Opportunities in Chiral Technology

Report Highlights

• The total U.S. market for chiral technology reached $1.2 billion in 2003. Rising at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 8.8%, this market is expected to exceed $1.8 billion in 2008.
• Chiral manufacturing dominates, with revenues of more than $1 billion in 2003 and rising to $1.6 billion at an AAGR of 9.2% in 2008.
• The chiral analysis market was $164.6 million by 2003 and should rise to $226.4 million by 2008, for an AAGR of 6.6%.
• The worldwide market for chiral-enabling products was expected to reach $2,998 million by the end of 2003 and rise at an AAGR of 9.1% through 2008.

INTRODUCTION

The chiral technology market is shifting due to regulatory changes and the demand for single isomers. The key industry objective now is “racemix switching.” R&D spending, along with increasing competition, single-isomer drugs, the international marketplace, and a changing customer base are contributing to creation of new kind of market for chiral technology.

This BCC study provides an overview of the chiral market (that seems to be rising at a very fast pace) and examines present and future trends of chiral technologies. The report examines market size and leaders, as well as the synthesis, separation and analysis of chiral products. It defines chiral technology, examines current and potential applications of the technology and analyzes markets for enabling products and chiral technology applications.

The basic principles underlying the synthesis separation, and analysis of chiral products also are discussed, as well as their use over a five-year period from 2003 to 2008. The companies selling these products are brought to the forefront, and factors affecting markets for these products and how they are likely to change, are discussed. The report presents a comprehensive analysis of the current market and its future direction in chiral technology, with the emphasis on use of intermediates and chiral products as pharmaceutical drugs.

The report examines almost all the types of chiral technology markets that will be affected by these factors. Chiral technology focuses mainly on pharmaceutical drugs. When drug companies discuss their involvement in many different drug research and commercialization efforts (e.g., rational drug design, receptor-based drugs, enzyme inhibitors, advanced compound screening, and small-molecule research), they generally are talking about chiral drugs.

SCOPE OF STUDY

The report covers:

• The synthesis, separation and analysis of chiral technolo
• Each technique and technological issue including the latest trends and developments
• Manufacturers, new products and sales estimates and market share information
• Markets with projections through 2008
• Regulations set by government agencies and recent approvals of chiral drug products
• Significant in chiral technology patents.

METHODOLOGY

A comprehensive literature and patent search was conducted. Literature included technical newsletters and journals, as well as many other sources. The data was collected through interviews/mails of various analytical, chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech companies. This data was complied, and projections were based on such estimates as the current number of end users, potential end users, likely unit prices, rates of consumption, and the market trends.

INFORMATION SOURCES

BCC surveyed many companies in order to obtain the data for this study. Included were manufacturers and the end users of the chiral technology. In addition to gathering the data from these industries, we also spoke with industry officials, and consulted newsletters, company literature, and product literature, as well as a host of technical articles, journals, indexes, and abstracts. Exhaustive investigations of databases by key terminology were done. In addition, we compiled data from current financial and trade information, and government sources.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shalini Shahani is a young and enterprising scientist and holds a Masters degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Among the research topics she has covered are: Studies on Compounds of Potential and Pharmaceutical Interest from Ibuprofen and 2-Naphthyl Acetic acid. Shahani was awarded a Gold medal by the Prime Minister of India for her work and has worked with top companies in India and in the U.S. Some of her other reports with BCC are "Reagents of Chromatography", "Spectroscopy, an Enduring Market" and "Advanced Drug Delivery Systems".