Aptamers Market is estimated to be valued at USD 7.29 Bn in 2024 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 17.8% over the forecast period (2024-2031). Global aptamers market is witnessing high growth owing to increasing investments in research and development activities for development of novel aptamers. Furthermore, growing awareness about precision medicines and its applications is also contributing to the market growth.
Market Dynamics:
Global aptamers market growth is driven by few key factors such as rising R&D investments in development of aptamers and growing awareness regarding precision medicine. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are increasingly investing in R&D activities to develop novel aptamers for various therapeutic applications including cancer treatment, infectious disease diagnosis, and others. Moreover, growing awareness among healthcare professionals as well as general public regarding benefits of precision medicine is boosting demand for aptamers. Aptamers find wide application in development of precision therapeutics due to their high affinity and specificity. Growing focus on personalized healthcare is expected to create significant opportunities for aptamers market over the forecast period.
Rising adoption of personalized medicine is driving the growth of aptamers market
Global aptamers market is witnessing high growth due to rising adoption of personalized medicine. Personalized medicine involves tailoring medical treatment to an individual patient based on their genetic profile or other molecular or cellular analysis. Aptamers are increasingly being used in personalized medicine as these have the ability to specifically bind to molecular targets with high affinity and selectivity. These can identify molecular variations and changes at the genetic level, thus, enabling customized healthcare interventions. Growing focus on precision or targeted therapies over conventional “one-size-fits-all” treatment is a major factor augmenting the demand for aptamers. Several pharmaceutical companies are investing heavily in aptamer-based drugs development to offer customized therapeutics for chronic diseases like cancer. This rising focus on personalized healthcare is anticipated to fuel market growth during the forecast period.
Increasing research and development investments in developing therapeutic aptamers
Another key driver for the global aptamers market is increasing investments by market players and government bodies in R&D activities related to aptamer therapeutics. However, several companies are actively engaged in advancing aptamer technology and developing novel therapeutic aptamers to address unmet medical needs. For instance, companies such as Amgen, Noxxon Pharma, and Arcturus Therapeutics are conducting clinical trials for aptamer-based drugs for conditions like macular degeneration, cancer, chronic kidney diseases, and thrombocytopenia. Furthermore, government agencies worldwide are also supporting research on therapeutic aptamers through funding. Such initiatives related to the development of therapeutic aptamers are boosting the growth of the overall aptamers market.
High development costs of aptamer-based drugs hinders the market growth
One of the major restraints hampering the growth of the global aptamers market is high costs associated with developing aptamer-based drugs. Developing a therapeutic aptamer requires extensive R&D investments as it is a complex process involving sequencing, selection and chemical modifications. The costs involved in phases of clinical trials and obtaining regulatory approvals for aptamer drugs are also significantly high. Moreover, concerns regarding the stability and efficient delivery of aptamers to target sites remain to be addressed. These factors contribute to making the development and commercialization process of aptamer drugs a costly affair. The pharma companies also face pricing pressure which restricts their ability to recover the high development costs. All these economic challenges pose a negative impact on the market’s growth especially in the therapeutic category.
Stringent regulatory framework further delays commercialization
Another important challenge impeding the progress of the aptamers market is the presence of a stringent regulatory framework for approval and marketing authorization of aptamer-based drugs. Further, lengthy clinical evaluation periods are mandated to establish the therapeutic potential and long-term safety of these molecules. This delays the time for aptamers to reach commercialization as compared to conventional small molecule drugs. The companies have to invest significantly in obtaining clearly defined regulatory guidelines. Such regulatory complexities add to the overall costs and timelines for developing aptamer therapeutics. This acts as a key growth deterrent for both pharmaceutical players and new market entrants.
Rising demand for alternative biologics opens new opportunities
Growing demand for alternative biologic drugs over conventional small molecule therapies provides potential opportunities for market expansion. Aptamers are immensely promising as an emerging category of biologics as these serve as suitable antibody alternatives in diagnostics, research and therapeutics applications. Their ability to specifically bind to targets, having well-defined production processes and lesser immunogenicity makes them attractive candidates to replace conventional antibodies. Market players are actively engaged in leveraging this opportunity by developing aptamer-based replacements for blockbuster monoclonal antibody drugs across various therapeutic areas. Growing interest in bispecific aptamers and multivalent aptamer constructs combining two or more binding arms also hold new prospects. Successful research and ongoing clinical studies on such advanced aptamer platforms will significantly drive uptake in the coming years.
*Link: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/aptamers-market-774
Key Development
- In October 2023, Zentek Ltd., a graphene technology company that focuses on the research, development, and commercialization of graphene-based novel products, launched a wholly-owned subsidiary that will own the exclusive, global licensing rights for all aptamer-based technology from the collaboration with McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
- In September 2023, IVERIC bio, Inc., a subsidiary company of Astellas Pharma Inc., a pharmaceutical company, announced that the S. Food and Drug Administration had approved avacincaptad pegol (Izervay) for geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration. The drug is the second RNA aptamer to gain FDA approval, and the second complement-targeted drug for this cause of blindness.
- In July 2023, Zentek Ltd. and McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, announced that both had developed a novel aptamer technology that increases the binding affinity of aptamers by up to 250 times. The increased binding affinity enhances the limits of detection for aptamer-based diagnostics.
- In January 2023, Aptamer Group, a biotechnology company, announced a partnership with BaseCare Therapeutics, a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative siRNA-based medicines, for the development of Optimer-targeted gene therapies
Key Players: AstraZeneca, Achiko AG, Agilent Technologies, Inc., Amsbio, Aptagen LLC, Aptamer Group, CAGE Bio Inc., GC Biopharma Corp., GlyTech, Inc., IVERIC bio, Inc., NeoNeuro SAS, Novartis AG, Ophthotech Corporation, SomaLogic Operating Co., Inc., TAGCyx Biotechnologies Inc., Vivonics Inc., Zentek Ltd.