Frost & Sullivan: Label-Free Technology is a High Potential Market with Myriad Unexplored Applications

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• Publié par: frost-sullivan
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• Langue: English

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Frost & Sullivan: Label-Free Technology is a

High Potential Market with Myriad Unexplored

Applications

PR Newswire

LONDON, July 3, 2012

- Label-free Technology is Still Poorly Understood, but has Proven to

have Great Potential for its Small but Expanding End-user Base

LONDON

, July 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The inherent advantages of label-free

technology is a significant factor in driving its adoption. The promise of

reducing drug failure caused by toxicity is another key factor likely to boost the

uptake of label-free technology.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.drugdiscovery.frost.com),

Western European Market for Label Free Detection (LFD) Systems

,

finds that the market earned revenues of

$60.9 million

in 2010 and estimates

this to reach

$160.9 million

in 2017 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR)

of 14.9 per cent from 2010-2017. The research covers key segments including

biochemical assays and cell-based assays.

"The key advantage of label-free technologies is that it is true to its word: it is

"label-free" as it requires no labelling or reporter molecules," notes Frost &

Sullivan Programme Manager Ranjith Gopinathan. "Labels are known for their

altering effect on molecules under study which, in turn, alters its binding or

physicochemical properties."

The absence of labels also means lesser interference from compound

autofluorescence and colour quenching, therefore leading to fewer false

positives and negatives. It is also devoid of problems arising from secondary

detection of auxiliary reagents.

"By virtue of its direct detection capabilities, label-free technologies could

enable the use of natural ligands and substrates that is currently not possible

with label-based detection assays," adds Gopinathan. "Avoidance of radioactive

labels is an attractive factor for label-free technologies as this means better lab

safety and cost savings from evasion of radioactive waste disposable

procedures."

Of the many reasons for escalating clinical development costs, drug failure

caused by toxicity is a chronic and growing problem in drug development. The

problem of toxicity holds the promise of being successfully addressed with new,

discovery-stage tools of which label-free technology is a key part.

While these are promising trends, consolidations in the pharmaceutical industry

will negatively impact the growth of the life science research market and, by

extension, of label-free detection systems.

"The large number of consolidations in the pharmaceutical industry is a harsh

reality for all life science research tools providers," explains Gopinathan.

"Consolidation significantly shrinks the addressable end-user pool as research

facilities start to share instrumentation and resources. Sometimes after a

merger or acquisition, companies segregate certain specialised kinds of work to

certain research facilities, and so only those facilities will be equipped with the

required equipment."