LONDON, March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The advent of new-generation molecular diagnostic tests that can detect cancer in its earliest stages or even gauge one's predisposition to the disease has propelled immunohistochemistry (IHC) to the forefront of cancer diagnostics. With the success of recent campaigns in Europe in improving patient management by encouraging people to test themselves for certain subtypes of cancer, the focus of IHC diagnostics clearly needs to be on early disease detection and treatment. Market revenues for IHC diagnostics are set to increase from $34.8 million in 2004 to $48.1 million by 2011 at an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.7 per cent.
"Timely disease detection offers compelling advantages such as reduced need for expensive therapies, invasive procedures and potentially harmful imaging techniques," says Frost & Sullivan ( http://healthcare.frost.com) Research Analyst Dr. Fiona Rahman. "This in turn brings down bed occupancy rates and reduces the burden on the healthcare system, driving governments to implement national cancer screening programmes across Europe."
The IHC diagnostics market in Europe is highly competitive and dominated by a few major manufacturers. While intense competition has resulted in better customer service standards, manufacturers need to focus more attention on comprehensively educating end users of their products. This calls for increased investment in training company sales representatives and field specialists within the clinical setting.
Simultaneously, there is a growing acceptance of IHC manufacturers investing in public relations. This has led companies to venture into new areas such as conducting conferences or focus groups, which provide a platform for clinicians, laboratory technicians, administrators and product specialists to interact with each other. These programmes also ensure that lab technicians stay up to date with the latest practices and techniques in IHC tests.
With an increasing number of companies integrating education and training programs with their products, companies that do not provide proper training are at risk of losing both customer loyalty and competitive edge.
Budgetary constraints of laboratories could also pose a strong challenge to IHC test manufacturers. Laboratories typically prefer low-priced concentrations rather than expensive, standardised, per-diluted reagents and are inclined to use traditional methods of H+E staining because of the comfort factor. This trend is particularly prevalent in countries such as Germany where the market is largely price driven.
IHC tests are more expensive than traditional testing methods due to their higher technological content as well as improved specificity and sensitivity. Performing a nucleic acid test not only entails a superior technical preparation, but also requires more time from the technician, thus adding to the cost of the process.
"As a result, companies need to improve the automation of these tests radically to be competitive with more conventional and cost-effective technologies," observes Dr. Rahman. "The automation and integration of IHC technologies in larger analysers already offering other technologies is likely to be realised towards the end of the forecast period."
However, resistance from the medical community is likely to continue despite the many advantages of IHC products and ongoing technological innovations. In the United Kingdom and France, for instance, there is considerable reluctance in the medical community to adopt new methods of diagnosing, treating and managing patients without any verification of their value addition in terms of patients' well being and cost considerations. This has led to physicians relying on tried and tested methods of diagnosis that are less expensive.
"While physicians are reluctant to experiment with expensive IHC products, they are nevertheless essential to complement more traditional diagnostic methods as there is a technology gap and a lack of commercially available ultra-high volume and staining instrumentation," says Dr. Rahman. "The challenge for manufacturers, therefore, is to offer IHC products at cost-effective prices to encourage end users to experiment and successfully adopt these tests as routine diagnosis."
European Immunohistochemistry (IHC) Diagnostics Market, a part of the Clinical Diagnostics Subscription, provides an overview and outlook for the markets. This study has been segmented into Instrumentation (Staining devices (semi-automatic and automatic), (Auto-) Stainers and Tissue processors) and Consumables (Antibody reagents and Slides/tests/kits).This research includes detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews are available to the press.
If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users and other industry participants with an overview of the latest analysis of the European Immunohistochemistry (IHC) Diagnostics Market
(B727- 55), then send an e-mail to Radhika Menon Theodore, Corporate Communications, at rmtheodore@frost.com with the following information: your full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail address, city, state, and country. We will send you the information via email upon receipt of the above information.
Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit www.frost.com.
Contact: Radhika Theodore Corporate Communications - Europe T: +91-44-42044541 F: +91-44-24314264 E: rmtheodore@frost.com Melina Trevino Corporate Communications - North America P: +1-210-247-2440 F: +1-210-348-1003 E: melina.trevino@frost.com Donna Jeremiah Corporate Communications - Asia Pacific P: +603-6304-5832 F: +603-6201-7402 E: djeremiah@frost.comwww.frost.com
Keywords in this release: European, immunohistochemistry diagnostics, IHC, cancer, molecular diagnostic tests, patient management, manufacturers, automation, analysers, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, nucleic acid test
Frost & SullivanCONTACT: Contact: Radhika Theodore, Corporate Communications - Europe, T:+91-44-42044541, F: +91-44-24314264, E: rmtheodore@frost.com. MelinaTrevino, Corporate Communications - North America, P: +1-210-247-2440, F:+1-210-348-1003, E: melina.trevino@frost.com. Donna Jeremiah, CorporateCommunications - Asia Pacific, P: +603-6304-5832, F: +603-6201-7402, E:djeremiah@frost.com
