Biotech and pharma driving HPLC market to US$4.1bn

Rapid advances in biotechnology and pharmaceutical research and continued improvement in the system automation and robotics are the drivers behind the HPLC systems and accessories which is projected to reach US$4.1bn by the year 2017.

According to the ‘HPLC Systems and Accessories: A Global Strategic Business Report’ prepared by Global Industry Analysts, further introduction of cost-effective devices, integration with complementary techniques and the growing shift towards ‘hyphenated technologies’ along with increased capital investment by established and start-up companies is also expected to play an instrumental role in driving future growth.

HPLC is the largest product segment in the analytical instruments industry. A recognised industry standard, the popular technique helps identify and analyse constituent components of various chemicals and materials. Unique performance capabilities of HPLC enable separation and identification of 80% of all known chemicals and materials. As a result, the method is used to analyse substances in a wide variety of industries for R&D purposes, quality control and process engineering applications. Pharmaceutical and life science industries are the largest application areas that employ HPLC to identify new drugs and in pharmacokinetic studies.

The HPLC market is quite mature and growth is likely to arise from replacement sector, technology refinement and improvements. These include device automation, software improvement and high speed and accuracy in analysis with the advent of LC\MS systems. Present-day HPLC devices are capable of analysing almost all types of biological compounds including small molecules that can be isolated or synthesised. Other developments in the pipeline are the design of devices capable of analysing small sample volume with high accuracy and devices capable of pumping solvent mixture at a slower rate onto the HPLC columns. A major end-use market for HPLC devices is the pharmaceutical and biotech industry followed by food products industry and chemical industry. Of late, HPLC systems are also used in various other industries, including petrochemicals, pesticides, cosmetics, power generation and environmental testing.

Europe continues to be the largest regional HPLC market. High demand for scientific laboratory equipment, including medical analysis devices and equipment, on-line production and quality control equipment, and environmental safety equipment, are the key factors driving growth in the European analytical instruments industry. Further, stringent directives on environmental safety also boost growth. Increased emphasis on meeting hygiene standards is also a key factor fuelling growth in HPLC, which is used for identification and separation of food contaminants. The Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7% over the analysis period. Latin America is another potential market and offers good growth prospects as economic development and political stability improve. The HPLC market in these regions is mainly driven by rapid industrialisation and stepping up of drug discovery and production of generic pharmaceutical products by the pharmaceutical industry. In terms of segments analysed, HPLC columns represent the largest and the fastest-growing segment. Columns form a key element of the separation system and include the stationary phase. Growth in the segment is primarily driven by introduction of columns which are capable of providing high resolution and analysis speed.