Prognostications from Nostradamus, George Orwell and Paul Simon are all finding relevance in the current global market for microbiology technology.
BCC Research's Global Markets for Microbiology Technology, Equipment and Consumables report analyzes the effects of rapidly accelerating technological and biological factors on the growth potential—$12.3 billion by 2020 with a five year 4.6% CAGR— and the market opportunities across broad microbiology technology domains.
Consider:
- One of the “last resort” antibiotics, Colistin, is beginning to fail due to bacterial plasmid transfer, showing the way for other microbes to defeat antibiotics through the plasmid borne MCR-1 gene, which has now been seen in China, Europe and USA. While this shift is causing drug companies to now look back to the antibiotic market with renewed optimism after decades of lethargy, we also have the competing factor of consolidation of drug discovery teams continuing (as with Pfizer buying Astra Zeneca's business), and the expectation that job losses will ensue. Half full/half empty for new opportunities.
- Measles and influenza outbreaks are being overshadowed as global warming accelerates emerging tropical diseases such as Ebola, Dengue fever and Zika virus. New pandemic planning and prevention methods are an urgent unmet need — creating a sizeable market opportunity for the right player.
- Recent findings from human microbiome data have thrown us a curve ball regarding the merits of breast feeding and of antibacterial soaps while also suggesting cancer be treated with salmonella. Seems like everything we thought we knew is up for grabs— and open to opportunity.
All of these factors are creating new and sizeable urgent, unmet needs for all corners of microbiology technology. Meanwhile, quietly in the background of this shifting landscape, new uses of older technology such as PCR, are driving solid growth across the board, and into the clinical diagnostic sector in particular.
With so much opportunity, but with so many caveats, having a solid forecast becomes a critical piece of any product development planning process. With discovery and technology moving at the speed of the daily news cycle, and next gen sequencing in the lab now, look around and you will see we are smack in the middle of Simon’s lasers in the jungle analogy. The days of “miracle and wonder” indeed.