The Global Sterile Filtration Market, by Product Type (Membrane Filters, Cartridge Filters, and Capsule Filters), by Application (Bioprocesses, Fill-finish Process, Pre-filtration, and Utilities Filtration), by Membrane Pore Size (0.1 um, 0.2 um, and 0.5 um), by End User (Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies and Academic Research Institute), and by Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) was valued at US$ 5.2 billion in 2017, and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 13.3% over the forecast period (2018 - 2026).
Increasing demand for advanced filtration products to cater the specific needs of researchers for research and development activities is expected to augment the market growth. Furthermore, growing demand for advanced medical devices having therapeutic applications and increasing R&D investments in manufacturing large molecules, biologics, and other novel drugs is also expected to drive the sterile filtration market size during the forecast period. In 2015, Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. entered into a strategic collaboration, to develop and commercialize new antibody cancer treatment PD-1 drug cemiplimab (SAR439684) for treating cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), the second most common form of skin cancer. Sterile filtration is essential to remove particles or microorganisms that may affect the safety or efficacy of a biologic. In order to design a scalable, transferrable, and flexible process, it is crucial to choose a filtration with wide range of membranes and devices.
Manufacturers in the global sterile filtration market are focused on developing reliable solutions to improve production processes in biopharmaceutical industry. For instance, research and development investment in filter elements enhance aseptic process security and improved production. Other recent improvements in filter elements include, reliable mechanical and thermal stability, doubling of throughput and flow rates leading to lower processing costs, faster processing times, and less down-time. For instance, in 2016, Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB), announced integration of polyethersulfone membrane (PESU) into two new, sterile Sartocon benchtop and production scale filtration assemblies, which provides rapid and safe ultrafiltration of biologics and vaccines.