Report: Strong Demand for Automation Systems in Drug Discovery Laboratories
NEW YORK, April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — New techniques of drug discovery and heavy testing volumes is keeping demand high for drug discovery lab automation systems, according to Kalorama Information. The IVD market researcher said lab automation systems sold to drug discovery laboratories reached 4.1 billion dollars in sales in 2014. Shortage of personnel will drive these purchases, as will the need for new systems. The firm looks at the status of lab automation in both clinical and drug discovery lab segments every two years. Their latest report, Lab Automation Markets, 4th Edition, was recently published.
The report says that in recent years, advances in genomic- and proteomic-based research techniques and the use of state-of-the-art analytical chemistry techniques have enabled the establishment of novel compound and small fragment-based libraries, which have facilitated design and screening of potential therapeutic candidates. But techniques also have led to greater use of scientific labor, and greater throughput requirements. The result: conventional manual research is not economically or scientifically feasible. Automation has transformed drug development and discovery by making it possible to identify many targets with the aid of combinatorial technologies
Kalorama notes that only about 250 compounds tested make it to preclinicals for every 10,000 screened. Of these, only about 10 make it into clinicals, and only one of the clinically tested compounds reaches market
“By incorporating even basic unit automation and some basic techniques, including the use of microplates and subsequent column and row wise reagent additions, significant reductions in development times and data output for research have been achieved,” saidJoseph Constance, Kalorama analyst and author of the report.
Automating compound management processes, with the aid of high throughput screening (HTS), has helped lessen the number of compound rejections. With the high cost of bringing a drug to market, lab automation streamlines drug discovery and research labs’ processes, eliminates downstream bottlenecks and speeds target identification and screening. The need to undertake large-scale assays cost effectively makes automation a fundamental requirement in biomedical research as well as drug discovery.
Although drug companies have curtailed their spending, the demand for lab automation instrumentation has continued, although at a modified pace, in part because of new products and automated solutions for newer techniques, such as microarrays and cell-based assays.
“Spending in this segment of the laboratory automation market, while still healthy, will not be as significant as growth in the clinical segment of lab automation, as the drug discovery segment is closer to maturity,” said Constance.
Lab Automation Markets, 4th Edition contains a list of the top companies in automation and the IVD companies, and has specific market estimates for categories of the drug discovery lab automation market, as well as geographic breakouts. More information can be obtained at http://www.marketresearch.com/redirect.asp?progid=87328&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ekaloramainformation%2Ecom%2FLab%2DAutomation%2DEdition%2D8827604%2F.
About Kalorama Information
Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies the latest in independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare; as well as a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased through Kalorama’s website and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com.
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