NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Testing for infectious disease is the most important application for of molecular tests, according to Kalorama Information. The firm said that 47% of molecular diagnostic sales are for this application and this trend is expected to continue as the healthcare system prioritizes HAI control and deals with emerging threats. The projection was made in Kalorama Information's report, The World Market for Molecular Diagnostics, 6th Edition authored by the company's lead IVD analyst Shara Rosen, R.T., MBA.
Traditional culture techniques take too long, according to the report, even though companies have made efforts to reduce test times to a minimum of 12-24 hours for preliminary test results and sometimes as long as 2-3 days for a complete analysis. So far many of the rapid immunoassays that have come to market lack the sensitivity and/or specificity to be 100% effective. Therefore it is expected that molecular diagnostic methods that give results rapidly—in hours or less and in point-of-care (POC) or near-POC settings will dominate the future.
"All too often patients have been given antibiotics when not required. This has contributed to the present problem of bacterial antibiotic resistance," Rosen said. "It can be argued that efficient rapid tests in hospitals, clinics, physician offices and other care sites would have solved many issues related to infectious disease."
The report said that an important part of the new toolbox is molecular tests that allow for rapid and highly specific identification of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. The most sophisticated of these tests can drill down to individual species and can detect the source of epidemics and the genetic variations that may confer resistance to therapeutics. The tests use many different technologies including: nucleic acid amplification, sequencing, mass spectrometry, flow cytometry, FISH, line probe assays and next generation sequencing. However nucleic acid amplification technologies such as PCR, TMA, bDNA and NASBA are still used in the vast majority of tests.
The report further said that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), tuberculosis, HIV and hepatitis are the number one public health problem worldwide. Globalization of the world's food supply and increased world travel has introduced viruses, parasites and bacteria from emerging countries to the developed world. Hospitals have become primary sources of infections that have made their way into the community and then back again. Lastly and by far not the least pressing micro problem is that of emerging pathogens and increasingly therapy resistant microorganisms. Yet challenges remain in seeing the new methods developed completely, past regulatory hurdles, and integrated successfully in clinical practice.
Kalorama notes several trends that are evident as the market for molecular infectious diseases evolves:
- Integrated sample to answer test systems respond to the need for easy to use molecular tests for all size labs
- random access sample processing on molecular test instrumentation
- tests for high demand pathogens are coming to market including: C. difficile, TB, respiratory infections, and STDs
- companies are beginning to develop genotyping and sequencing systems for a wide variety of pathogen targets
- CLIA moderate and waived molecular tests and instruments provide smaller labs the opportunity to run molecular tests in-lab without having to send them out
The report, The World Market for Molecular Diagnostics, 6th Edition, includes many more trends, market sizing and forecasts for eight categories of molecular tests as well as several segments. In addition the report contains trend analysis, strategic recommendations, analyst conclusions and company profiles of over 190 companies. The report can be found at: http://www.kaloramainformation.com/redirect.asp?progid=87931&productid=9314088.
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.
We routinely assist the media with healthcare topics. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog at www.kaloramainformation.com.
Contact:
Bruce Carlson
(212) 807-2622
[email protected]
www.KaloramaInformation.com
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SOURCE Kalorama Information
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