Singapore, March 11, 2008: The global High Throughput Screening (HTS) market was estimated at $ 11.3 billion in 2007. The United States dominates the market followed by Europe and the Asia Pacific region. Japan, owing to its efforts and progress in innovative technologies including Bioinformatics and Microfluidics, is fast gaining eminence. Due to the cost advantages and access to latest technologies, Contract Research Organizations (CROs) from across the globe, especially from the US and Europe, are establishing their facilities for basic drug research in the Asia Pacific region, according to a market report on an analysis of 'High Throughput Screening'.

 

The report says the global HTS growth is especially driven by the advancements in HTS technologies and the increasing usage of innovative techniques such as Bioinformatics and Microfluidics/Lab-on-a-Chip. The success of Human Genome Project and latest findings in genomics and proteomics are creating an enormous market for HTS by identifying huge number of drug targets. Currently, automation in HTS industry is in high gear. Companies are investing heavily in laboratory automation products such as HTS software, database systems, robotics arms, and robot based workstations.

 

Changing business paradigms brought in by globalization and liberalization are making pharmaceutical companies change strategies for sustenance and growth. Many companies are venturing into HTS studies instead of going for alliances, to become self sufficient and to reduce costs. The R&D wings are increasingly becoming target oriented to face the numerous challenges posed in the drug discovery and development industry.

 

Strategic partnerships between pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are the order of the day, and the trend is increasing globally. Another significant trend is alliances between Pharma/Biotech and information technology companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Sun, and Infosys. The computer platforms generated by such companies help in managing and analyzing the huge amounts of data produced through HTS and other computational techniques. Effective R&D strategy involves efficient data management and implementation plans. The new technologies promise improved efficacy, decreased toxicity in patients, and reduced time periods and expenditures, says the report.