Global Automated Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Market, By Product Type (Consumables and Instruments), By Detection Method (Turbidimetric and Colorimetric), By Application (Antibacterial (Tuberculosis and Sepsis), Antifungal, Anti-parasitic, and Anti-viral), By End User (Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies, Contract Research Organizations, Hospitals, and Pathology/Diagnostic Laboratories), and By Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa), was valued at US$ 1,295.5 million in 2018 and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 8.9% over the forecast period (2018 - 2026).
Increasing multidrug resistance research, new product launches, and rising number of development programs and funding among others are major factors that are expected to drive growth of the automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing market. Contract research organizations perform various research and development activities involving AST and multidrug resistivity testing. Increasing research and development of small molecules by various manufacturing organizations is expected to increase the adoption of AST during the forecast period. For instance, according to Cambrex Corporation’s report 2017 on small molecules, small molecules are expected to gain major traction in the pharmaceutical industry, with the approval of 34 new small molecule entities by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. Key players are engaged in launching susceptibility testing systems in the market, in order to expand its product portfolio. For instance, in March 2016, Thermo Fisher Scientific launched antimicrobial susceptibility testing for Tedizolid, enabling microbiology laboratories to perform Tedizolid susceptibility testing of fastidious and non-fastidious Gram positive organisms, which cause acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs) in adults. Increasing launch of such AST testing could result in increasing adoption of susceptibility plates during the forecast period. Moreover, in 2017, bioMérieux launched ETEST Ceftolozane/Tazobactam and ETEST Ceftazidime/Avibactam, which determines the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values necessary to effectively treat infections caused by multidrug resistant organisms.