Global Point-of-Care Molecular Diagnostics Market Size

Point of Care Molecular Diagnostics Market Analysis

The Global Point-of-Care Molecular Diagnostics Market size is estimated at USD 3.67 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 5.57 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 8.77% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

Molecular diagnostics has been the front runner in the world's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, in May 2021, a research paper published in the US National Library of Medicine titled 'Point-of-Care PCR Assays for COVID-19 Detection' stated that reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the quantitative variant (qRT-PCR) have been the gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis. However, molecular diagnostic technologies have some limitations. For instance, in November 2020, a research paper published in the US National Library of Medicine titled 'Molecular diagnostic technologies for COVID-19: Limitations and challenges' stated that modern molecular diagnostics are not intended for point-of-care diagnosis of COVID-19 but provide a core diagnostic solution to conduct large numbers of tests in a reasonable timeframe. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis of the disease is crucial to curb its spread. Such research studies provide better insight into the applications and limitations of molecular diagnostic technologies. Product launches are another factor in the growth of the market. For instance, in November 2021, Sense Biodetection received USD 65 million in funding to support the anticipated US and European commercial launch of Sense's COVID-19 Test on the company's Veros instrument-free molecular platform.

Point-of-care (POC) molecular testing enables physicians to improve the standard of care by combining quick diagnosis with treatment decisions during the patient's first visit. In past decades, the prevalence of infectious diseases and chronic illnesses like cancer increased. The surging prevalence of chronic illnesses, such as cancer and infectious diseases, is expected to drive the market's growth. For instance, according to the Department of Health & Human Services 2020, about 38 million people were affected by HIV/AIDS in 2019. Therefore, people with HIV are creating a need for point-of-care molecular diagnostics devices for remote locations. As per the March 2020 report of the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 52,862 new tuberculosis cases were reported in 2018 in 30 EU and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries, with a notification rate of 10.2 per 100,000 people in the EU/EEA. Out of the total diagnosed cases in 2018, 36,047 cases of tuberculosis were confirmed by culture or smear and nucleic acid amplification test (polymerase chain reaction test). This prevalence has led to increased demand for novel diagnostic methods, further leading to progress in technological advancements and pharmacogenomics. This factor has also increased the demand for POC testing. Such factors are contributing to the market's growth.

However, uncertain reimbursement scenarios have dissuaded many manufacturers from entering the market. A lack of high-complexity test centers to use POC molecular testing is also hindering the market's growth.