Manufacturing market for viral vectors and plasmids set to boom
The report by Acumen Research and Consulting predicts that between 2019 and 2026, the viral vector and plasmid DNA manufacturing market will develop at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.4%.
By 2026, this would see the overall market be worth $1.8bn (€1.63bn), up considerably from its estimated value of $270m (€244m) in 2017.
Viral vectors and plasmid DNA are widely used by companies developing gene therapies, which is a rapidly growing area within the advanced therapy sector. The pace of growth in the area is only set to increase further, after Novartis received approval for Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec) and equally substantial companies have begun to invest further in the area.
The report points to the level of R&D taking place as one of the major areas driving the manufacturing market, with gene therapy accounting for 54.5% of the market in 2017 and the oncology sector is expected to be the focus of much of this.
Geography
The region expected to drive this high rate of growth forward is North America, this is not surprising given the high concentration of biotech in the US, such as in the Massachusetts area and California.
The report notes the high level of business expansion within the region as another reason why it will continue to contribute strongly to the sector.
Just this year, Catalent bought out California-based Paragon Bioservices and Thermo Fisher Scientific acquired Brammer Bio, located in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Growth and limiting factors
The report also highlights that some of the growth within the sector could be driven by non-industry factors. In particular, it mentions the increasing government expenditure on the development of R&D and manufacturing infrastructure, such as that seen in the UK, and the advances in manufacturing technology to be applied in the healthcare industry, such as those adopted in Industry 4.0.
Limits on the potential growth were suggested to be the high cost of manufacture of viral vectors and plasmids, as well as the strict regulation of receiving approval for products in the area – particularly within gene therapy.
