Molecular Imaging: A Market Coming of Age

Published:August 2011
No. of Pages: 290

Price: $1749

 

 

Report Summary

• Critical review of the market conditions, trends and challenges
• Unique market forecasts to 2015 by major sector
• Comprehensive and detailed competitive analysis of 75 leading players

The early vision for molecular imaging (MI) was that it would revolutionise clinical diagnostics and pharmaceutical research, allowing disease to be explored and identified with greater accuracy and long before physical symptoms were experienced. But economic recession and technical challenges have taken their toll on the speed at which that vision has become reality - until now. While for many years MI delivered more promise than profits, the signs are that new products, applications and increasing clinical/health payer acceptance will see the market accelerate in the medium term to achieve global sales of US$6 billion by 2015.

Strong fundamentals are driving growth

Despite cost pressures from reduced capital spending and lower reimbursement for some procedures, the molecular imaging market fundamentals remain solid and there are strong opportunities for growth within the MI industry. The increasing incidence of cancer, cardiovascular and neurological diseases means that demand for faster and more accurate diagnosis, as well as drug development and pre-clinical study efforts, will continue to accelerate in the coming years. In addition, imaging technologies will become more widely adopted as clinical evidence is established as to their benefits, and new technological innovations continue to be brought to market, particularly related to the MI of cancer and neurological diseases. In addition, the current lack of penetration for nuclear and molecular imaging in emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil is driving demand in these regions, where new nuclear imaging facilities are being set up and lower-cost systems are in demand.

Corporate manoeuvres

The industry is still developing but already companies in the medical diagnostic imaging equipment business such as Philips, Siemens and GE, and in the radiopharmaceutical and contrast agent market such as GE, Bracco, Covidien, Bayer and Lantheus Medical Imaging are taking leading positions. And opportunities for big Pharma are not being missed, with both Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca actively involved. As the market develops, expect more consolidation in the tussle for dominance.

This new report provides unique 5-year market forecasts

Molecular imaging is still a developing sector and the question is often asked what it will be worth commercially. For the first time, this report provides a 5-year evaluation of the market’s prospects and provides year-by year growth for key sectors:

Nuclear Imaging
Pre-Clinical Imaging Systems
Molecular Imaging End-Use Products Market
Radiopharmaceuticals

This report easily answers key business questions such as:

• Which sector of the molecular imaging market is expected to achieve global sales of US$3.5 billion in 2015?
• What steps are being taken to ensure availability of the key istope Mo-99?
• How is Gallium-68 being used to better understand cancer cell migration?
• What advantages does PET have over other imaging technologies?
• What challenges must be overcome to meet growing demand in emerging markets and how is this influencing developers?
• Which European company is developing nanoprobes which identify the expression of the HER2 protein and with whom is it collaborating?
• Which US company was granted a European patent in March 2011 for its contrast agent used in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis?
• Now approved in the US and EU, does Digirad’s portable nuclear system mark a move to distributed MI technologies?

Only one company offers a full suite of MI products - is this a competitive advantage and does it represent an opportunity for further entrants to provide whole-market service?
A complete analysis packed with market analysis, sector forecasts to 2015 and detailed company evaluations

This report delivers the most complete and critical appraisal of the market, products and companies operating in this fast-growing health sector

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY MOLECULAR IMAGING COMPANIES
For each company an evaluation is made of their financial performance/status, products, research areas and significant deals or strategic partnerships

BACKGROUND
Applications of MI
Neurological Disease
Oncology
Cardiovascular Disease
MI for Drug Development

MI Modalities
Hybrid MRI/PET Imaging
Tracers and Radiopharmaceuticals

CURRENT MARKET DYNAMICS
Major Market Players
Recent Developments in the SPECT Market
Recent Developments in the PET Market
Reimbursement and Regulatory Approval Issues

