Flow Cytometry Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Flow Cytometry Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The global flow cytometry market was valued at approximately USD 4,150 million in 2020. The market is expected to reach USD 6,682 million by 2026, registering a CAGR of nearly 8.1% during the forecast period.

Like all other markets that the pandemic has affected, the COVID-19 outbreak is expected to impact the flow cytometry market. The increasing adoption of flow cytometry techniques in research activities and clinical trials has provided a wide range of growth opportunities for market players. In 2020, Cytek Biosciences Inc. supported researchers and clinicians worldwide, studying the impact of the COVID-19 virus on human immune systems. The Cytek family fully supported researchers during this crucial period by providing technical assistance for their flow cytometers, Cytek Aurora, Cytek Athena, and Cytek Northern Lights systems.

Cytek has also contributed several instruments to leading clinical laboratories in China for COVID-19 clinical research and diagnostic test development. The company attained clinical use certification in China in 2019 for its DxPTM Athena and Northern Lights CLC instruments (Flow cytometers), which has enabled it to support a growing list of clinical research institutions, including a hospital in the center of the pandemic in Wuhan.

The key factors propelling the market include a growth in the usage of flow cytometry in stem cell research, the emergence and commercial application of new technologies in flow cytometry, and a rise in the applications of flow cytometry in clinical research.

There is a significance of flow cytometry in clinical research that is fueling the demand for flow cytometry techniques in R&D departments of the healthcare sector. The current flow cytometry applications in clinical research include emphasizing immunophenotyping, enumerating reticulocyte and reticulated platelet, multiple drug resistance assays, cell function assays, and apoptosis. The developments in immunology and other areas of cancer research have mainly contributed to the use of flow cytometry. Immunophenotyping, or characterization of cell subpopulations based on differentiation antigens, is the most well-recognized area in flow cytometry. Immunophenotyping is used clinically for the diagnosis and sub-classification of leukemia and lymphoma, diagnosis of primary immunodeficiency disorders, and enumeration of stem cells in peripheral blood, among other applications.

The increasing incidences of HIV and cancer statistics show a significant unmet opportunity in cancer and AIDS diagnostics. There is a large void in diagnostics accessibility, particularly in developing regions. Consequently, the increasing incidences of HIV AIDS and cancer can be considered a significant growth opportunity for the flow cytometry market.

Key Market TrendsStem Cell Therapy is Expected to Hold the Largest Market Share by Application

Flow cytometry is required to identify, characterize, and isolate stem cells for research and activities due to their ability to rapidly perform quantitative measurements on a single cell within a heterogeneous cell population.

Stem cell-based therapies are being suggested to reduce or treat COVID-19. Several companies and universities are involved in research studies associated with stem cells. For instance, in August 2020, the University of Minnesota used mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for patients affected by COVID-19 and subsequent lung failure. Thus, the rising research activities in this field will likely drive the demand for flow cytometers.

A crucial factor responsible for this segment's significant market share is the extensive use of flow cytometry for effective diagnosis and early detection of numerous diseases. The growing market penetration in stem cell research, adoption of recombinant DNA technology for antibody production, and evolution of tandem flow cytometry technologies are expected to offer growth opportunities for the key players operating in the flow cytometry market.

In contrast to methods, such as Western blot and cellular imaging, multicolor flow cytometry enables researchers to interrogate heterogeneous cell populations and analyze their subpopulations. By multiple fluorescent-labeled antibodies, researchers can obtain robust data and population-based statistics on differentiating stem cell cultures and isolate stem cells and their derivatives from primary tissue and diverse in-vitro populations.

Flow cytometry has also found many applications in drug discovery to understand the drugs’ mechanism of action, which may also contribute to the market growth.

North America Dominates the Market and is Expected to Continue its Lead over the Forecast Period

Globally, North America is the largest flow cytometry market and is likely to remain so during the forecast period. The rising focus of companies in the expansion of novel products that are anticipated to offer new growth opportunities may propel the market growth.

In the North American region, the United States holds the major share of the market. The United States is witnessing an increasing burden of cancer, which is positively influencing the growth of the flow cytometry market in the region. According to the National Cancer Institute’s data, in 2020, an estimated 1,806,590 new cancer cases will be diagnosed in the United States, and 606,520 people will die from the disease. The common cancers in the United States are breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, colon and rectum cancer, bladder cancer, and skin cancer. The role of flow cytometry to determine prognosis in patients with cancer has become increasingly important with the advent of assays for the detection of disease and assessment of drug resistance.

Furthermore, companies like Sysmex are focusing on the launch of new products. For instance, in June 2020, Sysmex America, Inc., a leading diagnostic solutions company, announced the availability of its XF-1600 flow cytometer. This will provide laboratories with improved flexibility and efficiency for a wide range of applications. Hence, owing to these factors, the market is expected to grow at a faster pace.

Competitive Landscape

The flow cytometry market is considered highly consolidated due to the presence of very few players in the market. These players are holding a huge share of the market and are likely to remain in a similar competitive environment for the next few years. Key market players in the market are Becton, Dickinson and Company, Danaher corporation (Beckman Coulter, Inc.), Sysmex Corporation, Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc, Luminex Corporation, etc.

The rising importance of product development and the rise in R&D activities are projected to encourage the growth of the flow cytometry market. In 2019, Agilent technologies introduced its new product from recently acquired ACEA Biosciences, at the 34th Congress of the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry, CYTO 2019 Congress, being held June 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. The Agilent NovoCyte Advanteon Flow Cytometer is one of the most sensitive cell analyzers available on the market. Flow cytometers are integral to basic research, drug discovery, and clinical diagnostics. In the coming years, few other players are expected to enter the market, which may fuel the market growth.

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Companies Mentioned

Becton, Dickinson and Company
Danaher corporation (Beckman Coulter, Inc.)
Stratedigm, Inc.
Bio
Rad Laboratories Inc.
Luminex Corporation
Miltenyi Biotech
Sysmex Corporation
Agilent Technologies Inc.
ThermoFisher Scientific Inc.
Sony Biotechnology Inc. (Sony Corporation of America)
BioMerieux S.A
Enzo Biochem, Inc. (Enzo Life Sciences Inc.)