[193 Pages Report] The global label-free detection market size is estimated to be USD 431 million in 2020 and projected to reach USD 626 million by 2025, at a CAGR of 7.7%. Growth in this market is largely driven by the introduction of technologically advanced products, a growing number of drug discovery programs through academic-industrial partnerships, and the high sensitivity of label-free technologies.

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COVID-19 impact on the global label-free detection market

According to researchers based in ETH Zurich (Switzerland) Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) demonstrated a high degree of accuracy and sensitivity when tasked with detecting COVID-19 RNA. Surface Plasmon Resonance is one of the major technologies used in label-free detection. This is a major indicator of market growth. In addition to this, label-free products such as SPR systems and biosensors are also being used for COVID-19 research. However, R&D labs are now operating below 50% of the normal capacity. According to an analysis of studies based on ClinicalTrials.gov, among the 2522 clinical trial registry entries that were suspended, terminated, or withdrawn between December 1, 2019, and May 5, 2020, around 44% were closed with a reported reason that explicitly mentioned COVID-19. These factors could hinder the growth of the market.

Label-Free Detection Market Dynamics

Driver: Introduction of technologically advanced products

Relatively new in the well-established field of high-throughput screening (HTS), label-free technologies provide opportunities for probing biomolecular interactions without spatial interference or the auto-fluorescent or quenching effects of labels.

On average, it takes at least ten years for a new drug to complete the journey from initial discovery to the marketplace. The average cost of research & development for each successful drug is estimated to be USD 2.6 billion (PhRMA). With escalating cost pressures and increasingly complex disease targets, improving productivity in early drug discovery processes has been a challenge.

Initially, low throughput was a major challenge associated with label-free technologies. However, the introduction of SPR-based label-free systems with higher throughput has helped increase overall operational efficiency while providing the high-quality data needed to make informed decisions.

Some other examples of technologically advanced products launched in recent years include:

The latest innovation in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) from Spectris (UK) has been created specifically for regulated environments and delivers essential data to guide biopharmaceutical development. In 2017, the company introduced the MicroCal PEAQ-DSC microcalorimeter, which delivers unattended 24-hour operations, together with streamlined workflows and automated data analysis, to produce results in hours, driving productivity and efficiency gains in research and production.

In 2018, Danaher (US) introduced Biacore 8K+, an eight-needle, high-sensitivity surface plasmon resonance (SPR) system that enables the automation of over 4,500 drug candidate�disease target binding experiments in one run. It can be paired with the Biacore Insight Evaluation Software to translate high-quality data into actionable insights.

In 2019, Agilent Technologies (US) introduced a first-of-its-kind multimode real-time cell analyzer (RTCA), which combines the best of non-invasive biosensor measurements with live-cell imaging. Such advancements provide label-free, real-time biosensor measurements and kinetic imaging of the same live cell populations, independently or simultaneously. This will revolutionize cell analysis in life science research.

In 2020, Nicoya (Canada) launched Alto, which is a fully automated, high-throughput benchtop SPR system. It uses digital microfluidics (DMF), which removes the need for any physical pumps, valves, or tubes, and replaces them with low-cost disposable cartridges. This, in turn, reduces the time and cost of drug discovery, enabling scientists to better understand and cure human diseases faster.

These technological advancements have increased the adoption of label-free technologies by pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies as well as academic research institutes for biomolecular analysis during drug discovery. This is expected to drive market growth.

Restraint: High cost of instruments

Label-free detection instruments are highly expensive since they are equipped with advanced features and functionalities. A typical Bio-layer interferometry system ranges from about USD 50,000 to USD 300,000. Agilent�s (US) xCELLigence systems are offered for both academia and the industrial sector, and they cost USD 50,000 to USD 500,000, depending on options such as throughput. Companies with smaller R&D budgets cannot afford these instruments, which is a major factor limiting market growth. Academic research laboratories also find it difficult to invest in these instruments due to budget constraints. In addition to this, the high capital and running costs, as well as weekly maintenance costs of SPR systems, have restricted label-free platforms to well-funded labs and academic core labs. SPR platforms are also complex to run, making them unsuitable for multi-user laboratories.

On the other hand, pharmaceutical companies are the biggest end users of LFD instruments and have relatively larger R&D budgets; however, their requirement for many such instruments drives up their capital expenditure. Thus, the high cost of LFD instruments could limit the demand for these instruments, which, in turn, may restrict the overall market growth.

