The global primary cell culture market size was valued at USD 3.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6% from 2021 to 2028. The market growth can be primarily attributed to the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions, such as cancer, infections, autoimmune diseases, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and nephrological diseases. This has led to an increase in research, facilitating the high adoption of primary cell cultures.
According to the American Cancer Society, there are an estimated 16.9 million cancer patients/survivors in 2020. According to the WHO (2020), 71.0 million people worldwide are suffering from chronic hepatitis C infection. Hence, the rising number of chronic disorders being diagnosed is driving the demand for research on advanced therapies, which is expected to boost the market growth in the coming years.
In addition, the rising usage of primary cell cultures for in-vitro testing and drug screening can be further attributed to the growth of the market for primary cell culture. These are derived from tissues, which facilitates researchers to study cellular structure in the in vivo state, showcasing their normal functioning. As a result, they are used as model systems to study cell biochemistry and physiology, aging processes, signaling studies, and metabolic processes, as well as the effect of toxic compounds and drugs.
COVID-19 pandemic is acting as a positive catalyst for the growth of the market for primary cell culture. Researchers are increasingly using primary cell culture for understanding the infection. Standardized and characterized epithelium cell culture models are facilitating the understanding of the physical barrier destroyed by the coronavirus. These models can help mimic the functions and properties of the respiratory tract, leading to a breakthrough for a research outcome turning into a medical application.
Moreover, the primary immune cell culture has been proven to be very beneficial in the study of immune repertoire to produce antibodies and antigens for the COVID-19 virus. As per the findings by the scientists from the German Primate Center in Gottingen, the COVID-19 virus could block the infection in lung cells with TMPRSS2, an inhibitor for serine protease. The results have been validated with the experiment using primary cell culture.
The reagents and supplements segment dominated the market for primary cell culture and accounted for the largest revenue share of 34.0% in 2020. The growth in the segment is owing to its routine application in research and manufacturing involving primary cell culture. Since primary cells are fragile in nature, the reagents and supplements are considered very crucial for their growth.
In addition, the development of innovative products such as growth factors and cytokines is further contributing to the segment growth. For instance, in October 2020, iBio, Inc., a U.S.-based biotechnology company, signed a strategic agreement with Safi Biosolutions, Inc. for the development of growth factors and cytokines using iBio’s FastPharming System.
The primary cells segment is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 11.8% over the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the rising identification of primary cells for treating different diseases. For instance, in February 2021, researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research identified a novel bone cell type that may generate new therapeutic targets and approaches for osteoporosis and other skeletal diseases. Hence, such robust research initiatives in the space are expected to significantly boost segment growth.
The enzymatic degradation segment dominated the market for primary cell culture and accounted for the largest revenue share of 33.3% in 2020. The large share of the segment is owing to its high preference over other techniques for separation of primary cells due to the advantages such as less damage to cultures, comparatively fast, and high yield of a representative sample.
In enzymatic degradation, trypsin dominated the market for primary cell culture in terms of revenue share in 2020 owing to its high application for enzymatic disaggregation of tissues. The enzyme has wide application for dissociation of cells from tissues, processing of adhesive cells from flasks, and rapid passaging of large cell suspension.
The mechanical separation segment is expected to witness a lucrative CAGR of 11.7% over the forecast period owing to the advancements in the mechanical separation process. For instance, in October 2020, a group of researchers in France cultured primary skin cells from systemic sclerosis patients by using mechanical extraction combined with immuno-magnetic cell sorting. The study concluded that the technique allowed a purity rate of around 80% for human dermal microvascular endothelial cells as compared to conventional techniques.
The vaccine production segment dominated the market for primary cell culture and held the largest revenue share of 12.2% in 2020. This growth is owing to the increasing use of primary animal cultures for virus production that is later used for producing several vaccines such as measles, and hepatitis B. In addition, this has also led to cost reduction associated with the use of animal models for vaccine testing.
The stem cell therapy segment is expected to witness a lucrative CAGR of 11.9% over the forecast period. The growth of the segment is attributed to the growing attention of scientists over the world for conducting various research projects using stem cells. Research studies using embryonic, induced, and adult stem cells are rapidly changing the way researchers perceive primary cells. In addition, stem cell-based therapies have shown great potential and applications in neurodegenerative diseases, ocular diseases, diabetes, dentistry, and others. Hence, the increasing application of such therapies is further anticipated to drive the market.
The animal cells segment dominated the market for primary cell culture and accounted for the largest revenue share of 58.6% in 2020. The growing applications of animal origin primary cells for vaccine development are major factors fueling the segment growth. Animal-derived primary cultures have been used for the development of vaccines against rabies, polio, measles, chickenpox, and hepatitis B.
In addition, the wide product offering of animal-origin primary cells by companies such as Lonza; Merck KGaA; and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. can be further attributed to the segment growth. These include mouse, rat, rabbit, and monkey-derived fibroblasts; hepatocytes; keratinocytes; and immune, hematopoietic, meningeal, mesangial, and adipose stem cells.
The human cells segment is expected to witness substantial growth over the forecast period. The growth in the segment is majorly due to the rising application of human-derived primary cultures for cancer research. Primary human cancer cells are sourced from a variety of tissue types such as brain, muscle, and connective tissue to facilitate the physiologically relevant study of cancer. These cultures closely resemble the behavior and phenotype of cancer tissues, serving as a valid tool for preclinical and clinical analyses in cancer research.
