Researchers and healthcare professionals worldwide are exploring avenues in microRNA research and development. MicroRNAs are noncoding regions of the genome that help control where and when genes are activated. The burgeoning market of microRNA tools for research, diagnostics, and therapeutics has the potential to approach $1.4 billion by 2021. The rising incidences of life-threatening diseases and a growing population are among factors driving growth of this market. Companies are focusing on the advancement of superior technologies to provide higher-quality treatment and improved therapies for patients. Increased government spending and new partnerships will bolster growth in this innovative industry.

Conditions such as immunodeficiency and bleeding disorders are powerful growth factors of the blood plasma industry. In a recent analysis, BCC Research found that the rising demand for immunoglobulins (more commonly known as antibodies), an integral part of the immune response, is the main driver of the global market for blood plasma products. Product launches and improvements in existing technologies are expected to expand this market from approximately $16.8 billion in 2016 to $23.0 billion by 2021.

The use of disposable medical sensors is continuously increasing, fueling a multibillion-dollar global industry. BCC Research predicts that this market will expand at a healthy double-digit growth rate worldwide, with the potential to reach $9 billion by 2022. An increase in geriatric populations all over the world will lead to more demand for continuous health monitoring devices for a larger number of diseases pertaining to cardiovascular, audiology and urology systems.

Biologic imaging reagents play a fundamental role in today’s medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Such reagents are integral to the diagnostics industry, which is the largest market for these products. Driven primarily by advancements in biomarker technology in medical diagnostics, the global market for biologic imaging reagents has the potential to reach $23.9 billion by 2022. In a new study by BCC Research, the industry’s prospects are examined by the main reagent classes: contrast, nuclear (radioactive) and optical.

Liquid biopsy is rapidly gaining traction as a supplement or alternative to tissue biopsy. Earlier this year, we noted that liquid biopsies continue to draw investments, and efforts prevail to establish the technique in mainstream medicine. Liquid biopsies have been likened to a Holy Grail of cancer treatment. By means of a simple blood draw, liquid biopsies aim to replace needle biopsies of solid tumors, which can be expensive for the healthcare system as well as painful for patients. For diagnosis of cancer, liquid biopsies could spare some of the risky tissue biopsies and reduce reliance on computed tomography scans, which must be limited because of the danger posed by overexposure to radiation.

The answer: An augmented reality.

Liquid biopsies have been likened to a Holy Grail of cancer treatment. By means of a simple blood draw, liquid biopsies aim to replace needle biopsies of solid tumors, which can be expensive for the healthcare system as well as invasive and painful for patients. For diagnosis of cancer, liquid biopsies could spare some of the risky tissue biopsies and reduce reliance on CT scans, which must be limited because of the danger posed by overexposure to radiation.

The steadily increasing demand for substance abuse test equipment forms a building block for medical technology companies, according to a new study by BCC Research. From estimated sales of $3 billion in 2016, the global drug testing industry is predicted to reach almost $4 billion by 2022. Technological advances and the entry of new innovative companies in the diagnostics industry have transformed the market.

The global market for pain management is poised to expand by more than $15 billion in the next five years. Pain management constitutes a diverse market of products and services to alleviate pain, with the potential to attain $52.0 billion annually by 2022. A recent study by BCC Research examines this industry’s prospects for pharmaceuticals and devices. Manufacturers have attempted to create well-rounded and advanced products to give clinicians a wider range of choices for pain management. As regulatory and cost issues reduce hospital stays and increase home care and other forms of long-term care, awareness of the real costs associated with pain management is growing.

The market for laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) is evolving as the result of a mix of technological, financial, and regulatory factors. Broad technology platform shifts are underway. Serological and molecular diagnostic tests are becoming less popular as newer genomic and mass spectrophotometry (MS)–based tests are introduced. BCC Research has also observed that large national and regional reference laboratories are performing more LDTs, while smaller or academic laboratories reduce their testing volumes. High capital costs and low rates of reimbursement are hindering the efforts of smaller laboratories to keep pace with their larger counterparts.