Apheresis market

The Global Apheresis Equipment Market is expected to reach US$ 8.11 Bn by 2030, from US$ 3.85 Bn in 2023, exhibiting a CAGR of 11.2% during the forecast period.

Apheresis is a medical technology that involves separating different components of blood ex vivo for different therapeutic purposes. The main products in the apheresis equipment market are apheresis machines and disposable apheresis kits. Apheresis machines are advanced automated blood component separators that separate desired components from whole blood based on centrifugal force or membrane filtration. The two major types of apheresis machines are centrifugation equipment and membrane separation equipment. Centrifugation equipment uses centrifugal force to separate components based on their density, while membrane separation uses a semi permeable filter to separate components based on molecular weight.

The global apheresis equipment market is segmented based on equipment type, technology type, procedure type, application, and region. By equipment type, the disposable apheresis kits segment accounted for the largest market share in 2022. The high share of this segment can be attributed to the continuous approvals of new products.

Global Apheresis Equipment Market- Regional Insights

• North America is expected to be the largest market for apheresis equipment during the forecast period, accounting for over 40.5% of the market share in 2023. North America has dominated the global apheresis equipment market for many years due to a strong presence of leading players in the region. The U.S. is home to many large multinational companies, such as Haemonetics Corporation and Terumo BCT, which have a significant market share in blood component collection and therapeutic apheresis products globally. As per the International Trade Administration report published in January 2022, the U.S. medical technology industry exported goods worth US$ 44.5 billion in 2020. Apheresis equipment comprised a notable portion of these exports. Additionally, North America has a higher healthcare spend per capita as compared to other regions, enabling faster adoption of new and advanced apheresis technologies.
• Europe is expected to be the second-largest market for apheresis equipment, accounting for over 25.2% of the market share in 2023. The growth of the market in Europe is attributed to the rising prevalence of chronic diseases and favorable government initiatives in the region.
• Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing market for apheresis equipment, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 10.2% during the forecast period. The growth of the market in Asia Pacific is attributed to the large patient pool, increasing healthcare expenditure, and improving healthcare infrastructure in the region.

Figure 1. Global Apheresis Equipment Market Share (%), By Region, 2023

Analyst’s Views:

The global apheresis equipment market is expected to witness steady growth in the coming years. Rising prevalence of blood disorders and increasing need for blood components are the key factors driving the demand for apheresis equipment. Growing number of trauma cases and road accidents necessitating blood transfusions will further augment the market growth. Additionally, rising cases of chronic diseases like cancer where apheresis plays a vital role in treatment are fueling the sales of advanced apheresis solutions.

North America currently dominates the global apheresis equipment market owing to growing emphasis on blood plasma collection and the presence of leading market players. However, the Asia Pacific region is likely to emerge as the fastest growing market during the forecast period accredited to rising healthcare investments, the burgeoning medical tourism industry, and increasing adoption of apheresis procedures.

Global Apheresis Equipment Market - Drivers

• Growing demand for blood components: The demand for blood components like plasma, platelets, and red blood cells is increasing rapidly across the globe owing to the rising incidences of chronic diseases, trauma cases, and increasing number of complex surgeries performed every year. Apheresis is a specialized blood collection process that separates blood into its various components and allows the medical practitioner to collect only the required components while returning the rest to the donor. With the rising demand for blood components, the need for advanced apheresis equipment that can efficiently perform this separation is growing.
• Rising number of therapeutic apheresis procedures: The increasing number of therapeutic apheresis procedures being performed globally is a major factor driving the growth of the apheresis equipment market. Therapeutic apheresis involves removing harmful components such as antibodies, immune complexes, lipoproteins, or blood cells from the blood through an extracorporeal medical device and returning the remaining purified blood to the patient. Apheresis procedures are widely used in conditions like neurological disorders, autoimmune diseases, kidney diseases, and cancer.
• Technological advancements: Technological advancements are significantly driving the growth of the global apheresis equipment market. Various advanced technologies are helping physicians to perform complex apheresis procedures more efficiently and effectively. For instance, automated blood component extractors are being integrated with advanced robotics and artificial intelligence technologies. This is allowing operators to separate blood into various components like plasma, platelets, and red blood cells through touchscreen interfaces with minimum human errors and oversight. Some advanced extractors can even detect problems during processing and make real-time adjustments to ensure the optimal separation of blood components.

Global Apheresis Equipment Market - Opportunities

• Emerging economies in Asia Pacific and Latin America: The emerging economies in Asia Pacific and Latin America present a huge potential for growth in the global apheresis equipment market. These regions are witnessing rapid economic development and rising disposable incomes. As living standards increase, access to advanced healthcare technologies is also improving. Countries like India, China, Brazil, and others are making large investments in developing their healthcare infrastructures to cater to their growing populations.
• Growing demand for platelet rich plasma therapy: The growing demand for platelet rich plasma therapy is a promising opportunity for the global apheresis equipment market. Platelet rich plasma therapy is an innovative and effective regenerative treatment that involves centrifuging a blood sample to obtain platelet-rich plasma which can then be injected into injured areas. It has been effectively used for a variety of conditions like tennis elbow, chronic Achilles tendinitis, and knee osteoarthritis to speed up natural healing and reduce pain.
• Adoption of automated devices: The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, such as cancer and autoimmune disorders, has significantly driven the demand for apheresis procedures in recent years. Apheresis is an important therapeutic treatment that involves extracting plasma and returning blood cells back to the patient. However, existing manual processes for donor collection and therapeutic apheresis are time-consuming and require extensive human resources and monitoring. The adoption of advanced automated devices promises to streamline these processes while achieving higher efficiency and accuracy. Automated systems allow for walk-away capabilities and provide standardized, high-quality collection with minimal human error compared to manual methods. This reduces the hands-on time for medical professionals and improves procedure consistency.