North America dominated the primary cell culture market and accounted for the largest revenue share of 52.6% in 2020 and is expected to continue this trend over the forecast period. The growth in this region can be attributed to high healthcare expenditure, growing geriatric population, rising incidence of chronic diseases, and supportive government funding. In addition, the increasing focus of market participants for innovating cell culture applications, instrumentation, availability of different types of cells, and their cellular interactions is further contributing to market growth in the region.
Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region over the forecast period. The growth is primarily owing to the lower costs associated with stem cell transplantation in the region, thereby contributing to the high demands. In addition, researchers are conducting extensive R&D activities which can be further attributed to the region’s growth. For instance, in March 2020, researchers at China’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC) grew lung airway cells from human tissue culture systems to propagate SARS-CoV-2.
The companies are launching new and advanced products for primary cell culture. For instance, in January 2021, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. launched a new medium for the expansion of human T lymphocytes for allogeneic cell therapies. The new Gibco CTS OpTmizer Pro SFM helps in enhancing donor T (lymphocyte) cell proliferation. It is a new media solution for targeting the metabolism of healthy donors, for the efficient production of cost-effective cell therapies. Some of the prominent players in the primary cell culture market include:
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.
Lonza
Merck
Corning Incorporated
Danaher
PromoCell GmbH
ATCC
FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific, Inc.
Mattek
Axol Bioscience Ltd.
Report Attribute |
Details |
Market size value in 2021 |
USD 3.8 billion |
Revenue forecast in 2028 |
USD 8.0 billion |
Growth rate |
CAGR of 11.6% from 2021 to 2028 |
Base year for estimation |
2020 |
Historical data |
2017 - 2019 |
Forecast period |
2021 - 2028 |
Quantitative units |
Revenue in USD million and CAGR from 2021 to 2028 |
Report coverage |
Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends |
Segments covered |
Product, separation methods, cell type, application, region |
Regional scope |
North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Middle East & Africa |
Country scope |
U.S.; Canada; Germany; U.K.; China; Japan, Brazil; Mexico, South Africa |
Key companies profiled |
Merck; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.; Danaher; Lonza; PromoCell GmbH; Corning Incorporated; FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific, Inc.; Mattek; Axol Bioscience Ltd.; ATCC |
Customization scope |
Free report customization (equivalent to up to 8 analyst’s working days) with purchase. Addition or alteration to country, regional & segment scope. |
Pricing and purchase options |
Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. Explore purchase options |
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 2017 to 2028. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global primary cell culture market report based on product, separation methods, cell type, application, and region:
Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)
Primary Cells
Fat
Blood
Nerve
Bone
Endothelial
Skin
Muscle
Stem
Others
Reagents and Supplements
Attachment Solutions
Buffers and Salts
Freezing Media
Sera
Growth Factors and Cytokines
Other
Media
Fat Cells Media
Blood Cells Media
Nerve Cells Media
Bone Cells Media
Endothelial Cells Media
Skin Cells Media
Muscle Cells Media
Stem Cells Media
Others
Separation Methods Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)
Explant Method
Enzymatic Degradation
Trypsin
Collagenase
Protease
Pronase
Dispase
Hyaluronidase
Neuraminidase
Elastase
DNase
Papain
Accutase
Others
Mechanical Separation
Others
Cell Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)
Animal
Human
Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)
Tissue Culture & Tissue Engineering
Vaccine Production
Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine
Toxicity Testing and Drug Screening
Cancer Research
Model System
Virology
Prenatal Diagnosis
Stem Cell Therapy
Others
Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)
North America
U.S.
Canada
Europe
Germany
U.K.
Asia Pacific
China
Japan
Latin America
Brazil
Mexico
Middle East & Africa
South Africa
b. The global primary cell culture market size was estimated at USD 3.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 3.8 billion in 2021.
b. The global primary cell culture market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.6% from 2021 to 2028 to reach USD 8.0 billion by 2028.
b. The reagents and supplements segment dominated the global primary cell culture market and accounted for the largest revenue share of 34.0% in 2020.
b. The enzymatic degradation segment dominated the global primary cell culture market and accounted for the largest revenue share of 33.3% in 2020.
b. The vaccine production segment led the global primary cell culture market and held the largest revenue share of 12.2% in 2020.
b. Key factors that are driving the primary cell culture market growth include Primary cells offer fewer chances of mutations and modifications, Increasing production of vaccines, MABs, and regenerative medicines, Patent expiration of blockbuster biologics, The growing R & D investment in biotechnology, Rising demand of stem cell therapy, and Increasing prevalence of cancer and other chronic diseases.
b. The animal cells segment dominated the global primary cell culture market and accounted for the largest revenue share of 58.6% in 2020.
b. North America dominated the primary cell culture market with a share of 52.64% in 2020. This is attributable to the introduction and development of automated culture techniques and the increasing usage of advanced therapies in the U.S. and Canada.
b. Some key players operating in the primary cell culture market include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.; Merck; GE Healthcare; Lonza; Corning; Promocell GmbH; MatTek Ltd.; and Irvine Scientific.
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Biopharmaceutical innovators are at the forefront of the human response to the coronavirus pandemic. A significant number of major biotech firms are in the midst of a race to investigate the Sars-Cov-2 genome and prepare a viable vaccine for the same. As compared to the speed of response to SARS/MERs etc, the biotech entities are investigating SARs-Cov-2 at an unprecedented rate and a considerable amount of funds are being put into the R&D. With multiple candidates in trial, the public and private sectors are anticipated to work in unison for the foreseeable period, until a vaccine is developed for Covid-19. The report will account for Covid19 as a key market contributor.
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