Lucrative Asia-Pacific Markets to Offer Significant Growth Opportunities for Players Operating in the Influenza Diagnostics Market

The Asia-Pacific market comprises China, India, Japan, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, and others (including Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea). This market is expected to command a major share of the global influenza diagnostics market in 2016. The main factors driving market growth are the increasing prevalence of influenza, increased healthcare expenditure, growing demand for advanced diagnostic technologies, and government initiatives. According to the WHO, of the total respiratory specimens tested during January-April 2016, around 11%-20% tested positive for influenza. The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund invested USD 100 million in 2014 along with Japanese government for R&D in infectious disease diagnostic techniques.

With the increase in demand for advanced diagnosis test, top players in diagnostics industry have been continuously focusing on manufacturing of advance influenza diagnosis technologies such as RT-PCR, nucleic acid sequence-based amplification tests (NASBA), and loop-mediated isothermal amplification-based assays (LAMP). The prominent players in the influenza diagnostics market are Thermo Fisher Scientific (U.S.), Roche Diagnostics (Switzerland), Alere Inc. (U.S.), Quidel Corporation (U.S.), Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S.), DiaSorin (Italy), SA Scientific (U.S.), and Luminex Corporation (U.S.). Product launches and approvals were the key strategies adopted by major players to expand their presence and strengthen their product portfolios in the influenza diagnostics market.

Europe is expected to account for the largest share of the global influenza diagnostics market in 2016. This can be attributed to the rapidly increasing prevalence of influenza in Europe. During February 2016 to April 2016, out of the total specimens tested for influenza presence, more than 30% of them were found to be positive. Moreover, during 2015-2016, the influenza prevalence witnessed a significant increase in Europe, with influenza A (H3N2) being the most prominent subtype. Persons aged over 65 years were the most frequently associated with influenza infection (Source: WHO).