According to a report from P&S Market Research, North America holds the largest share in the global 3D bioprinting market, which was valued at almost $100 million in 2015. The global market is expected grow at a CAGR of 35.9% between 2016 and 2022.
Russian bioprinting company 3D Bioprinting Solutions
The medical sector and its millions of patients suffering from a major problem: there is a massive imbalance between the number of people waiting for critical organ transplants and the number of donated organs actually available. Simply put, the lack of available organs means that more patients are dying than could otherwise be the case. This state of affairs, though troublesome in and of itself, has provided a huge incentive for scientists in the 3D bioprinting industry, many of whom are working on ways to create 3D printed tissue and 3D printed human organs which could someday be used for transplantation, easing the burden on the donor system and potentially saving millions of lives.
As well as providing a way to create viable human organs, 3D bioprinting also holds the key for many advanced pharmaceutical testing procedures. Biologists are now able to effectively test the effect of certain drugs on human organs by 3D printing tissue from human stem cells. After fabricating tissue that functions like, say, part of the human liver, scientists can inject certain pharmaceutical products into the fabricated tissue to see how it reacts. This method could prove to be far more effective—and less ethically complex—than animal (or human) testing procedures.
With so much riding on the 3D bioprinting market, it is little surprise to see the industry valued at a sizable $98.6 million, with an expected CAGR of 35.9% between 2016 and 2022. That is the estimation of P&S Market Research, a company that offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. P&S reports that the global demand for 3D bioprinting solutions comes from a demand for tissues and organs for transplantations and pharmaceutical research, as well as opportunities in cosmetic surgery. However, potential obstacles for growth include the high cost of 3D bioprinting, a lack of skilled professionals, and stringent regulatory processes.
According to the new report, syringe-based 3D bioprinting contributed the largest revenue in the global 3D bioprinting market in 2015, with syringe-based and pneumatic extrusion bioprinting together accounting for over 60% of the market. Because of their potential for high resolutions, pneumatic extrusion technologies are predicted to achieve the fastest growth of all 3D bioprinting technologies over the next six years.
Cyfuse Medical carrying out 3D bioprinting research
In terms of the geographical spread of the 3D bioprinting market, North America dominates, with the U.S. contributing the largest revenue to both the North American and global bioprinting markets. The P&S report estimates that the U.S. will remain the largest market for 3D bioprinting for the six-year period, with significant capital investments and development the driving factors behind the country’s bioprinting success. Although 3D bioprinting is used for many different applications, products and services for tissue and organ regeneration produced the largest portion of revenue in the industry in 2015. The P&S report identifies some of the biggest names in the bioprinting industry as key players in overall market performance. These companies include Organovo, a company specializing in 3D printed organ and tissue services; Cyfuse Medical, developer of the “Kenzan Method” of bioprinting; and Russian medical innovator 3D Bioprinting Solutions.
