Microcarrier Market Size, Share, Industry, Forecast and outlook (2024-2031)

Microcarrier Market is segmented By Material Type (Alginate-Based, Collagen-Based, Dextran-Based, Polystyrene-Based, Others), By Application (Cell Therapy, Vaccine Manufacturing, Other Applications), and By Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) – Share, Size, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2024-2031.

Microcarrier Market Overview

Microcarrier Market is estimated to reach at a CAGR of 5.79% during the forecast period (2024-2031).

A microcarrier is a support matrix that allows adherent cells to grow in bioreactors. In the large-scale commercial production of biologics and vaccines, microcarriers are employed to grow virus-generating or protein-producing adherent cell populations.

Microcarrier Market Scope

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Microcarrier Market Dynamics

The global microcarrier market growth is driven by the increasing R&D funding by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and shift from use of stainless-steel bioreactors to single-use bioreactors are the key factors supporting the growth of the market.

Rising demand for cell-based vaccines is expected to drive the growth in the forecast period

The growth in population, climate change, and contact between humans and animals has increased the threat of new virus outbreaks. Influenza and COVID-19, for example, have proven unpredictable and recurring events that pose a significant economic and social burden. As of March 10, 2021, 117.33 million cases of COVID-19 were confirmed globally, including 2.61 million deaths, by the WHO. The rising incidence of infectious diseases and the growing risk of pandemics are expected to drive vaccine demand worldwide.

Cell culture is increasingly becoming a prominent part of vaccine production in the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, vaccines were manufactured by growing and harvesting viruses in chicken eggs, which is a time-consuming process. In this regard, cell-based vaccine production has emerged as a far more efficient method due to its shortened lead-time and the capability to produce vaccines in larger quantities as per demand. In addition to these benefits, clinical trials have proved that cell-based vaccines are as effective, safe, and efficacious as egg-based vaccines.

High cost of cell biology research is likely to hinder the market growth

Cell biology involves extensive R&D on new therapies such as stem cell and gene therapies. The equipment, media, reagents, and other products associated with research must be of the highest quality to provide accurate results. Owing to the growing need to maintain high-quality standards (through the use of high-grade products) and comply with guidelines set up by regulatory bodies, the cost of cell biology research has risen considerably.

As a result, various academic institutes and small-scale companies with limited budgets cannot afford to conduct cell biology research. Since microcarriers find applications in stem cell biology, this factor will likely hinder the market growth. Additionally, since microcarriers adhere to cells, the cells need to be harvested, further increasing downstream processing costs. This, in turn, is likely to restrain the growth of the microcarriers market.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered novel coronavirus. Largely unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan (China). In December 2019, COVID-19 moved from a regional crisis to a global pandemic. The highest number of deaths was in the Americas, followed by Europe and Southeast Asia. Governments across the globe announced country-wide lockdowns and social distancing measures to prevent the collapse of their health systems.

After the WHO officially declared the outbreak a pandemic, a mix of established pharmaceutical companies and small start-ups stepped forward to develop treatments and vaccines. Companies have scaled up R&D efforts to develop vaccines and drugs against the virus. Vaccine-related research activities in pharmaceutical & biotechnological companies, research centers, and academic and research institutes are considered essential and have been largely unaffected in operations and output. Due to the increase in research scale, both the availability of funding and the demand for cell culture products, including microcarrier products, is expected to grow.

Presently, few vaccines or antiviral drugs for COVID-19 have been approved or are under development, and patients are currently treated symptomatically. According to the WHO, there are 65 vaccine candidates; nine are approved, and 56 are under development. The antibodies produced for both vaccines and therapeutics are tested for their functional efficacy to neutralize the target virus. As cell culture is an integral part of drug development and manufacturing, this has increased the demand for products in the microcarriers market.

Microcarrier Market Segment Analysis

The cell therapy segment is expected to hold the largest share in this market segment

Microcarriers help in cost-effective cell production, i.e., they reduce fixed and variable costs during large-scale manufacturing. The current scenario has changed with technological advancements, and the significance of microcarriers in cell therapy has increased. For instance, dissolvable microcarriers are currently there in the market composed of cross-linked polysaccharide polymers that can be efficiently dissolved during the cell harvest step. As the microcarriers get completely dissolved, there is no need for the separation, and the downstream process goes well. Therefore, these microcarriers are considered beneficial for large-scale cell production or cell therapy application.

Along with the above-mentioned statements, another factor responsible for the growth of cell therapy applications of microcarriers is that companies are currently focusing on the provision of microcarriers that contribute to large-scale and cost-effective production. For example, Corning Incorporated provides dissolvable microcarriers. These factors boost the growth in cell therapy applications.

Microcarrier Market Geographical Share

North America region holds the largest market share of global microcarrier market

The North American region is believed to have the largest share in the microcarrier market. This is mainly due to the rising gene and cell therapy research in the region, along with the associations supporting this research. For instance, the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy is responsible for the funding of the research and also, this society is forcing the biopharmaceutical and biotech companies to improve their R&D.

The United States is witnessing high and rapid growth in the biologics and biosimilar Industry, which is one of the major factors driving the microcarrier market in this region.

Microcarrier Market Companies and Competitive Landscape

The global microcarrier market is moderately competitive with presence of local as well as global companies. Some of the key players which are contributing to the growth of the market include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Eppendorf AG, Merck KGaA, Sartorius AG, Lonza Group Ltd and VWR International LLC. The major players are adopting several growth strategies such as product launches, acquisitions, and collaborations, which are contributing to the growth of the Microcarrier globally.  For instance, In April 2020, Sartorius (Germany) acquired the SoloHill portfolio of Danaher Corporation, a part of the Danaher life science business covering microcarrier technology, and expanded its microcarrier product portfolio.

Global Microcarrier Market – Key Companies to Watch

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Company Overview: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science. Their mission is to enable customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. They help customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity. The company’s four premier brands Thermo Scientific, Life Technologies, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive support. The Company operates through four segments: Life Sciences Solutions, Analytical Instruments, Specialty Diagnostics, and Laboratory Products and Services.

Product Portfolio: It includes product like Harvestainer Microcarrier Separation System- is the ideal solution for the separation of microcarrier beads during adherent cell culture production.

Key Developments: In September 2020, Thermo Fisher Scientific opened a new Bioprocessing Collaboration Center (BCC) in St. Louis, Missouri (US) to provide single-use bioprocess technology and pharma services to biopharmaceutical companies in the US.