Global Apheresis Equipment Market - Trends

• Increasing adoption of disposable apheresis kits: The increasing adoption of disposable apheresis kits is having a significant impact on the global apheresis equipment market. With disposable kits, the process of blood collection has become more convenient and efficient. Traditionally, apheresis machines used durable hardware that required sterilization between each donation session. This made the process more complex and time-consuming.
• Rising demand for therapeutic plasma exchange procedures: The increasing demand for therapeutic plasma exchange procedures is having a significant impact on the global apheresis equipment market. Plasma exchange therapy is used extensively to treat various autoimmune disorders such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, myasthenia gravis, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and TTP. It helps remove pathogenic autoantibodies or immunoglobulins from circulating blood which are responsible for these conditions.
• Growth in the number of community blood donation centers: The growth in the number of community blood donation centers is positively impacting the global apheresis equipment market. As more community blood donation centers are being established across the world by governments and non-profit organizations to ensure adequate availability of blood for transfusion needs, there is an increasing demand for modern apheresis equipment at these centers.

Global Apheresis Equipment Market- Restraints 

• High cost of apheresis procedures: The high cost of apheresis procedures is one of the major factors restraining the growth of the global apheresis equipment market. Apheresis is a medical technology in which the blood of a donor or patient is passed through an apparatus that separates out one particular constituent and returns the remainder to the circulation. These sophisticated procedures require specialized and expensive equipment that contributes significantly to the overall procedure cost. Apheresis equipment includes many high-tech components like advanced centrifugation systems, programmable microprocessors, software for blood component separation, and collection/storage bags. The initial capital investment required to set up an apheresis facility with all the necessary equipment is substantial.
• Lack of awareness: Lack of awareness about apheresis procedures and their benefits is one of the major factors restraining the growth of the global apheresis equipment market. Apheresis is a medical therapy that involves the separation of whole blood in its different components like plasma, platelets, leukocytes, etc. and returning only the selected component or blood cells back to the patient. However, due to low level of awareness, many people are not familiar with these advanced therapeutic procedures. This hampers the adoption of apheresis equipment at hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
• Stringent government regulations: Stringent government regulations around the world are putting brakes on the growth of the global apheresis equipment market. Many countries have extensive guidelines around the use, procurement, and reimbursement of apheresis devices and procedures. This poses significant challenges for market players. The regulations focus on ensuring safety, efficacy, and appropriate clinical use of apheresis technologies. While the intent is understandable from a patient care perspective, the norms are often complex and open to varied interpretation. Companies have to invest considerable time and resources to understand, comply and keep up with changing rules in different markets. This makes it difficult for them to launch new products or indications in a timely manner.

Figure 2. Global Apheresis Equipment Market Share (%), By Equipment Type, 2023

Global Apheresis Equipment Market- Recent Developments

Key Developments

• On May 25, 2023, Terumo Corporation a medical device company launched the first training program of its kind to help cell and gene therapy manufacturers improve their cell collection processes and accelerate the commercialization of therapeutics. This new program trains the participants in apheresis.
• In January 2020, Fresenius Kabi AG a pharmaceutical company inaugurated the US$ 32.2 Mn (€30 Mn) expansion of transfusion and apheresis disposables plant in Dominican Republic. This plant expansion will strengthen the company’s role as a major global exporter of apheresis and plasma collection sets.

Collaborations

• In June 2022, Terumo Corporation a medical device company collaborated with GenCure, a pharmaceutical company to extend and unify cell and gene therapy manufacturing solutions. This collaboration enhances transition between clinical and manufacturing sites by enabling chain-of-custody/identity and consistency of leukapheresis products.
• In July 2022, TERUMO BCT, INC. a cell technology company collaborated with Eliaz Therapeutics a medical device company for the development and commercialization of a Novel Therapeutic Apheresis Treatment for Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)

Top Companies in the Global Apheresis Equipment Market

• Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd.
• Terumo Corporation, Inc.
• Fenwal, Inc.
• Haemonetics Corp.
• Therakos, Inc.
• Braun Melsungen AG
• HemaCare Corporation
• Haemonetics Corporation
• Cerus Corporation
• Kawasumi Laboratories
• Miltenyi Biotec
• NxStage Medical
• Kaneka Medix Corporation.

Definition: Apheresis is a medical technique in which the blood of a patient or donor is extracted and separated into components such as red cells, white cells, plasma, and platelets. Depending on the reason for apheresis, one of these components is isolated and collected by the instrument, while the others are returned to the body.

Global Apheresis Equipment Market Detailed Segmentation:

• By Equipment Type:
  • Disposable Apheresis Kits
  • Apheresis Machines
• By Technology Type:
  • Centrifugation
  • Membrane Filtration
• By Procedure Type:
  • Photopheresis
  • Plasmapheresis
  • LDL Apheresis
  • Plateletpheresis
  • Leukapheresis
  • Erythrocytapheresis
  • Others (Lymphopheresis, lipidpheresis)
• By Application:
  • Renal disorders
  • Neurological disorders
  • Hematological disorders
  • Other disorders
• By End User:
  • Hospitals and Clinics
  • Ambulatory Surgical Centers
  • Blood Donation Centers
  • Others
• By Region:
  • Europe
  • North America
  • Asia Pacific
  • Latin America
  • Middle East
  • Africa