Market for POC Molecular Tests Boosted by Discovery of New Disease Markers

Business Wire, April 14, 2008

LONDON -- As developers of point of care (POC) molecular tests enhance their application scope to detect new disease markers, the POC molecular diagnostics market will present attractive opportunities. Market participants can enhance the utilization of POC molecular tests by improvising the existing tests and simultaneously focusing on R&D to develop innovative ways of detecting new disease markers.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.drugdiscoverytechnologies.frost.com), finds that The Emerging European Molecular POC Testing Markets are dominated by tests for infectious agents detection, especially for sexually transmitted diseases.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users and other industry participants with an overview of the emerging European molecular POC testing markets, then send an e-mail to Patrick Cairns, Corporate Communications, at pcairns_pr@frost.com, your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail.

"The industry and academia should collaborate to research new disease markers and market them efficiently," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Gayathry Ramachandran. "Campaigns and awareness programs must be conducted to educate patients and healthcare professionals regarding the benefits of POC tests for infectious disease detection."

The outlook of infectious disease diagnostics will change drastically with the adoption of POC molecular techniques. Infectious disease POC testing is gradually picking up steam, especially as medical authorities are working towards reducing the occurrence and recurrence of these diseases.

Early diagnosis of infectious agents is crucial to reduce the spread and recurrence of infection. By enabling on-the-spot detection of the disease, POC diagnostics facilitates the design of an appropriate treatment at the earliest.

"After the success of HIV testing in POC format, the platform is being increasingly used to detect other sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhoeae," notes Ramachandran. "The adoption of these tests at screening centres, community clinics and other decentralised settings will accelerate the growth of POC infectious disease testing."

However, to gain widespread acceptance in the infectious disease segment, molecular POC test companies should enhance patients' awareness of the solution and wean them away from traditional nucleic acid testing in the laboratories. They should also gain healthcare professionals' confidence to widen the base of POC infectious disease testing.

While companies focus on marketing, researchers and universities have been concentrating on developing polymer disposable chips that can perform multiparametric tests at the POC level. This will be a cost-effective solution for the detection of infectious disease agents.

The introduction of additional POC tests for infectious disease detection will facilitate the screening of fatal diseases at public health centres. Market entrants will do well to be aware of this opportunity and introduce relevant technologies and skills into the market.

The Emerging European Molecular POC Testing Markets is part of the Drug Discovery Technologies Growth Partnership Service programme, which also includes research in the following markets: European Molecular Diagnostics Markets, European IVD Market, European Cancer Diagnostic Market and European Primary Care Diagnostics. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

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The Emerging European Molecular POC Testing Markets

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