Increasing Incidence of Genetic Diseases will enhance the dPCR and qPCR Market

Publisher: The Insight Partners

While digital and real-time PCR is a very robust technique and has significant advantages in various research applications, the cost of PCR machines as well as the cost and skills required to run the sets is the biggest drawbacks of the technique. According to the SafePath Laboratories, LLC, an entry level PCR machine begins at around US$ 10,000, whereas the manual digital PCR costs between US$65,000 to USD$70,000 and can go up to $100,000 for the automated digital ones. In case of real time PCR, the machine cost ranges between US$ 20,000 and US$30,000. This can be disadvantageous when competing various other technologies. Although digital PCR and real-time PCR is witnessing exponential growth, the cost factor can negatively impact the adoption and growth of the global market in the near future. In addition to the high costs of the machines, the cost of consumables, reagents and accessories required for performing PCR tests are also on the expensive side. Thus, the unaffordability of the systems as well as consumables and reagents are expected to refrain the dPCR and qPCR market to grow in the global industry.

The major players operating in the dPCR and qPCR market include Abbott, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., QIAGEN, TaKARA BIO, INC, Agilent Technologies, Inc., bioMérieux SA, Danaher, Fluidigm Corporation.

The global dPCR and qPCR market is expected to reach US$ 6,371.6 Mn in 2025 from US$ 3,255.5 Mn in 2017. The market is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 9.1% from 2018-2025.

Increasing incidence of genetic diseases is expected to drive the growth of the market. However, high cost of PCR systems is expected to hamper the growth of the market. Genes are considered to be the building blocks of heredity. The genes are passed from a parent to a child, as well as they hold the DNA that is usually considered to instruct and guide protein synthesis. Mutation, on the other hand refers to a sudden change in a single or multiple genes. The mutation can result in dysfunction of the gene resulting in a medical condition called genetic disorder. According to the National organizations information on genetic conditions or birth defects, though individual genetic disorders are rare, collectively they comprise over 15,500 recognized genetic disorders. Moreover, according to the Genetic Disorders UK, it is estimated that one in 25 children is affected by a genetic disorder and therefore 30,000 babies and children are newly diagnosed in the UK each year. According to the Genetic Home References, about 1 in 200,000 people in the United States are born with syndrome each year. An estimated 15,000 infants with syndrome B were born last year worldwide. Moreover, approximately 1 percent of people in the United States develop disorder D during their lifetimes. The lifetime risk of developing disorder D is 1 in 100. The adoption of digital PCR is improving as the pathologists are trying to track the use of this technology to target various specific DNA sequences as well as to diagnose and design various clinical tests. Digital PCR can target specific DNA sequences in just one molecule of DNA. This new tool allows researchers to isolate rare genetic mutations too difficult to segregate with real-time PCR. Thus, the increasing incidence of genetic diseases in which dPCR and qPCR techniques can be used for diagnosis and treatment options are expected to support the growth of the market over the forecast years.