Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market
The worldwide antimicrobial susceptibility testing market is expected to increase at a 5.5% CAGR from 2022 to 2027, from an anticipated value of US$3.6 billion in 2022 to US$4.7 billion in 2027. The Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) Technology Market is expanding due to factors such as rising infectious illness prevalence, increased antibiotic resistance, and favourable government measures to minimise infectious disease burden. Antibiotic susceptibility testing is becoming more popular due to the rising prevalence of certain illnesses, such as bloodstream infections and pneumonia caused by E. coli, K. pneumonia, and P. aeruginosa, among others.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market Dynamics
Drivers: Emergence of multidrug resistance due to drug abuse
The rise of drug resistance poses a significant threat to global health, particularly in the context of antibiotics. Antibiotics are becoming less effective as drug-resistant strains of bacteria spread worldwide. This has profound implications for disease treatment, as it makes infections more difficult to treat and ultimately increases mortality rates.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified drug-resistant pathogens, such as carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria, as a major concern. Urgent development of new drugs is necessary to combat these infections effectively. However, without a fundamental change in the way antibiotics are used, the effectiveness of these new treatments may be compromised.
Misuse and overuse of antibiotics contribute to the development of drug resistance. Factors such as inappropriate prescribing, improper self-medication, and the use of antibiotics in livestock and agriculture all contribute to the problem. These practices create an environment where bacteria can adapt and develop resistance mechanisms, rendering antibiotics less effective over time.
To preserve the efficacy of antibiotics, it is crucial to promote responsible antibiotic use. This includes raising awareness among healthcare providers and the general public about appropriate antibiotic prescribing and the importance of completing prescribed courses of treatment. Additionally, robust regulations and surveillance systems are needed to monitor antibiotic use in various sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, and veterinary medicine.
Efforts to develop new antibiotics should be complemented by strategies to optimize their use, such as antibiotic stewardship programs and infection prevention and control measures. Research into alternative treatment options, such as phage therapy and immunotherapies, is also essential to diversify the arsenal against drug-resistant bacteria.
Opportunities: Growth opportunities in emerging market
The antimicrobial susceptibility testing market players are poised with significant opportunities in developing countries such as APAC (Asia-Pacific), India, China, and Japan. These countries are experiencing a notable growth in the antimicrobial susceptibility testing market, driven by several factors.
Firstly, the booming medical tourism industry in these regions attracts a large influx of patients seeking healthcare services, including diagnostics. This surge in medical tourism creates a demand for antimicrobial susceptibility testing as part of the diagnostic process.
Secondly, the adult population (over 20 years old) is growing in these countries, leading to a higher prevalence of infectious diseases. As a result, there is an increased need for accurate and timely antimicrobial susceptibility testing to guide appropriate treatment decisions.
Additionally, the increasing use of drugs in these regions contributes to the demand for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. With a growing population and expanding healthcare access, the requirement for testing to guide optimal drug selection and treatment outcomes becomes crucial.
Moreover, these countries possess a strong and skilled workforce that is well-versed in high technology. This skilled workforce plays a vital role in the successful implementation and operation of advanced antimicrobial susceptibility testing technologies, ensuring accurate and reliable results.
Furthermore, the relatively lax import/export laws in these regions provide an advantageous environment for market players to expand their brands and offerings. The underdeveloped nature of certain areas in these countries presents opportunities for companies to introduce and establish their technologies, filling gaps in the market and addressing unmet needs.
The growing number of technicians and their desire to learn and adopt new technologies further contribute to the development and updating of antimicrobial susceptibility testing capabilities in these regions, fostering innovation and advancements in the field.
Challenges: Complex Regulatory Frameworks
One of the major challenges in antibiotic susceptibility testing is the time gap between establishing clinical thresholds, obtaining regulatory approval for innovative antimicrobial treatments, and bringing those drugs to market. The process of gaining approval for new drugs involves stringent guidelines set by regulatory bodies like the FDA, which can result in significant delays.
The lack of established clinical thresholds for certain drugs further complicates the use of products aimed at increasing the susceptibility of microorganisms. Clinical thresholds are important benchmarks used to determine the effectiveness and appropriate usage of antimicrobial therapies. In some cases, such as invasive mold infections other than Aspergillus, the efficacy of antifungal therapy cannot be accurately assessed without the availability of specific clinical thresholds.
This time lag and absence of clinical thresholds can hinder the timely utilization of innovative antimicrobial treatments. It delays access to potentially life-saving therapies and limits healthcare professionals' ability to make informed decisions regarding treatment choices. The gap between setting clinical thresholds, regulatory approval, and market availability needs to be addressed to ensure that effective antimicrobial treatments reach patients in a timely manner and contribute to the fight against drug-resistant microorganisms.
Restraints: High Cost of automated Laboratory Instruments
Automated equipment for antimicrobial laboratories is quite expensive and offers premium features and functionality. The introduction of automated AST systems shortens incubation and detection times. Another barrier to this market is the high maintenance cost of these devices, which come with the latest software and require regular maintenance.
By product type, the automated laboratory instruments segment accounted for the largest share during the forecast period.
Automated laboratory equipment held the biggest market share for antimicrobial susceptibility testing in 2022. At a projected CAGR of 6.9% during the projection period, this market is expected to grow from USD 1.7 billion in 2022 to USD 1.5 billion by 2027.
By End, User Hospitals and diagnostic center is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period.
With a market share of 63.5% in 2022, hospitals and diagnostic centers will continue to increase their market share in antibiotic susceptibility testing. This category of end-users is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7% from $2 billion to $2.9 billion from 2022 to 2027.2 trillion. This category of end users is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 5.7% over the forecast period.
North America is expected to be the largest market during the forecast period.
North America holds the largest share of the global antimicrobial susceptibility testing market at 35.4%. North America includes the United States and Canada. North America has the largest share due to the increasing incidence of diseases that require preventive testing, a growing elderly population, and the emergence of new strains of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The APAC region has the highest CAGR at 6.7% due to increasing addiction, abuse and non-compliance.
As of 2021, prominent players in the market are include bioMérieux SA (France), Becton, Dickinson, and Company (US), Thermo Fisher Scientific (US), Danaher Corporation (US), Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (US) among others.
This report has segmented the Antimicrobial susceptibiity testing market into following segments & sub-segments:
By Product
- Manual Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Product
- Susceptibility Testing Disks
- Mic Strips
- Susceptibility Plates
- Automated Laboratory Instruments
- Culture and Growth Media
- Consumables
By Type
- Antibacterial susceptibility testing
- Antifungal susceptibility testing
- Antiparasitic susceptibility testing
- Other susceptibility testing
By Method
- Etest Method
- Disk Diffusion
- Automated Susceptibility testing instruments
- Agar Diffusion
- Genotyping method
By Application
- Clinical Diagnostics
- Drug Discovery and development
- Epidemiology
- Other applications
By End User
- Hospitals and Diagnostic centers
- Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies
- Research &Academic Institutes
- Clinical Research Organizations
By Region
- North America
- US
- Canada
- Europe
- Germany
- France
- UK
- Italy
- Spain
- Rest of Europe
- Asia Pacific
- Japan
- China
- India
- Australia
- South Korea
- Rest of Asia Pacific
- Latin America
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Rest of Latin America
- Middle East & Africa
Recent Developments
- In Jan,2023 bioMerieux launched a automated instrument named MAESTRIA
- In Aug,2022 BD India launched the BD MAX MDR-TB panel.
In May ,2022 Thermofisher scientific introduced automated antimicrobial susceptibility products.