Protein Binding Assays Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Technology (Equilibrium Dialysis), By Product & Services (Instruments), By End Use (Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2026

Report Overview

The protein binding assays market size was valued at USD 304.7 million in 2018 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 10.6% over the forecast period. Protein binding assay is considered essential in preclinical processes involved in drug development. Several biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies are undertaking initiatives to address the growing demand for advanced therapies, thereby boosting drug discovery & development.

According to U.S. FDA, 59 novel therapeutics and biologics were approved by Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) in 2018 as compared to 46 new drugs approved in 2017. Therefore, increase in the number of drug candidates being screened and approved annually drives the adoption of protein binding assays.

Pharmaceutical companies are investing in preclinical screening activities for preventing late-stage failures in development of therapeutics. As per the estimates, in June 2018, a majority of pharmaceutical firms invested approximately USD 1.13-5.65 million in preclinical testing.

Drug discovery & development is cost-intensive and requires high capital investment, technological capabilities, and human resources. If the drug candidate fails during the development stages, manufacturers incur a substantial loss. Protein binding assays help optimize drug discovery costs by analyzing the binding & absorption capabilities in preclinical phases, thus reducing drug attrition in late stages of drug development.

Introduction of advanced methods, such as in situ protein-protein interaction assay, that are more sensitive than conventional techniques are expected to boost adoption of these assays in laboratories. In addition, implementation of parallel testing for statistical analysis of assays used for determining potency is expected to fuel research activities in this market.

Technology Insights

Equilibrium dialysis is considered gold standard for evaluating drug-protein binding. Advantages of equilibrium dialysis such as high accuracy, reliability, and low cost can be attributed to the large share of the segment.

The workflow of equilibrium dialysis is simple, making it a preferred choice for determination of protein binding capability of a compound being studied. Furthermore, ultrafiltration accounted for a substantial revenue share owing to wide implementation as a high-throughput method for determining the binding capacity of unstable compounds and their unbound fraction in plasma. However, nonspecific binding of compounds to collection chamber or filter membrane limits the usage of ultrafiltration to a certain extent.

Both abovementioned techniques are applicable for highly hydrophilic drugs and thus exhibit high adoption rates. However, penetration of ultracentrifugation technique in the market is comparatively less due to longer time taken for centrifugation and high costs.

Product & Services Insights

A large number of key players as well as CROs are engaged in offering protein binding services, contributing to the large revenue share of the services segment in 2018. Companies such as Eurofins Scientific; Cyprotex; Charles River Laboratories; Sekisui XenoTech, LLC; and many others are involved in providing services related to protein binding assays.

Instruments segment is projected to witness lucrative growth in the near future due to user-friendly instruments and availability of automated systems for detection of protein binding. For example, Rapid Equilibrium Dialysis system by Thermo Fisher is convenient for laboratories using radioactive materials as this system makes use of disposable inserts and base plate.

End-use Insights

In terms of revenue, pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies emerged as the dominant segment in 2018. This is because companies occupy a major share of the global pharma production and are making significantly high investments on preclinical testing stages of drug discovery. In addition, this industry is marked by the presence of large, well-established players such as Roche and Merck that are involved in enhancement of their R&D activities to maintain their market position.

A large number of new CROs focused on developing therapeutics are entering the market to capitalize on the potential avenues in the biopharmaceutical industry. Moreover, the demand for CROs is increasing owing to the cost benefits associated with outsourcing pharmaceutical manufacturing and quality control steps. These factors drive revenue generation the in CROs segment.

Regional Insights

North America accounted for the largest share in the protein binding assays market with major contribution from the U.S. Local presence of key players and increased funding from public & private entities have augmented drug discovery & development. Availability of grants from public agencies such as the National Institute of Health and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is encouraging research activities in the field of drug discovery.

Asia Pacific is predicted to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period due to several initiatives undertaken by regulatory agencies to revolutionize drug discovery & development programs in this region. A number of conferences on pharma research, such as 20th Asia Pacific Pharma Congress held in April 2019 in Japan, also boost regional growth.

Furthermore, emerging economies in Asia Pacific region are preferred by many pharmaceutical companies owing to presence of large patient population, operational efficiencies, and low costs associated with development of therapeutics.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Key players operating in the market include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.; Charles River; Sovicell GMBH; Absorption Systems LLC; GE Healthcare; Eurofins Scientific; 3B Pharmaceuticals; Creative Biolabs; Evotec (Cyprotex); and Bioduro. Market players are undertaking several strategic initiatives to strengthen protein binding assays portfolio and increase their footprint in the market. Some of the strategies implemented include agreements, collaborative models, business expansion, and product developments.

For instance, in March 2018, Thermo Fisher signed an agreement with Montreal Neurological Institute, under which the institute generated cell lines by using Fisher’s antibodies and protein binding assays to study neurodegenerative diseases. Similarly, in February 2019, Charles River signed an agreement to acquire Citoxlab to strengthen its market position in the field of drug discovery & development.

Protein Binding Assays Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at regional & country levels and provides an analysis on the industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2015 to 2026. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the protein binding assays market report based on technology, product & services, end use, and region.

• Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2026)

  • Ultracentrifugation

  • Equilibrium Dialysis

  • Ultrafiltration

  • Surface Plasmon Resonance

  • Other Technologies

• Product & Services Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2026)

  • Instrument

  •  Kits & Reagents

  •  Services

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2026)

  • Contract Research Organizations

  • Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies

  • Other End-Use

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2026)

  • North America

    • The U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • The U.K.

  • Asia Pacific

    • Japan

    • China

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

  • Middle East Africa

    • South Africa