Microcarriers Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Consumables (Media & Reagents, Microcarrier Beads), By Application (Biopharmaceutical Production, Regenerative Medicine), By End-user, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The global microcarriers market size was valued at USD 1.21 billion in 2021 and is expected to witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6% from 2022 to 2030. The growth of the microcarriers market is attributed to the high demand of cell based vaccines & therapeutics, increasing incidence of various diseases & disorders like diabetes, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia and others, huge investments for development of innovative therapies and consistent technological advancements in cell biology research.

The microcarriers market witnessed a positive influence from the COVID-19 pandemic. A synergistic effort by both the government and healthcare companies resulted in a fast-tracked development of COVID-19 vaccines. Currently, there are 11 vaccines that have been granted emergency use listing (EUL) by the WHO, and also as per the WHO COVID-19 tracker, there are more than 200 vaccine candidates that are in the clinical development phase. These numbers seldom demonstrate the rising demand for microcarrier consumables, as vaccine production is majorly carried out in microcarriers based cell culture where viral vectors or modified viruses are generated. Also, the intensive R&D activities in the COVID-19 therapeutics space have resulted in novel mechanisms for drug delivery via microcarriers. For example, scientists from Iran published a research article in November 2021, that used microcarrier-based drug delivery for COVID-19 therapy. The microcarriers were coated with magnetic nanoparticles and targeted to the pulmonary region during the in silico study.

Furthermore, the rising demand for cell-based vaccines is the major driving factor for the microcarriers market. Earlier vaccines were produced in eggs and then harvested, which was a time and labor-intensive process. Technological advancements have allowed the development of vaccines in cell cultures resulting in a time-efficient and large production of vaccines, even offering better protection. As per CDC, the US FDA has approved Flucelvax Quadrivalent, a cell culture-based flu vaccine for use in individuals 6 months and older. The increasing incidence of infectious & chronic diseases along with the current pandemic is expected to drive the microcarrier's marketspace and result in strong growth during the forecasted period.

The developments in the cell therapy industry and the high demand for biopharmaceutical products are also contributing to the growth of the microcarrier marketspace. As microcarriers are the matrices that support the growth of adherent cells, these small beads have found high usage in the fields of stem cell therapy. The potential therapeutic actions from mesenchymal stem cells and pluripotent stem cells have increased the demand for stem cell therapy for treating rare diseases. As these stem cells are adherent, large-scale production of cell therapies requires a vast amount of microcarrier consumables. Moreover, microcarrier based cultures allow the stem cells to proliferate in a 3D environment which induces better differentiation. Additionally, the high popularity of therapeutic recombinant proteins such as monoclonal antibodies, due to increased effectiveness and lesser side effects has also propelled cell-based bio-manufacturing which is anticipated to further boost the market growth.

However, the increasing use of microcarriers in biopharmaceutical production, as well as regenerative medicines, has also generated some obstacles. During culturing, cells adhere to microcarriers and form aggregates which often limit the transfers during the drug delivery mechanism. Also, during bio-manufacturing microcarrier-cell aggregates require intensive downstream processing to efficiently detach and harvest the therapeutic cells, consequently increasing the costs which hinder market growth to some extent. On the other hand, the betterment of cell biology research has allowed the advent of new microcarrier technologies. For instance, researchers from SMART (Singapore and MIT Alliance for Science and Technology) announced in November 2020 that they have developed gelatin-based microcarriers that offer scalability and high yields. These microcarriers are dissolvable and simplify the cell separation process, thus providing cost-effective manufacturing.

Consumables Insights

Microcarrier beads contributed to the largest market share of 64.03% in the 2021 microcarriers marketspace. The never-ceasing use of microcarrier beads during cell culture contributes to the highest revenue generation in the market. Increased cell biology research, growing demand for regenerative medicines and biopharmaceuticals, and the presence of various microcarrier beads that can be employed for different purposes attributed to the significant market growth.

Vast product offerings by key market players and continuous developments in microcarrier technology have led to the creation of lucrative opportunities and resulted in the launch of novel products. Companies like Sartorius AG are offering microcarrier beads that are animal component free as well as animal protein coated for adherent cell culture. Thus, microcarrier beads can be extensively used during numerous processes and research purposes which further increases the segment’s revenue generation. Microcarriers markets have also observed exhaustive use of media & reagents during cell-based research as well as manufacturing processes. Continuous use, replenishment, and various applications of microcarrier consumables majorly drive market growth.

Application Insights

The biopharmaceutical production segment captured the largest market share of 72.6% in 2021. The dominance of this segment is driven by key factors such as the increasing incidence of cancer and growing cases of infectious diseases & genetic disorders which has resulted in growing demand for producing safe & effective medicines or treatments. To meet the growing demand, biopharmaceutical companies are expanding their capacities and product offerings. For instance, in August 2022, Celltrion Inc. a Korea-based healthcare company announced that it received the approval of the European Commission for its bevacizumab biosimilar, Vegzelma for the treatment of some types of cancer. With this 3^rd biosimilar approval, the company has expanded its oncology care portfolio for use in Europe.

