Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing Industry Profile

Companies in this industry develop and manufacture biological, chemical, and radioactive substances used in the process of detecting, diagnosing, and monitoring health conditions. Major companies include Beckman Coulter and Bio-Rad Laboratories (both based in the US), as well as bioMerieux and Guerbet (both in France) and the diagnostic divisions of major pharmaceutical companies such as Abbott (US), Roche (Switzerland), and Siemens (Germany).

The global market for in vitro diagnostics, which includes drugs and devices, is forecast to grow from $68 billion in 2018 to $107 billion in 2027, according to MarketsandMarkets. Growth is strongest in developing nations with growing economies and rising middle-class populations.

The US diagnostic substances industry includes about 250 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $16 billion.

Companies that make diagnostic equipment such as x-ray machines are covered in a separate profile.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand for diagnostics is driven by the desire to detect and treat illness and disease. The profitability of individual companies depends on their ability to promote easy-to-use, effective tests and to develop new tests. Growth is fueled by increasing rates of chronic and infectious diseases. Large companies have economies of scale in research, manufacturing, and marketing. Smaller companies can compete effectively by specializing in certain types of tests or disease targets, or through advanced product development efforts. The US industry is highly concentrated: the top eight ...