Opportunity: Growing life science research activities in emerging markets

Growth in the Asian economies, particularly China and India, along with increased investments in biotechnology and drug discovery, are the major factors driving the label-free detection market in Asia. Currently, most Asian countries do not possess established business models but have the scientific talent to develop strong local biotechnology industries. Hence, the number of mergers, collaborations, and partnerships are on the rise in these emerging countries. Many Asian economies have modified regulations, policies, and guidelines to support investments, innovation, and commercialization. Owing to this, research activities in the life science industry are on the rise.

Over the years, China�s pharma industry has moved from a primary focus on generics manufacturing and copy-cat drugs to research & development of innovative treatments. Many pharma and biopharmaceutical companies, such as AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, and Ferring Pharmaceuticals, have announced plans to invest in life science R&D activities in the emerging markets in the coming years. These increasing investments in the emerging markets will further boost research & development activities, which, in turn, will provide a range of growth opportunities for players in the market.

In July 2018, Ferring Pharmaceuticals (Switzerland) laid the foundation for its R&D laboratory and manufacturing facility at Genome Valley, Hyderabad, India. The new facility added to the group�s global R&D capabilities and will be conducting novel research for emerging healthcare challenges around the world.

In July 2018, global biopharmaceutical company Sanofi (France) announced plans to establish a global research & development operations hub in Chengdu, China. Sanofi plans to use the hub to tackle therapeutic areas, including vaccines, immunology and inflammation, and cardiovascular diseases.

In November 2019, AstraZeneca (UK) announced large-scale initiatives in China to advance global medicine research & development. The initiative includes the creation of a new global R&D center and an artificial intelligence (AI) innovation center in Shanghai, China.

Label-free detection technologies deliver revolutionary efficiency improvements for life science research applications. Hence, such increasing life science research activities in the emerging markets will accelerate the growth of the label-free detection market in these countries.

Challenge: Shortage of skilled professionals

Label-free detection is a relatively new technology that requires experts with a wide range of skill sets and good knowledge of instrument and software handling. Many of the highly automated, high-throughput platforms require skilled personnel to set up and run a label-free experiment. In research laboratories and companies, there is a high demand for researchers who are well-versed in handling label-free detection instruments.

However, at present, there is a shortage of such professionals, forcing most companies to opt for conventional methods such as cell-based assays and fluorescence- and radioactive-labeled instruments. This poses a challenge to the label-free detection market

By consumables segment, the biosensor chips segment accounted for the largest share of the the label-free detection market in 2019.

On the basis of product & service type, the consumables market is segmented into biosensor chips, microplates and reagents & kits. In 2019, biosensor chips accounted for the largest share of the consumables segment mainly due to the high specificity and ability to monitor molecular interactions in real-time.

By technology, the surface plasmon resonance segment accounted for the largest share of the label-free detection market in 2019.

On the basisi of technology, the market is categorized into five technology segments�surface plasmon resonance, bio-layer interferometry, differential scanning calorimetry, isothermal titration calorimetry, and other label-free detection technologies. The surface plasmon resonance segment accounted for the largest share in 2019, due to the high sensitivity of this technology and its wide usage in determining specificity, affinity, and kinetic parameters during the binding of macromolecules.

By end user, pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies segment accounted for the largest share of label-free detection market in 2019.

On the basis of end user, the label-free detection market has been segmented into pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, academic & research institutes, contract research organizations (CROs), and other end users such as food & beverage, agriculture and livestock, oil & gas, environmental monitoring, chemicals, bioplastics, and cosmeceuticals. The pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies segment dominated the label-free detection market in 2019, owing to the extensive use of label-free detection technologies by pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies for studying biomolecular interactions in drug discovery.

North America accounted for the largest share of the label-free detection market in 2019.

In 2019, North America accounted for the largest share of the overall market, followed by Europe. The availability of funds for research, increasing research activities in drug discovery and development, growth in pharmaceutical R&D spending, and the presence of key players are the major factors driving the North American market.

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Key Market Players

The label-free detection market is dominated by a few globally established players such as Danaher (US), Sartorius (Germany), Waters Corporation (US), PerkinElmer (US), AMETEK (US), HORIBA (Japan), Spectris (UK), METTLER TOLEDO (US), Corning (US), and Agilent Technologies (US).