Furthermore, the rising adoption of therapeutic biopharmaceuticals and regulatory support is also boosting the microcarriers market. For example, the US FDA has approved 39 biosimilars till September 2022. These approvals have demonstrated that safe and effective biosimilars can penetrate market and improve the access to care by offering multiple medication options at potentially lower costs. Additionally, the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has driven the need of effective treatment and urged researchers & manufacturers to develop novel healthcare products. The vaccine production for SARS CoV-2 virus has positively impacted the microcarriers market by employing single-use and microcarrier beads packed bioreactors.

End-user Insights

Based on end-user, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies segment dominated the market and accounted for a revenue share of 43.5% in 2021. Multiple drug development programs, the growing cell therapy industry, increased investments in R&D, and supportive government regulations are majorly driving the growth of this segment. Moreover, the rising awareness about the benefits of cell-based products is driving biologics production by these companies and resulting in the global expansion of capabilities. For instance, in August 2022, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., stated that it has expanded its facility in Grand Island, New York. The USD 76 million expansion increases the company’s capacity to produce cell culture media for manufacturing vaccines and biologics.

Furthermore, with continuous development in bioprocessing capabilities and advanced equipment, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are trying to meet the demand for cell-based products. In addition, employing microcarriers during bio-manufacturing eases the culturing of cells and the manufacturing process and also improves the yield due to a 3D environment. The constant progress by research settings, collaboration with academic institutes, and outsourcing to CROs/ CMOs for faster market entry speed will increase the adoption of microcarriers during cell culture.

Regional Insights

North America dominated the microcarriers market and accounted for a revenue share of 40.7% in 2021. The rising cases of chronic and infectious diseases, increasing awareness of personalized medicines, better healthcare infrastructure, and reimbursement models, presence of key market players, and intensive R&D activities have boosted the region’s growth. Moreover, regulatory support for biopharmaceuticals and regenerative medicines is also driving the market entry of new cell-based therapies. For instance, the U.S. FDA predicts by 2025 it’ll be approving around 10 to 20 products of cell and gene therapy each year due to the current clinical success rates and the product pipeline. Also, as per a fact sheet in November 2021, the US FDA stated that there are about 621 biologics products that are licensed. Continuous product approvals and the growth of the bio-manufacturing market will drive the presence of microcarriers market in North America.  

In Asia Pacific, the market is estimated to observe the fastest growth during the forecast period. The government incentives for vaccine production and low operation & labor costs drive multiple research settings in the region. Additionally, the Asia Pacific region is driven by the domestic demand of biologics as well as growing economies and also has the highest geriatric population. Furthermore, many local Asian and international companies are developing number of the world’s new bioprocessing facilities in this region. For instance, in October 2021, Singapore witnessed the expansion of Lonza’s facility for mammalian services. The CDMO has added this capacity to support growing manufacturing & analytical needs. This preliminary focus on the development of biosimilar monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), as well as vaccines due to various government immunization initiatives, will drive the adoption of microcarriers in the region during the years to come.

Key Companies & Markets Share Insights

The market is growing due to continuous developments in technology and the upswing in technologies employed during cell biology research. The prevalence of diseases and the need for treatment has created numerous opportunities in the cell therapy industry. These market opportunities have allowed the entry of emerging players in the markets, who create a breakthrough with innovation and advanced new products. For example, in May 2022 denovoMATRIX GmbH, a Germany-based cell and gene therapy manufacturing company announced a new product launch beadMATRIX. The new product is a novel microcarrier bead for 3D culturing of MSCs and enables high-quality & accelerated stem cell proliferation. Launch of new products, new market entrants, and the presence of existing and matured key players intensify market competition and boost market growth. Some of the prominent players in the microcarriers market include:

• Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

• Merck KGaA

• Danaher Corporation

• Sartorius AG

• Corning Incorporated

• Eppendorf SE

• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

• HiMedia Laboratories Pvt. Ltd.

• denovoMATRIX GmbH

Microcarriers Market Report Scope

Global Microcarriers Market Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global microcarriers market report on the basis of consumables, application, end-user, and region:

• Consumables Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Media & Reagents

  • Microcarrier Beads

  • Collagen Coated Beads

  • Cationic Beads

  • Protein Coated Beads

  • Untreated Beads

  • Others

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Biopharmaceutical Production

  • Vaccine Production

  • Therapeutic Production

  • Regenerative Medicine

• End-user Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies

  • Contract Research Organizations & Contract Manufacturing Organizations

  • Academic & Research Institutes

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • U.K.

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

  • Asia Pacific

    • Japan

    • China

    • India

    • South Korea

    • Australia

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE