Genetic technologies boosts market for qRT-PCR products
biomarker discovery and drug development is having a positive
knock-on effect for qRT-PCR products, as this technology has given
new hope to the search for biomarkers and drug development efforts.
New analysis from Frost and Sullivan place the qRT-PCR market at $586.6m (€459.2m) in 2005 and estimates this market to reach $1229.2m in 2012.
The report identifies two factors that are responsible for growth of the qRT-PCR market.
One is the newer qRT-PCR technologies that provide an efficient means to simultaneously monitor expression levels of multiple genetic messages in real-time. In addition qRT-PCR is considered a cost effective approach.
By providing unique access to previously inaccessible information on cellular responses, the report claims that qRT-PCR has revolutionised the role that genetic technologies play in the healthcare industry.
The qRT-PCR multiplexing instrument market is relatively new and it is expected that initial purchases of instruments is likely to drive the demand.
In addition, the need for robust products with enhanced capabilities is likely to offer excellent growth opportunities to smaller market participants in the fragmented qRT-PCR reagents market.
The report points to one example of this. Market participants have developed thermostable, longer-lasting qRT-PCR reagents that can withstand room temperature for as long as 24 hours, allowing full use of instruments even when laboratory personnel are not present.
Manufacturers have responded to demands for lower costs by offering their products at affordable prices to cater to budget-constrained research groups.
"qRT-PCR technology makes it possible to spy on the internal communication between cells and their environment," states Frost & Sullivan research analyst Shankar Sellappan.
"The proactive approach qRT-PCR market participants have taken with respect to instrument design and reagent optimisation has played a significant role in the growth of the market. As the information on how cells respond to stimuli in real-time improves the understanding of fundamental aspects of biological and disease development, strong growth of the qRT-PCR market is expected through 2012."
In addition to research uses, new clinical applications incorporating qRT-PCR concepts may provide distinct points in the disease cycle where therapeutic assessment and gene-based therapies, such as siRNA, can be employed.
"Increased productivity of instruments that incorporate high-throughput technologies such as automated technologies to load samples, robotics to handle reagents, and pathway kits to study disease are driving demand for qRT-PCR reagents," said Dr. Sellappan.
"Although growth of the qRT-PCR markets reflects improvements in capabilities, emerging microarray technologies offering a higher data per experiment ratio are compelling restraint for qRT-PCR market growth," said Sellappan.
The report commented that in order to compete with microarray technologies, the industry must expand the number of targets capable of simultaneous analysis and must develop pathway specific products aimed at providing information on all signals in a related molecular pathway.
