Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market

The global Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market market size was USD 3.42 billion in 2023 and calculated at USD 3.63 Billion in 2024. Market revenue is projected to reach USD 6.24 Billion by 2034, and register a 6.1% over the forecast period (2025-2034).

Premium Insights:

Growth of the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) market is driven majorly by factors such as rising prevalence of infectious diseases, increasing initiatives across healthcare organizations and research centers to combat antibiotic resistance of various viruses, bacteria, fungi, pathogens, and diseases, integration of these systems gaining traction owing to easier streamlining and access to data and information through integration of with Electronic Medical Records (EHRs), development of new testing methods, automation trend in healthcare sector, and rapid testing methods and quick test results enabling crucial changes and adjustments for patient treatment regimens and plans to enhance outcomes.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) is a test to detect possible drug resistance in common bacteria, fungus, parasites, and other pathogens and to assure susceptibility to drugs of choice for particular infections. Testing also serve to determine the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents against certain microorganisms, bacteria, or fungi, and enable researchers and medical personnel to ascertain most effective or potent antibiotics or related treatments for each of the infections, and is especially valuable for detection of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in patients. AST is a critical part of the process of developing new antibiotics and guiding antibiotic stewardship programs, and data acquired through testing is crucial for securing regulatory approvals, and can reduce costs of clinical trials to a major extent. These tests also serve to compare activity of different antimicrobials, and this includes new ones as well as those that are still in development.

Among the many antibiotic susceptibility testing methods, disk diffusion and broth dilution are the two most commonly used. Increasing complexities across the healthcare sector as a result of patients with antibiotic resistance and inclining cases of Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other pathogens are key factors driving demand for AST solutions and services worldwide.

In addition, overuse and misuse of various antibiotics and medications, outcomes of self-administered or prescribed use and consumption of antibiotics, incomplete dosage and regimen, as well as a lack of new drug development are some key factors driving market growth. Clinical treatment failure is another major factor supporting demand for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing, particularly rapid AST (rAST), and these testing approaches aid in monitoring for emergence of resistant pathogens and resistance patterns due to bacterial DNA mutations. Ongoing and inclining focus on research initiatives is driven by rising prevalence of infectious diseases, and these efforts are being supported by governments, private and commercial entities through funding and provision of research facilities, and by combined efforts to address antibiotic resistance and to reduce healthcare burden. Focus on gram-negative bacteria is rising as this is considered a major public health threat, with these bacteria exhibiting increasing resistance to multiple antibiotics, and indicating cause of Bloodstream Infection (BSI) and causing potentially life-threatening complications, including sepsis.

Antimicrobial susceptibility tests are also routinely conducted in the food and beverage industry to determine the susceptibility of bacteria isolated from food products to various antimicrobial agents. These tests help to monitor potential antibiotic resistance and ensure food safety, and play a critical role in detecting presence of pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus.

A major advantage is the convenience of automated systems for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing in clinical microbiology laboratories. Other advantages include ability to provide reports on microbial identification and AST results very quickly, and transmit test results to a laboratory, thereby reducing the potential of human error. Also, automated systems reduce dependence on human workforce and the testing is done in significantly less time.

Another major area that Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing plays a key role is in veterinary diagnostics, and is used to determine which antibiotics are most effective against a specific bacteria isolated from an animal. This enables veterinarians to select the optimal treatment for patient animals based on susceptibility of the specific bacteria to various antimicrobial agents.

Top Market Drivers and Trends:

Rising Prevalence of Infectious Diseases: Urgent need to address and combat rising prevalence of infectious diseases and halt spread of antibiotic-resistant infections is driving demand for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing globally. Equally urgent is the need for accurate and timely diagnosis and treatment to arrest inclining rates of antimicrobial resistance due to avoid antibiotic abuse, which over a short period has become and remains a major public health risk.

Integration and Collaborations Across Healthcare Infrastructure: Easier access to data and information through integration of AST with Electronic Medical Records (EHRs) is facilitating development and streamlining of multiplex testing platforms to enhance capabilities, improve accuracies, speed-up diagnosis, and enable healthcare personnel and organizations to enter into strategic collaborations with the objective of addressing various urgent issues at hand.

Technological Advancements: Development of new testing methods, integration of automation, and use of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to predict likelihood of compound exhibiting antimicrobial properties. Integration of automation and molecular diagnostics is enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and speed or AST, and this coupled with advancements in healthcare infrastructure is enabling better and more effective treatments and therapies to address antibiotic resistance in bacterial infections.

