen, PhD, director of technology and market development at
Promega Corp. (Madison, WI). “This includes not only diagnostic tests to identify markers on tumors to guide therapy, but also metabolic profiles that will guide physicians in prescribing the best drugs for their patients. Certainly, the increasing number of cancer therapeutics based on monoclonal antibodies targeted to specific tumor antigens suggests that companion testing in the cancer field will continue to grow.”
At the same time, the Research and Markets report states that molecular diagnostic products will eventually have to be applicable with today’s existing platform technologies. Without some commonality among the available test formats, clinical laboratories are unlikely to invest in the instrumentation, applications, or staff necessary to perform molecular testing.
“The IVD industry has to move toward some type of open platform for molecular diagnostic testing,” says Daniel P. Kolk, PhD, a staff scientist at
Gen-Probe Inc. (San Diego). “Clinical laboratories simply can’t afford to purchase every system that comes along.”
For more information about these reports, visit the Research and Markets Web site:
www.researchandmarkets.com and the Drug & Market Development Publications Web site at
www.drugandmarket.com.
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