Latin America Clinical Laboratory Services Market Size & Trends Analysis Report By Test Type, By Service Provider, By Application (Drug Discovery & Development, Toxicology, Clinical Trial), And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025

Industry Insights

The Latin America clinical laboratory services market size was estimated at USD 14.4 billion in 2016 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 7.5% over the forecast period. Rising burden of chronic diseases, coupled with consequent demand for diagnostic tests, is expected to serve as a high driving force for the growth of this market.

The market is also likely to be propelled by rapid advances in data management and sample preparation on the heels of growing volumes of testing samples. Rising investments by international players in the Latin American market have also boosted revenue generation.

Taking into consideration rising prevalence of chronic and target diseases in Latin American countries, clinical research has been of prime importance in the region. Clinical labs have been adopting international standards, which provide opportunities for interoperability and automation. Implementation of automated solutions in laboratory testing enables processing of larger samples per unit of time, which further enhances productivity. Such automated solutions have also shown a reduction in human error as well as labor costs by integrating electronic, mechanical, and informatics tools.

Statistics suggest that automation helps reduce error by approximately 70.0% and process duration per sample by 10.0%. Moreover, automation in clinical settings has significantly improved the data management process in labs. Improving adoption rates of laboratory automation systems is expected to boost the growth of this market throughout the forecast period.

Furthermore, database management tools, patient test records, and integrated workflow management systems have received significant consideration in the healthcare industry. This is mainly attributed to the fact that companies are involved in processing nearly 100 to 150 billion samples per year. Hence, improvement and implementation of informatics and automated data management solutions to perform seamless operations is anticipated to drive market growth.

However, sample preparation and running it through experimental protocols with enhanced productivity is still a challenge in clinical testing labs. Market entities are continuously trying to address this challenge through several means. For instance, vendors are adopting 384-well plates instead of 96-well plates in order to cut reagent costs as well as time taken for performing assays. The former plates cut cost and time by about half when compared with the latter.

Test Type Insights

In 2016, clinical chemistry services captured the largest market share due to presence of substantial number of body fluid-based screening solutions. These include urinalysis, semen analysis, sweat chloride, fetal fibronectin (fFN), amniotic fluid analysis, and synovial fluid analysis. Alere’s Oral Fluid Testing Services to test substances of abuse is one such example. Moreover, clinical chemistry services cater to a wide range of specialties including liver function and renal function tests, along with determination of different physiological substances such as minerals, cardiac markers, hormones, hemoglobin, proteins, electrolytes, minerals, and vitamins.

Emergence of a liquid-based Pap test for cancer screening is recognized as one of the most significant advancements in fluid-based cancer tests. Companies such as BD Biosciences offer Path liquid-based Pap tests, which contribute significantly to the growth of this segment.

Service Provider Insights

Clinical laboratory services are provided by laboratories associated with hospitals, clinics, or standalone labs. Failure in ordering appropriate diagnostic tests accounts for about 55.0% of observed incidences of delayed or incorrect diagnosis in an outpatient setting. Hospital-based laboratories help physicians in decision-making by providing accurate data on diagnostic and treatment procedures. This segment accounted for the dominant share in 2016 in terms of service provider.

Clinic-based laboratories are integrated with physicians’ offices and offer a smaller test portfolio compared to that of hospital-based and standalone laboratories. These cater to one or two specialties and hence have a relatively smaller share in revenue generation. Nevertheless, the segment is expected to make consistent contribution to the growth of the Latin America clinical laboratory services market.

Application Insights

The gradual emergence of point-of-care diagnostic tests has helped patients get routine checkups done within primary care settings at a reasonable cost. Furthermore, with an increase in prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, cholesterol and lipid profile testing has become necessary for avoiding further complications. These factors are expected to bolster the adoption of bioanalytical services throughout the forecast period. The bioanalytical and lab chemistry services segment is poised to register the fastest growth through 2025.

Toxicology testing services account for a significant share in the market. This is attributed to presence of a global network of AAALAC-accredited preclinical facilities that design and conduct in-vivo and in-vitro safety programs for characterization of potential human drug toxicity. In addition, growing concerns over environment pollution have compelled companies to focus on development of sensitive and reliable solutions for testing the effects of pollutants. Companies such as Alere are offering state-of-the-art technology, skilled laboratory personnel, and automated computer systems for accurate and reliable toxicology analysis of millions of specimens. This is sure to boost segment growth over the forecast period.

Country Insights

The Latin American market for clinical laboratory services is expected to grow at a healthy rate owing to government efforts focused on providing favorable regulations and reimbursements for lab tests and trials by local and multinational firms. According to the World Bank, Argentina has proposed a healthcare reform stating that private payers should be controlled by the government. While this could result in more affordable tests and services for the general population, it could hamper private investments in the healthcare sector. This might impede further advancements in healthcare.

The number of accredited clinical laboratories in Mexico has witnessed a steady increase from 18 clinical laboratories until 2009 to 81 in 2015. The country is a major contributor to the Latin America market and will continue to play a key role in industry growth.

Latin America Clinical Laboratory Services Market Share Insights

The LATAM market for clinical laboratory services is fragmented in nature. Abbott and Siemens Healthineers accounted for a major share in the market with respect to geographic presence, company size, service and product portfolio, segment coverage, year-over-year growth, and marketing strategies undertaken. Other key participants include Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA; Qiagen; DaVita Inc.; Charles River Laboratories; Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp); Quest Diagnostics; OPKO Health Inc.; and DASA.

Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at regional and country levels and provides an analysis on latest industry trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2025. For the purpose of this report, Grand View Research has segmented the Latin America clinical laboratory services market report on the basis of test type, service provider, application, and country:

• Test Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2014 - 2025)

  • Human & Tumor Genetics

  • Clinical Chemistry

  • Medical Microbiology & Cytology

  • Other Esoteric Tests

• Service Provider Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2014 - 2025)

  • Hospital-based

  • Standalone

  • Clinic-based

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2014 - 2025)

  • Drug discovery

  • Drug development

  • Bioanalytical & lab chemistry

  • Toxicology

  • Cell & gene therapy

  • Preclinical & clinical trial

  • Others

• Country Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2014 - 2025)

  • Brazil

  • Mexico

  • Colombia

  • Peru