Quicker Test Results and Improved Patient Outcomes: Use of AST is also serving to minimize potential risks of antibiotic resistance, and increasing use of rapid testing methods and quick test results are enabling making of crucial changes and adjustments for patient treatment regimens and plans. Point-Of-Care Testing (POCT) devices are also enabling more efficient and quicker decision-making and patient outcomes are also registering a significant improvement.

Restraining Factor Insights:

Limitations of AST and Cause for Concerns: Accuracy issues with regard to automated AST systems can have a negative impact on adoption and use. Accuracy is especially challenging when testing for low-level resistant pathogens and this can have long-term impacts and cause losses and potential repercussions. Also, results can vary across different systems, such as automated systems, gradient tests, or disc diffusion., and this is also a major cause for concern.

Errors Despite Advanced Technologies: Besides automated systems having limitations with regard to accuracy, errors is also an issue with some systems. AST solutions are crucial in identifying effective treatment options and guiding antibiotic stewardship programs, and any limitations can be costly. Also, despite integration with advanced technologies, time required for accurate testing is lengthy, and this can potentially delay treatment decisions. Moreover, this raises potential for false-negative or false-positive results, and can lead to inappropriate or inaccurate use of antibiotics.

Alternatives for Antimicrobial Efficacy Assessment: Another major factor having impact on market growth is availability and use of substitutes and alternatives for assessing antimicrobial efficacy, two of which are molecular diagnostic techniques or rapid screening tests for instance. These may have wider appeal due to speed and ease of use, and are also preferred in some countries and regions. Another alternative is genotypic AST, which is a molecular method that detects resistance genes or mutations in microbial DNA or plasmid. Genotypic AST can be performed directly on primary specimens and positive blood culture broth, and can provide rapid results. In addition, mass spectrometry, D2O-Raman, breakpoint tests, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) tests, and cantilever technology, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, magnetic bead spin, microdroplets, and next-generation sequencing are alternatives that can impact preference for AST.

Market Opportunities:

Enhance Accuracy and Increase Sample Volume Handling Capacity: Companies can leverage capabilities of AI and ML to development more innovative testing methods offering faster results and higher accuracy. Integration of such technologies can serve to streamline testing process, and allow efficiency of handling higher sample volumes at laboratories. Enhancement of POC testing systems can increase traction and use and also gain popularity in remote settings for patient testing and monitoring.

Collaborations and Strategic Partnerships: Companies can enter into collaborations and strategic partnerships with healthcare institutions, research organizations, and regulatory bodies, which can speed up development of new products as well as open avenues in new markets. Joint Ventures (JVs) and acquisitions can also secure access to complementary technologies and enable acceleration of innovative product development.

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Segment Insights:

By Product Type:

Demand for automated AST systems was significantly higher than for manual AST systems in 2023, and the automated AST segment is expected to continue to account for largest revenue share over the forecast period. The automation trend in the healthcare has been gaining rapid traction, and these systems are being adopted across clinical microbiology laboratories to improve testing efficiency, ensure greater accuracy, reduce human error, and speed-up results. Integration of automated systems enable streamlining of workflows and enable compliance with standardized testing procedures. Also, integration with laboratory information systems and advanced technologies is expected to result in development and introduction of new and more innovative testing and automated solutions in future. This trend is expected to continue to support revenue growth of this segment over the forecast period.

By Method:

Among the method segments, the molecular testing segment accounted for largest revenue share in 2023. Molecular testing, including Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and sequencing, is highly preferred owing to rapid and accurate detection of antimicrobial resistance genes and mutations. This approach presents higher sensitivity and specificity, and offers multiplexing capabilities, unlike disk diffusion and broth dilution methods. Also, molecular diagnostics technologies continue to advance rapidly, and personalized medicine is gaining major traction, and these factors combined are expected to drive demand for molecular testing systems to a major extent.

By Application:

The clinical diagnostics segment is expected to account for continue to account for largest revenue share due to increasing prevalence of infectious diseases and initiatives and programs to test and diagnose, as well as to study and maintain records of new and existing viruses and pathogens in clinical diagnostics settings. Clinical diagnostics is an important component of efficient patient management and care, and plays a key part in making treatment decisions. With rates of infectious disease outbreaks increasing consistently, AST in clinical diagnostics is expected to continue as efforts are fortified to combat AMR and antibiotic resistance.