MARKET OUTLOOK
Molecular Imaging: Market Drivers, Restraints & Future Opportunities
Market Forecasts 2010 -2015
Nuclear Imaging
Pre-Clinical Imaging Systems
Molecular Imaging End-Use Products Market
Radiopharmaceuticals
Emerging Technologies
The Role of Academic Institutions
Collaborative Development Efforts
New Imaging Modalities
ABT Molecular Imaging
ABX
Advanced Accelerator Applications
Advanced Cyclotron Systems
Advanced Medical Isotope
Affibody
Agenix
AntiCancer
Aleres Pharmaceuticals
Aposense
ART Advanced Research Technologies
Astellas Pharma
AstraZeneca
Atreus Pharmaceuticals
Avid Radiopharmaceuticals (Eli Lilly)
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals
Bioscan
Biospace Lab
Bracco
Bruker Biospin
BV Cyclotron Vu
Caliper Life Sciences
Cardinal Health
Carestream Health
CellPoint
Covidien
Cyclopharma
Digirad
Dilon Diagnostics
DRAXIMAGE
Eckert & Ziegler
Eczacibaşi-Monrol Nuclear Products
Erigal
GE Healthcare
Guerbet
Hamamatsu Photonics
IBA (Ion Beam Applications)
Imaging Diagnostic Systems
ImaginAB
Immunomedics
INDEC Systems
IntraMedical Imaging
Kereos
Lantheus Medical Imaging
Lightools Research
Mediso Medical Imaging Systems
MiLabs
Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals
Naviscan
Neoprobe
Neurologica
Nordion
Novelos Therapeutics (Cellectar)
NuView Life Sciences
OncoVision
PerkinElmer
Pharmalucence
Philips Healthcare
Positron
Proportional Technologies
Scintomics
Seno Medical Instruments
Shimadzu
Siemens Healthcare
Sofie Biosciences
Spectrum Dynamics
Triad Isotopes
UltraSPECT
United Pharmacy Partners
Visualsonics (Sonosite)
Wilex
Diagnostic Imaging Systems Market by Modality, 2010
Medical Imaging Market, 2005-10 (US$b)
Nuclear Imaging Equipment Market, 2007-10 (US$b)
Molecular Imaging Market by End-Use Product Type, 2010
Nuclear Imaging Equipment Market, 2010-15E (US$m)
Pre-Clinical Imaging Systems Market, 2010-15E (US$m)
Radiopharmaceuticals Market, 2010-15E (US$m)
Molecular Imaging End-Use Products Market, 2010-15E (US$m)
Astellas Pharma Cardiac Imaging Sales, 2008-10 (US$m)
Caliper Life Sciences - Revenue by Division, 2010
Covidien’s Imaging Sales, 2006-10 (US$m)
Digirad - Revenue by Division, 2010
Eckert & Ziegler - Revenue by Product Segment, 2010
GE Healthcare - Revenue by Product, 2010
IBA - Revenue by Business Unit, 2010
Lantheus Medical Imaging: Cardiolite Sales, 2008-10 (US$m)
Nordion - Revenue by Segment, 2010
Nordion: Medical Isotope Sales and Earnings, 2008-10 (US$m)
Philips Healthcare - Revenue by Segment, 2010
Philips Healthcare - Revenue by Region, 2010
Siemens Healthcare: Sales by Division, 2010

Trends and challenges - make sure you are fully briefed on the issues which are shaping the market...

Are the cost benefits of molecular imaging being recognised? Health payers, in the midst of an economic downturn, are focused on limiting immediate costs and this has impacted expansion and reimbursement of several imaging procedures. But advanced imaging enables detection and diagnosis at earlier stages of disease development, enabling treatment to begin before disease becomes systemic or established and reducing costs for invasive surgery or later-stage drug treatments. Similarly, there is much concern over the cost of new drugs, many of which may be used without the most accurate diagnostic insight into the underlying pathology of the disease. Molecular imaging’s advanced ability to evaluate disease at the molecular level has a critical role to ensure that only appropriate medicines are administered. Evidence is still building, but health payers would be wise to consider future molecular imaging technology as a benefit and not a cost in their financial plans.

Molecular Imaging - only for the big boys?

Although MI technologies hold great promise and market potential, there are significant barriers to market entry for companies, including the significant capital investments required to develop such products and get them through the lengthy and costly regulatory approval process. Adding to the challenge has been the difficult economic environment in recent years, which has limited the ability of start-up companies to raise capital from financial institutions or attract investment. Despite a difficult market for start-ups, the strong growth potential of MI technologies is providing good opportunities for companies with cash or financing available to them to add to their MI operations or enter this market, both through acquisitions or by licensing technologies from companies that cannot afford to commercialise them themselves.

A case in point...

Alzheimer’s disease imaging is currently a major area of opportunity, both in terms of helping to achieve a clinical diagnosis for a condition that can currently only be diagnosed at autopsy and also for pharmaceutical companies developing drugs to treat the condition. Previously privately-held, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals was acquired by the multi-national pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly and Company, in December 2010. Avid’s lead MI agent, Amyvid, is being developed to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and is expected to become the first MI agent for Alzheimer’s disease to be FDA-approved later in 2011. There are plenty of examples where smaller companies have ceased trading or changed status - investment capital is crucial to innovation, and how much of that comes from big Pharma will be closely watched.

In research...new imaging modalities

MI is driven by technical innovation. New modalities in research include GMI’s dual modality MRI/SPECT system, Philip’s Magnetic Particle Imaging platform for imaging nanoparticle concentrations in blood and GE’s 13C Hyperpolarised metabolic MR, which produces real-time, quantitative data regarding the presence and aggressiveness of tumours.