Western Blotting Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Western Blotting Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The western blotting market is expected to register a CAGR of 6.5% over the forecast period (2022-2027).

COVID-19 had a significant impact on the western blotting market due to the unexpected spread. For instance, as per the article published in 2020 under the title ‘COVID-19: Is there a role for Western blots and skin testing for determining immunity and development of a vaccine?’, for diagnostic purposes and to assess immunity, combining serologic testing, that includes Western blots, along with skin testing using SARS-CoV-2 antigens for measuring DTH reactions, was likely to be beneficial. When examining the humoral immune response in patients recovering from COVID-19, the Western blot technique was anticipated to be helpful for locating immunogenic antigens that were likely to be utilized for vaccine development. Hence, as per the factors mentioned above, COVID-19 had a notable impact on the western blotting market.

The western blotting market is majorly driven by factors such as the rising burden of chronic diseases across the globe, growing research activities in the biotech and pharma sector, and raised R&D investment done by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. For instance, as per the 2022 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), six in ten Americans live with at least one chronic disease, like heart disease and stroke, cancer, or diabetes. These and other chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in America, and they are also a leading driver of health care costs.

Western blotting is a widely known and used test that is used in cell and molecular biology. With the help of this test, one can detect the specific type of protein from the complex mixture of proteins that are extracted from the cell. This test has gained attraction in the market due to its specificity, low cost, and ease of use.

Despite the technique that has evolved since its inception, there have been several advancements in this technique that occurred in the last decade. For instance, as per the article published in 2021 under the title ‘Emerging techniques of western blotting for purification and analysis of protein’, the arrival of western blotting kits (Pierce Fast of Thermo Scientific) and simplified processes (Western Workflow of Bio-Rad's V3) were open to creating western blotting quicker and more quantifiable. In the past 5-year progress was made in the prepping of gel, imagers of fluorescence, chemiluminescence, and fluorescent antibodies as companies expended a large sum each year on the Western Blotting methodology. Micro fluidical systems significantly lower the duration of time and number of reagents and antibodies needed for western blotting. Those technologies were also allowed to adjust to high-performance systems. Hence, owing to the certain characteristics of the western blot test, the market is believed to witness considerable growth over the forecast period.

As a result of the factors mentioned, the studied market is anticipated to grow throughout the analysis period. However, the alternatives for western blot and accuracy issues restrain the market growth.

Key Market TrendsDisease Diagnostic Segment is Likely to be Witnessing a Healthy CAGR Over the Forecast Period

Western blot test is having a wide range of applications in medical diagnostics. For the diagnosis of diseases such as BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy), FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), HBV (Hepatitis B Virus) infection, and Lyme Disease among others. Generally, this test is used as a confirmatory test for the above-mentioned diseases after the ELISA test is done with a positive result. For Lyme Disease, the United States Food and Drug Administration has suggested the two-tier protocol using an ELISA test initially and then the specific western blot tests for the confirmation of diagnosis if the results of ELISA are positive. Previously, western blotting was commonly done to confirm the HIV diagnosis.

The increasing prevalence of HIV, Lyme disease, and hepatitis are major fueling factors for the market growth. For instance, as per the 2021 update from Global HIV & AIDS statistics, 38.4 million people globally were living with HIV in 2021. Moreover, 1.5 million people became newly infected with HIV in 2021. A higher prevalence of such diseases causes more diagnostic tests and thus boosts market growth. Furthermore, as per the article published in 2020 under the title ‘A Practical Approach to the Diagnosis of Lyme Borreliosis: From Clinical Heterogeneity to Laboratory Methods’, the diagnosis of Lyme Borreliosis was presently predicated on a two-tier serology at all phases of the infection, except when erythema migrans was present, according to European and North American recommendations. The first test in the two-tier testing process was an ELISA, EIA, or VlsE/C6 test, and the second test was a Western blot/Immunoblot assay. Hence the increase in the utilization of western blotting in the diagnostic testing of diseases like Lyme disease, and HIV boosts the market growth.

Hence, owing to the significance of this test in the disease diagnosis, it is indicated that this segment is anticipated to be witnessing a healthy CAGR over the forecast period.

North America is Expected to Dominates the Western Blotting Market Over the Forecast Period

The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and the increasing R&D investment by the pharma and biotech companies are expected to drive the growth of the studied market in North America. According to the 2022 update from CDC, six in ten Americans live with at least one chronic disease, like heart disease and stroke, cancer, or diabetes. These and other chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in America. To reduce the risk and improve the quality of life, people tend to diagnose the chronic disease at the earliest and for that purpose, western blotting is likely to be used widely thereby boosting the market growth. Furthermore, in America, health care costs are up to USD 4.1 Trillion annually. Moreover, the Lyme disease-affected areas in the United States are found to be high. For instance, as per the report from ‘Lyme Disease: A Continuing Concern - A FAIR Health Infographic’, in 2021 Lyme disease was more found in New Jersey, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Maine.

Furthermore, product launches, company collaborations, and initiatives are boosting the market growth in the studied region over the forecast period. For instance, in January 2021, Bio-Rad Laboratories, a global leader in life science research and clinical diagnostic products, announced the launch of the Bio-Rad Western Blotting Learning Center, an online library that provides comprehensive resources, information, and guidance to help researchers improve their experimental western blotting (or immunoblotting) approaches to obtain high-quality data.

Hence as per the factors mentioned above, the analyzed market is predicted to grow in the North American region over the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The major players are having competition among themselves for the market share and with the rising application of this test and growing pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, it is believed that few small to mid-sized companies will penetrate the market soon and hold a substantial share in the market. The major market players operating in the western blotting market include Danaher Corporation (Cytiva), Thermofisher Scientific, Biorad laboratories, Perklin Elmer, and Merck & Co. among others.

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