By End-User:

The hospitals and clinics segment among the end-user segments accounted for largest revenue share in 2023, and this trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. Key factors such as greater volume of patient footfalls and accessibility to healthcare services and favorable insurance policies and cover in these facilities are supporting growth of this segment. Also, hospital laboratories and clinics are capable of accommodating and managing large volumes of samples as well as have testing center and collaborations with such facilities, which adds to the convenience for patients at a single location. These factors combined, along with others are expected to continue to support revenue growth of this segment over the forecast period.

Regional Landscape:

Among the regional markets, North America accounted for largest revenue share in 2023, and is calculated at USD 1.35 billion in 2024. The US among the country-level markets in the region contributed majority revenue share, and this can be attributed to presence of advanced healthcare facilities, availability of modern equipment, testing systems, trained personnel, high focus and investment into R&D initiatives, and first-mover objective to address antibiotic resistance and other medical-related challenges and complexities across the healthcare sector. The market in Europe accounted for second-largest revenue share in 2023, with Germany, the UK, and France accounting for major revenue shares respectively. Antibiotic-resistant infections are a major challenge in these countries, and presence of sophisticated healthcare facilities and services, stringent regulatory standards and norms, and increasing focus on addressing and combating AMR are major factors expected to continue to drive revenue growth of the market in the region. The market in Asia Pacific registered fastest revenue growth rate in 2023, and is expected to register a revenue CAGR 5.45% over the forecast period. India and China are emerging as prominent markets in terms of demand for tests and systems as well as revenue share contribution, and this trend has been gaining steady traction. Growth of markets in these countries is driven to a major extent by factors such as inclining healthcare expenditure, modernization of healthcare facilities, high awareness regarding antimicrobial resistance, and spurt in clinical research activities and related initiatives.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market Competitive Landscape:

Company List:

• BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)
• Symbioses
• Zhuhai DL Biotech Co., Ltd
• Mast Group Ltd.
• HiMedia Laboratories
• Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
• Creative Diagnostics
• Genefluidics, Inc.
• Rosco Diagnostica A/S

The competitive landscape in the global Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing market is dynamic and competition is increasing among major companies. Majority of companies are focusing on various strategic initiatives to strengthen positions in the market and expand consumer base. Research and development initiatives are gaining momentum post the COVID-19 pandemic and investments and funding have been reinvigorated to enable companies to innovate and enhance testing technologies, improve capabilities of testing systems through integration of AI and ML, ensure accurate and faster test results, and develop easy to use solutions and systems.

Strategic partnerships and mergers and acquisitions are being employed for new product and solution development, product portfolio expansion, entry into new markets, acquiring of complementary technologies and skills and personnel, and securing clearance and approvals for new solutions and offerings.

Recent Developments:

• June 24, 2024: bioMérieux, which is a BARDA partner, received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for the VITEK REVEAL GN AST Assay. The BARDA-supported antimicrobial susceptibility test - VITEK REVEAL GN AST Assay - when used with the VITEK REVEAL AST System, is indicated for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing for gram-negative pathogenic bacteria commonly associated with bloodstream infections. The modular AST system is capable of delivering actionable results for gram-negative bacteria directly from positive blood cultures in an average of 5.5 to 6 hours, which is 75% faster than conventional AST methods, and this allows for same-day patient treatment.

• April 2024: QLINEA secured U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) market clearance for its ASTar System. The system has thereafter been introduced in hospitals and laboratories across the USs. The ASTar is fully-automated and designed for antibiotic susceptibility testing, and is capable of providing susceptibility profiles directly from positive blood culture within six hours.

The global Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing market can be categorized as Category, Application, and Region.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What is the global Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing market estimation and projection for the forecast period?

A: The global Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing market is estimated to be valued at USD 3.63 Billion 2024, and projected to reach USD 6.24 Billion in 2034.

Q: Which are the major companies are included in the global Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing market report?

A: Major companies in the market report are BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), Synbiosis, Zhuhai DL Biotech Co., Ltd., Mast Group Ltd., HiMedia Laboratories, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Creative Diagnostics, Genefluidics, Inc., Rosco Diagnostica A/S

Q: What is the projected revenue CAGR of the global Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing market over the forecast period?

A: The global Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing market is expected to register a CAGR of 6.1% between 2024 and 2034.

Q: What are some key factors driving revenue growth of the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing market?

A: Some key factors driving market revenue growth include rising prevalence of infectious diseases, growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, and technological advancements in testing methods. Increased healthcare expenditure, improved diagnostic infrastructure, and heightened awareness of the importance of accurate susceptibility testing also contribute to market expansion.

Q: Which regional market accounts for largest revenue share?

A: North America accounted for largest revenue share in the global Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing market in 2023.