Life science tool companies must consider multiple factors to develop strategies for future

Oct 21 2009

Companies involved in the life science tools market must consider a multitude of technologies, economic drivers and societal trends in developing strategies for the future.

So said Harry Glorikian, managing partner of Scientia Advisors, based on a study Scientia released today.

Scientia Advisors is a global management consulting firm focused on growth strategies for major and emerging companies in health care and the life sciences.

The Scientia study analyzed national and international trends, government policies, and technologies related to the examination of cells and cellular systems and the effects of drugs on them. The study considered both basic research and drug discovery applications.

It included segments of bioproduction and clinical research; solutions such as instruments, consumables, and informatics, as well as services used for cell isolation, purification, culturing, manipulation and analysis. It considered antibodies and immunoassays used for protein analysis and functional proteomics, and cell cloning applications.

Competitive and Growth Trends

For the segment as a whole, Scientia projects a combined annual growth of eight per cent through 2012 and beyond. While the top seven players account for over 40 per cent of the overall market, the study found that the market remains highly fragmented with many companies specializing in specific cell biology areas such as microscopy, cell isolation, and patch clamp. Active consolidation may threaten the positions of leading companies.

The majority of the cell biology market will remain in North America, where pharma/biotech spending has slowed significantly and the US government spending is driving growth, Scientia found. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to see the highest growth: R&D intensity within China is likely to surpass that of Europe within four years, the study found.

Segment trends:

The study forecasts growth trends for cell-based assays and cell-isolation technologies; live cell analysis; cell-based assays for drug discovery research and development; kinases, RNAI and biomarker research, and cell preparation and manipulation. It includes analysis of cell-based assay and flow cytometry market sub-segments, the importance of microfluidics, the impact of cell biology technologies on invitro diagnostics, and the growing use of flow cytometry and high content screening in diagnostic decisionmaking.

The review, funded by Scientia itself, was based on extensive primary and secondary research and proprietary analytic methods. “Our studies allow us to provide strategic advice that is deeper, more defensible and more expansive than that offered elsewhere,” Glorikian said. “We are pleased to share our insights with clients and prospective clients and to discuss companies’ strategic planning needs.”