Growth in diagnostic test volume conducted across hospitals worldwide is lending momentum to the global tissue diagnostics market. In addition, the shortage of pathologists to perform these tests favours the automation of anatomic pathology laboratories, further spurring market development.
Automated tissue diagnostics are gaining acceptance due to the improved technical performance of the assay, which reduces reagent costs and assay time. With anticipated technological improvements over the next three years in the advance staining and pre-analytical segments, faster turnaround times, throughput and ease will fuel adoption. Developments in staining technologies also highlight the ability to assess mutations cost-effectively, even multiple ones in a single test.
"The availability of tissue-based companion diagnostic tests is another important driver, especially for the US and European market," said Frost & Sullivan Life Sciences Industry Analyst Divyaa Ravishankar. "With companion diagnostic partnerships gathering pace, industry convergence has led to the addition of tissue diagnostics in the in-vitro diagnostic portfolio of most of the pharmaceutical companies."
While increasing consolidation among laboratories and hospitals will escalate workloads and make a case for tissue diagnostic protocols, it will reduce the number of tissue diagnostics customers, forcing vendors to compete aggressively for fewer accounts.
Reimbursement cuts also impede the sale of high-end automated equipment in anatomic pathology laboratories. Use of advanced technology applications such as automatic slide stainers, microtomes and tissue processors are especially limited, as they require huge capital.
"Providing attractive procurement strategies can boost the uptake of high-end tools in this constrained environment. For instance, offering competitive monthly payments, tax benefits or incentives, and deferring payments to help overcome budgetary constraints will widen the consumer base of vendors in the global tissue diagnostics market."
The report is part of the Life Sciences Growth Partnership Service program run by Frost & Sullivan's related research. For more information, go to www.lifesciences.frost.com.
