Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market Size & Forecast

The Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market is expected to reach $7.21 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2024 to 2031. The growth of this market is attributed to the high prevalence of infectious diseases, government initiatives and funding toward antimicrobial susceptibility testing programs, technological advancements in the development of new AST methods, and the emergence of multidrug resistance in microorganisms. Moreover, emerging markets and active R&D to develop rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing are expected to offer growth opportunities for the players operating in this market.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market Growth Drivers

Government Initiatives to Tackle Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing

Governments worldwide are focused on developing policies and strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance and drive research for the development of new antimicrobials. Various initiatives are being undertaken to create awareness regarding antimicrobial resistance testing and curb antimicrobial abuse, aiding in educating decision-makers, regulatory agencies, and other end users regarding the prevention of antimicrobial resistance.

For instance, in October 2020, the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (CARB), 2020–2025, was introduced to improve the health and well-being of all Americans by changing the course of antibiotic resistance. This plan prioritizes infection prevention and control to slow the spread of resistant infections and optimize antibiotic use.

Government initiatives for combating multidrug resistance are expected to boost the need for antimicrobial susceptibility testing products, thereby driving the growth of the global antimicrobial susceptibility testing market.

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High Risk of Bloodstream Infections Globally

Invasion of the bloodstream by microorganisms poses severe health challenges. Bloodstream infections can result in serious consequences like disseminated intravascular coagulation, shock, multiple organ failure, or even death. Common bloodstream infections include sepsis, dengue fever, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. Common pathogens include Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, E. coli, Klebsiella spp, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). According to an article published by Vanderbilt University Medical Center in March 2021, mortality rates due to bloodstream infections range between 12% and 32% in North American and European countries.

Sepsis is among the most common types of bloodstream infections and may lead to organ dysfunction. According to WHO statistics updated in August 2020, there were 48.9 million cases of sepsis, with around 11 million sepsis-related deaths globally. Blood culture is the gold standard for diagnosing septicemia. Antibiotics are critical tools for treating life-threatening infections such as sepsis, so the demand for antibiotic sensitivity testing is high in determining the use of the right antimicrobials.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market Trends

The Emergence of Multi-drug Resistance

According to the WHO, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top 10 global public health threats. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics are major causes of AMR. According to WHO statistics, nearly 700,000 people die each year due to drug-resistant diseases. Drug-resistant diseases are projected to cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050. By 2030, antimicrobial resistance could force up to 24 million people into extreme poverty.

R&D for new antimicrobial development has been significantly reduced due to the growing risk of antimicrobial resistance. As of 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified approximately 80 products in the clinical development phase, out of which three are in the pre-registration phase. Furthermore, a lack of access to quality antimicrobials remains a major issue. Antibiotic shortages are affecting healthcare systems in both developed and developing countries, further augmenting the demand for antimicrobial susceptibility testing for antimicrobials and clinical pipeline candidates.

Technological Advancements and New Product Development

The current technologies used for identifying bacterial agents and determining antimicrobial susceptibility are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, physicians prescribe empirical antimicrobial therapies. This scenario often leads to therapeutic failures, causing higher mortality rates and healthcare costs, as well as the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Therefore, new technologies are being developed for the rapid identification of pathogens and antimicrobial susceptibility testing to tackle such scenarios. For instance, in June 2023, Sysmex Corporation (Japan) launched a testing system in Europe for the antimicrobial susceptibility testing of urine samples of patients suspected of suffering from urinary tract infections.

Techniques based on optical imaging, micro-channel resonators, and other biosensors are also emerging due to the increasing clinical demand for various new antimicrobial susceptibility tests. These technological advancements and new product development are driving the adoption of antimicrobial susceptibility testing for bacterial identification and the determination of susceptibility against antimicrobials.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market Opportunity

Active Research to Develop Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing

The fast emergence of multidrug-resistant microbial pathogens has necessitated a profound understanding of the mechanisms of microbial infections, the development of new diagnostic tools and new antimicrobials. The rationalized use of large-spectrum antimicrobial drugs requires a rapid and sensitive detection system to identify the most appropriate drug against a microorganism.

Current antimicrobial resistance testing (ART) technologies mostly rely on microbial culturing and replication, which can, therefore, take up to 1 to 3 days. Owing to limitations of diagnostic speed, the use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials is preferred over accurate treatment with effective narrow-range antimicrobial agents. Thus, the overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics accelerates the further rise of AMR worldwide, resulting in active R&D for innovative approaches in development for rapid AST, which aim at faster detection times and reduced sample processing for effortless integration into a clinical lab setting. These include the atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilever, MALDI-TOF MS and broth dilution, and nano motion detection.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market Analysis: Key Findings

By Product: In 2024, the Manual Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Products Segment to Dominate the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market

Based on product, the market is segmented into manual antimicrobial susceptibility testing products, automated antimicrobial susceptibility products, and consumables. In 2024, the manual antimicrobial susceptibility testing segment is expected to account for the largest share of above 52.8% of the antimicrobial susceptibility testing market. Manual antimicrobial susceptibility testing includes susceptibility disks, susceptibility plates, and minimum inhibitory concentration strips. The growing use of antimicrobial susceptibility testing to devise targeted antimicrobial therapy for people and the growing emergence of antibiotic resistance cases are driving the demand for conventional antimicrobial susceptibility testing techniques. High penetration of disk diffusion technique and developments in susceptibility plates are the factors driving manual antimicrobial susceptibility testing and related products market. Furthermore, manual products provide flexibility and allow possible cost savings by using methods like disk diffusion and gradient diffusion methods.