Scope of the report

Report Metric Details Market Size Available for Years 2018�2025 Base Year Considered 2019 Forecast Period 2020�2025 Forecast Units Value (USD) Segments Covered Product & Service, Technology, Application, End User, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, APAC and the RoW Companies Covered The major market players include Danaher (US), Sartorius AG (Germany), Waters Corporation (US), PerkinElmer Inc. (US), AMETEK, Inc. (US), HORIBA Ltd. (Japan), Spectris (UK), METTLER TOLEDO (US), Corning Incorporated (US), and Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US) (Total 25 companies)

The study categorizes the label free detection market into the following segments and subsegments:

Label-free detection Market, by Product & Service

Instruments

Consumables Biosensor Chips Microplates Reagents & Kits

Software & Services

Label-free detection Market, by Technology

Surface Plasmon Resonance

Bio-layer Interferometry

Isothermal Titration Calorimetry

Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Other LFD Technologies

Label-free detection Market by Application

Binding Kinetics

Hit Confirmation

Lead Generation

Endogenous Receptor Detection

Binding Thermodynamics

Other Applications

Label-free detection Market, by End User

Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies

Academic and Research Institutes

Contract Research Organizations (CROs)

Other End Users

Label-free detection Market, by Region

North America US Canada

Europe Germany UK France Italy Spain Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India Rest of Asia Pacific

Rest of the World Latin America The Middle East and Africa



Recent Developments

In 2020, Danaher acquired the Biopharma business from General Electric Company's Life Sciences division. The business will be known as Cytiva and will act as a standalone operating company within Danaher's Life Sciences segment.

In 2020, Sartorius acquired selected life science businesses of Danaher Corporation. This acquisition includes the ForteBio business of Danaher and it will be integrated into the Bioanalytics unit within the Sartorius Lab Products & Services division.

In 2020, Malvern Panalytical (a division of Spectris) opened a new APAC Application Center of Excellence in Shanghai, China. The center showcases a large part of the Malvern Panalytical technology portfolio including Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) technology.

In 2020, TA Instruments (a subsidiary of Waters) entered into a partnership with Gulf Bio Analytical. Under the terms of this partnership, TA Instruments appointed Gulf Bio Analytical as its exclusive distributor of instruments in Saudi Arabia.

In 2020, Creoptix collaborated with Professor Adriano Aguzzi and the University of Zurich to characterize anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in patients with the COVID-19 using the Creoptix WAVE system.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

What is the current size of the global label-free detection market? The global label-free detection market size is estimated to be USD 431.7 million in 2020 and projected to reach USD 626.4 million by 2025, at a CAGR of 7.7%. Who are the leading players in the label-free detection market? Some of the leading players in the label-free detection market include Danaher (US), Sartorius AG (Germany), Waters Corporation (US), PerkinElmer Inc. (US), AMETEK, Inc. (US), HORIBA Ltd. (Japan), Spectris (UK), METTLER TOLEDO (US), Corning Incorporated (US), and Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US). Who are the major end users of the label-free detection market? The end users of the label-free detection market are pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, academic & research institutes, contract research organizations (CROs), and other end users such as food & beverage, agriculture and livestock, oil & gas, environmental monitoring, chemicals, bioplastics, and cosmeceuticals. The pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies segment are the largest end users in the label-free detection market due to the extensive use of label-free detection technologies by pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies for studying biomolecular interactions in drug discovery. What are the major drivers of the label-free detection market? Some of the major drivers of the label-free detection market include the introduction of technologically advanced products, a growing number of drug discovery programs through academic-industrial partnerships, and the high sensitivity of label-free technologies. What is the COVID-19 impact on the label-free detection market? According to researchers based in ETH Zurich (Switzerland) Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) demonstrated a high degree of accuracy and sensitivity when tasked with detecting COVID-19 RNA. Surface Plasmon Resonance is one of the major technologies used in label-free detection. This is a major indicator of market growth. In addition to this, label-free products such as SPR systems and biosensors are also being used for COVID-19 research. However, R&D labs are now operating below 50% of the normal capacity. According to an analysis of studies based on ClinicalTrials.gov, among the 2522 clinical trial registry entries that were suspended, terminated, or withdrawn between December 1, 2019, and May 5, 2020, around 44% were closed with a reported reason that explicitly mentioned COVID-19. These factors could hinder the growth of the market. .

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