Spread of Infectious Diseases Drives Diagnostic Test Market

The world market for infectious disease tests was estimated at USD 14.5 billion in 2012 and it is expected to grow at a slightly higher rate than the rest of the diagnostics market.

Shara Rosen, Kalorama Information diagnostic analyst and author of the report said, “Unfortunately for world populations, the future for infectious disease testing looks bright. Twenty well-known diseases—including tuberculosis (TB), measles, Chagas, malaria, and cholera—have reemerged or spread geographically since 1973, often in more virulent and drug-resistant forms.”

No one technology can be applied to all infectious disease diagnostics and therefore laboratories will use a mix of traditional identification and antimicrobial sensitivity tests (ID/AST) and immunoassays for most routine testing and molecular tests for hard to culture pathogens and for the most time-critical situations.

Molecular tests also provide crucial genus and species-specific information necessary in the investigation of epidemics and disease outbreaks. Innovations in traditional ID/AST techniques, immunoassays, and culture media allow these test segments to hold their own in the quickly developing diagnostics industry. The whole market, according to the report, will benefit from a favorable reimbursement trend.

Shara Rosen commented, “Sophisticated molecular tests for infectious diseases were among the first lab-developed tests commercialized and they appear not to have entered the recent debate for reimbursement and regulatory oversight.”

The report said that of the seven biggest killers worldwide, TB, malaria, hepatitis, and, in particular, HIV/AIDS continue to increase, with HIV/AIDS and TB likely to account for the overwhelming majority of deaths from infectious diseases in developing countries by 2020. Acute lower respiratory infections including, pneumonia and influenza, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), healthcare associated infections (HAIs), diarrheal diseases and measles, are major public health problems, worldwide.

Improvements in detection time and the development of accurate rapid screening tests permit more effective treatment choices, which is a positive sign for the market for IVD test products. The report predicts that in the next 5–10 years from now the emphasis will be on rapid screening tests to detect pathogens and nucleic acid tests to hone in on the appropriate treatment to be given.

The report contains more information and market predictions by specific disease segments. Profiles of hundreds of companies in infectious disease testing are included as part of the report’s coverage.

Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare, as well as a full range of custom research services.

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