By Method: In 2024, the Disk Diffusion Segment to Dominate the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market

Based on method, the market is segmented into disk diffusion, automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing, dilution, and other methods. In 2024, the disk diffusion segment is expected to account for the largest share of above 37.6% of the antimicrobial susceptibility testing market. The large share of the segment is attributed to factors such as the test simplicity that does not require any special equipment, the provision of categorical results easily interpreted by all clinicians, and flexibility in the selection of disks for testing. The low cost of performing AST testing with the disk diffusion methods and developments in the method with automated technology are primarily boosting the segment market growth.

However, the automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of above 8.1% during the forecast period of 2024–2031. The use of instrumentation can standardize the reading of endpoints and often produce susceptibility test results in a shorter period than manual readings because sensitive optical detection systems detect subtle changes in bacterial growth. The key factors driving the adoption of automated AST are growing acceptance for automated systems due to relatively accurate and conservative assessment of MICs for most antimicrobials and faster turnaround time of automated AST compared to manual methods.

By Test Type: In 2024, the Antibacterial Tests Segment to Dominate the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market

Based on test type, the market is segmented into antibacterial tests, anti-parasitic tests, antifungal tests, and other test types. In 2024, the antibacterial tests segment is expected to account for the largest share of the antimicrobial susceptibility testing market. Antibacterial susceptibility tests are procedures that are performed by laboratory professionals to identify an antimicrobial regimen for patients as per their infection type. The large share of the segment is attributed to factors such as higher use of antibacterial tests in clinical diagnosis, growing incidence of bacterial infections, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, cost-effectiveness, simplicity, and fast interpretation, ease of use, and availability.

By Application: In 2024, the Clinical Diagnostics Segment to Dominate the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market

Based on application, the market is segmented into clinical diagnostics, drug discovery and development, and other applications. In 2024, the clinical diagnostics segment is expected to account for the largest share of the antimicrobial susceptibility testing market. Clinical microbiology detection plays a significant role in the diagnosis of infectious diseases, medication guidance, nosocomial infection control, and antimicrobial management. It helps in the evaluation of treatment services provided by healthcare centers. The large share of the segment is attributed to factors such as the rising burden of antibiotic resistance, increasing incidence of HAIs, the growing procedural volume of clinical diagnostic tests, rising emphasis on effective and early disease diagnosis across major markets, and growing awareness among physicians about antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods.

By End User: The Diagnostic Laboratories and Hospitals Segment to Dominate the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market

Based on end user, the market is segmented into diagnostic laboratories and hospitals, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and research and academic institutes. In 2024, the diagnostic laboratories and hospitals segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market. The increasing prevalence of infectious diseases and the emergence of microbial resistance against existing antimicrobial treatment options are compelling clinicians to perform AST at hospitals and diagnostic labs. The large share of the segment is attributed to the availability of well-equipped facilities and trained/skilled technicians, the rise in hospital-acquired infections, and initiatives taken by key players to offer AST products through diagnostic laboratories & hospitals.

Geographical Analysis

By Geography: North America Region to Dominate the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market

In 2024, North America is expected to account for the largest share of above 43.9% of the antimicrobial susceptibility testing market, followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. The largest share of the segment is primarily due to the presence of leading manufacturers, large R&D investments, support from government and regulatory authorities, rising antibiotic resistance, and increasing government initiatives to fight antibiotic resistance. According to the CDC, antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest public health challenges in the U.S. The annual incidence of antibiotic resistance in the U.S. was 2.8 million, with over 35,000 associated deaths. Drug-resistant Candida species are commonly detected among in-patients. As per the same report, nearly 7% of bloodstream infections due to Candida species are resistant to antifungals. Common yeast infections caused by Candida species result in over 3.6 million U.S. healthcare visits annually, with a direct medical cost of USD 3 billion.

However, Asia-Pacific is slated to register the fastest CAGR of above 8.8% during the forecast period. The growing consumption of antibiotics, high prevalence of bloodstream infections, rising incidence of HIV/AIDS, and growing antimicrobial resistance drive the demand for antimicrobial susceptibility testing in the region. Further, the growing focus of government policies on combating antimicrobial resistance also supports the growth of this market.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market: Key Companies

The report offers a competitive analysis based on an extensive assessment of the leading players’ product portfolios, geographic presence, and key growth strategies adopted in the last three to four years. Some of the key players operating in the antimicrobial susceptibility testing market are Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (U.S.), Merck KGaA (Germany), Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (U.S.), bioMérieux S.A. (France), Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), HiMedia Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. (India), MERLIN Diagnostika GmbH (Germany), Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc. (U.S.), Alifax S.r.l. (Italy), Creative Diagnostics (U.S.), Synbiosis (U.K.), and Zhuhai DL Biotech Co., Ltd (China).

As of 2023, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (U.S.), bioMérieux S.A (France), and Danaher Corporation (U.S.) collectively hold a share of 60%-65% in the global antimicrobial susceptibility testing market.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Industry Overview: Latest Developments from Key Industry Players

• In February 2023, bioMérieux S.A. (France) launched MAESTRIA, which is microbiology middleware that manages specimens from the moment they are logged into the laboratory workflow.
• In July 2021, Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc. (U.S.) announced the launch of its new IVD configuration of its Accelerate PhenoTest BC Kit in the U.S., which provides fast antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) results in approximately 7 hours.
• In April 2021, Becton, Dickinson, and Company (U.S.) launched the BD MAX Molecular Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) Assay that is used for the high diagnostic accuracy testing for tuberculosis and is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market Research Summary

Key questions answered in the antimicrobial susceptibility testing market report: