North America accounted for the largest share of the global upstream bioprocessing market in 2022. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2022 to 2030. The US held the largest share of the upstream bioprocessing market in North America in 2022. The country is the largest market for bioreactors—several market players in the US manufacture bioreactors for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Launch of new bioreactors, geographic expansion strategies, and partnerships among market players bolster the upstream bioprocessing market growth in the US. In April 2023, BioMADE announced 5 new projects focused on addressing gaps in research and the adoption of bioreactors in bioindustrial manufacturing in the US. With a funding commitment of US$ 10.5 million, these projects would span engineering, hardware development, and scalability to address difficulties associated with the economies of scale. These projects would focus on innovation to introduce advanced bioreactor designs supported by Schmidt Futures. In April 2023, Cytiva launched X-platform bioreactors to simplify upstream bioprocessing operations with single-use products. Initially, bioreactors were available in 50 L and 200 L sizes. The X-Platform bioreactors are equipped with Figurate automation solution software, and they can increase process efficiency through ergonomic improvements, production capacity, and simplified supply chain operations.
The growth of the biopharmaceutical sector, mainly due to technological advancements, increasing flexibility, and low operational costs, also benefits the upstream bioprocessing market in the US. As per the International Trade Administration (ITA), the US is the largest market for biopharmaceuticals and the global leader in biopharmaceutical R&D. According to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA), companies in the US account for nearly 50% of the global pharmaceutical R&D work, and they have succeeded in developing many novel medicines for which they hold intellectual property rights. A continuous increase in the development of new biologics, resulting in the approval of more new molecular entities (NME) by regulatory authorities, creates opportunities for the growth of the upstream bioprocessing market in the US. According to the Chemical & Engineering News, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ~37, 50, and 53 new NMEs in 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. Furthermore, increasing R&D investments by US-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to improve outcomes of clinical trials and ensure patient safety contributes to the growth of the upstream bioprocessing market in the US. The subsequently growing traction toward precision medicine with rising investments by the US government is likely to contribute to market growth in the coming years.
Rapid Growth of Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries Drives Upstream Bioprocessing Market Growth
Big pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations (CROs) continuously focus on developing new medicines and therapies to treat various indications. The biopharmaceuticals market is growing with the strong demand for biologics and biosimilars. The biopharmaceutical industry is one of the most significant contributors to the global economy. The US is the largest market for biopharmaceuticals and a leader in biopharmaceutical R&D. As per the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA), firms in the US conduct over half the world’s R&D in pharmaceuticals (US$ 75 billion) and collectively hold the highest number of patents on new medicines. Moreover, flourishing economies such as Brazil, China, and India lead to rapid growth in the research environment in emerging economies. As a result, biopharmaceutical research activities are gaining pace in these emerging economies.
Factors such as increasing biologics approval, growing biosimilar pipeline, and rising investment in research activities are facilitating the growth of the biopharmaceutical industry. Additionally, the burgeoning number of approvals in gene and cell therapies favor the progress in this industry. For example, Glybera is a gene therapy for treating lipoprotein lipase deficiency. Further, Strimvelis is prescribed to treat ADA-severe combined immunodeficiency. Thus, the elevating demand for the large-scale production of various therapeutics with the rapidly flourishing pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries propels the growth of the upstream bioprocessing market.
Upstream Bioprocessing Market: Segmental Overview
The global upstream bioprocessing market is segmented on the basis of product type, workflow, usage type, and mode.
Based on product type, the upstream bioprocessing market is segmented into bioreactors and fermenters, cell culture media, filters, bags and containers, and others. The bioreactors/fermenters segment held the largest share of the market in 2022. Moreover, the cell culture segment is anticipated to register a significant CAGR in the upstream bioprocessing market during 2022–2030. Bioreactors and fermenters serve as core vessels in which cells and microorganisms are grown for various therapeutic and bioprocessing applications involving the expression and production of biologically derived compounds. These systems are engineered to provide an optimal environment for cell growth, incorporating precise control over parameters such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and agitation, which are critical for cultivating cells and microorganisms in large-scale bioprocessing operations.
Based on workflow, the upstream bioprocessing market is classified into media preparation, cell culture, and cell separation. The cell separation segment held the largest share of the market in 2022. It is further anticipated to record a significant CAGR in the upstream bioprocessing market from 2022 to 2030.
Based on usage type, the upstream bioprocessing market is classified into single use and multi-use. The single use segment held a larger share of the market in 2022. it is expected to record a significant CAGR in the upstream bioprocessing market during 2022–2030.
The upstream bioprocessing market, based on mode, is bifurcated into in-house and outsourced. In 2022, the in-house segment held a larger market share. The outsourced segment is expected to record a higher CAGR during 2022–2030.
Upstream Bioprocessing Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc; Esco Micro Pte Ltd; Cellexus International Ltd; Sartorius AG; Danaher Corp; Getinge AB; Merck KGaA; PBS Biotech, Inc.; Corning Inc; and Entegris are a few key companies operating in the upstream bioprocessing market. These companies adopt product innovation strategies to meet evolving customer demands, which allows them to maintain their brand name in the upstream bioprocessing market. A few of the recent developments in the global upstream bioprocessing market are mentioned below:
- In December 2023, Merck acquired Erbi Biosystems, a Massachusetts-based company that has developed the “Breez” 2 ml micro-bioreactor platform technology. The acquisition is expected to boost Merck’s upstream therapeutic protein portfolio, enabling it to promptly develop lab-scale protocols for scalable cell-based perfusion bioreactor processes with capacities ranging from 2 ml to 2,000 L. Additionally, it offers opportunities for further studies and advancements in cutting-edge modality applications, such as cell therapies.
- In October 2023, Getinge AB acquired High Purity New England, Inc. at a value of US$ 120 million, with the plans of a complete merger by the end of 2024. The acquisition has helped Getinge AB acquire a comprehensive range of proprietary and distributed products from drug discovery, upstream and downstream processing, and fill-and-finish.
- In January 2023, Sartorius collaborated with RoosterBio, Inc. to address purification challenges and establish scalable downstream manufacturing processes for exosome-based therapies. Through this collaboration, Sartorius and RoosterBio will provide best-in-class solutions and expertise for an exosome production platform based on human mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (hMSC), which delivers industry-leading yield, purity, and potency.
- In February 2022, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced the expansion plans for its bioprocessing capability. As a part of this, the company invested US$ 40 million to construct and maintain a manufacturing plant for single-use technologies in Millersburg, Pennsylvania. The expansion was a part of a multi-year, US$ 650 million investment made to improve the company’s capacity to produce bioprocessing in a flexible, scalable, and dependable manner.
- In March 2021, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc launched HyPerforma DynaDrive single-use bioreactor (SUB) in different volume models, ranging from 3,000 L and 5,000 L. Its largest, first-of-its-size, commercially accessible SUB (5,000 L) allows biopharmaceutical businesses to incorporate single-use technologies into large-scale bioprocesses, such as cGMP manufacturing processes at very high cell density and perfusion cell culture.