Abstract
This new Insight Pharma report from Cambridge Healthtech Institute delivers
the data and the analysis you need to stay on top of this fast-changing market:
- Quantitative survey (N=60) of the practices, plans, and views of
researchers involved with HCA
- Market segmentation and forecast ($ share by application, by company, and
by IT/hardware/reagents)
- Thorough review of HCA technologies and applications, including new
developments and challenges
- Total cost of ownership analysis
- Main market drivers and barriers
- Thought-leader interviews with leading researchers in industry and academia
- Position of the dominant players such as Cellomics/Fisher, GE, MDS, BD,
and Evotec; and of up-and-coming smaller players
High content analysis (HCA) is the convergence between cell-based assays,
high-resolution fluorescence imaging, automation and advanced image processing
and analysis software. It has been widely adopted in the pharmaceutical and
biotech industries for target identification and validation and as secondary
screens to reveal potential toxicities or to elucidate a drug' s mechanism of
action. In particular, HCA has made inroads into R&D applications where high
throughput screening (HTS) has proven inadequate, such as measuring multiple
biological pathways simultaneously, or revealing off-target drug effects. HCA
has stepped into this void by demonstrating how particular proteins are
affected by the application of a molecule to the cell line of interest.
We estimate the total market for HCA systems and software at nearly $80
million in 2006, with a leveling off during 2007-2008, and a sharp rise
thereafter as the pharmaceutical sector fully embraces HCA applications in
secondary and primary screening. We estimate the reagent market at
approximately $125 million, with growth driven by an increase in wells/study
and growth in the academic sector. As of 2006, there is still strong interest
in the potential of HCA applications; however, the systems have not yet fully
closed the gap from attracting early adopters and technology drivers to
emerging as a mainstream market. Interesting dynamics at work in the market
include the emergence of a market for kits and assays, and the rise of the
academic sector as a significant percentage of the application base for HCA.
HCA end users were polled for technical features they would like to see in HCA
instruments. Desired technical advances were split pretty evenly across a
variety of features, with automated data collection and analysis (55% of
respondents) and increased speed (53%) leading the list.
Cost continues to be a key barrier to adoption of HCA, especially among
smaller companies and academic institutions. Prices have decreased somewhat
over the past 2 years, but cost was nevertheless the main reason cited by
survey respondents (59%). Difficulty of use of the image analysis software
came in a close second at 49.2%. Users report that software systems are rarely
intuitive and can require extensive training to accomplish even simple
procedures. It is expected that third-party software developers will play a
role in improving HCA software usability, but they have only penetrated a
small (approximately 10%) fraction of the market, with most researchers using
the software that was shipped with the instrument. Also in the survey, 41% of
respondents cited lack of flexibility of image analysis software.
High Content Analysis: Technologies, Applications, Market Analysis is a
must-read for both vendors and users of HCA systems who need to understand the
dynamics and the direction of this important market.
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