Downstream Processing Market Size - By Technique [Purification (Ion Exchange, Affinity Chromatography), Solid-Liquid Separation], By Product (Chromatography Columns, Resins, Filters), By Application (Monoclonal Antibody, Vaccine), End-user & Forecast, 2024-2032

Downstream Processing Market Size

Downstream Processing Market size was valued at USD 11.7 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 10.5% between 2024 and 2032, driven by factors such as growing demand for biopharmaceuticals, increasing R&D expenditure in biopharmaceutical industries, and rise in the prominence of contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs).
 

Downstream processing involves the purification, separation, and recovery of bio-based products, mainly pharmaceuticals such as proteins, antibodies, vaccines, enzymes, and other therapeutic molecules, after being produced by using biotechnological processes like fermentation or cell culture. The ultimate goal of downstream processing is to separate and purify the target molecule from the complex mixture of cell culture media, cell debris, contaminants, and other biomolecules. This is essential to make sure that the finished product meets required quality, safety, and efficacy standards for its intended use.

COVID-19 Impact

During the pandemic, there has been an increase in demand for biopharmaceutical products because of the urgent need for vaccines, therapies, and diagnostic equipment to combat COVID-19. This increased demand for downstream processing facilities for scaling up production of COVID-19 vaccines quickly and efficiently. To fulfil the surging demand of vaccine, the key players operating in downstream processing increased their production.
 

For instance, in February 2021, according to Rentschler Biopharma, a German contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO), the CureVac N.V. increased the production of CVnCoV COVID-19 candidate vaccine. In this way, the pandemic positively impacted the global downstream processing market due to the increasing demand of COVID vaccines and other biopharmaceutical products such as antibiotics, insulin, and immunoglobulin all over the globe.
 

Downstream Processing Market Driving Factors

The major factors contributing to the growth of global downstream processing industry are increasing demand for biopharmaceuticals, increasing R&D expenditure in biopharmaceutical industries, increasing advancements and adoption of single use technologies, and rise in the prominence of contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). The need for biopharmaceutical products has been increasing significantly, including monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, therapeutic proteins, and enzymes. These products are employed in numerous diagnostics, therapeutic, and medical research.
 

The need for effective downstream processing to ensure product purity and quality becomes even more crucial as novel medicines are developed and personalized medicine becomes more popular. To concentrate on their core competencies, many biopharmaceutical companies outsource manufacturing and downstream processing to specialized contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). This is rising the prominence of CMOs worldwide.
 

Downstream Processing Market Analysis

The purification segment accounted for 42.3% of the downstream processing market share in 2022. Purification is an essential step to remove impurities, contaminants, and unwanted byproducts which ensures the safety and efficacy of the bio-based product. It contributes to the consistency and reproducibility of the final product. It leads to higher yields of the targeted molecules by concentrating it while removing impurities which increases production efficiency and reduced production costs.
 

The solid-liquid separation segment is expected to grow at over 11.2% CAGR through 2032, due to its advantages such as enhanced product quality, reduced processing time, cost-effectiveness, simplicity, and are well suited for continuous manufacturing.
 

The chromatography columns and resins segment from downstream processing market will observe around 10.8% CAGR during the forecast period. Chromatography columns and resins can be designed with specific ligands or functional groups that selectively bind to the target molecule which leads to efficient separation and purification, even when the closely related molecules are present. They are essential in the production of high-quality biopharmaceuticals and biochemicals due to their effectiveness in efficiently purifying and separating target molecules. Furthermore, the increased research and development to improve the efficiency and speed of chromatography columns and resins are set to drive the growth.
 

The monoclonal antibody production segment held over 42.6% of the downstream processing market share in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 25.9 billion by 2032. Downstream processing plays a vital role in monoclonal antibody (mAb) production, offering several advantages that impacts the quality, efficiency, and success of the manufacturing process.
 

Monoclonal antibodies are widely used class of therapeutic proteins for treating different diseases including cancer, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases which is expected to drive the growth of this segment. The monoclonal antibodies are critical in nature and downstream processing ensures that these complex molecules are purified, concentrated, and formulated into safe and effective treatments.
 

The biopharmaceutical companies segment was over 60.3% of the downstream processing market share in 2022 and is anticipated to record a CAGR of 11.4% till 2032. With the increasing demand for biopharmaceuticals the number of such companies is globally increasing. These companies highly rely on downstream processing to meet the required quality, safety, and efficacy standards for the products they produce including proteins, antibodies, vaccines, and enzymes. It contributes to the economic viability of biopharmaceutical manufacturing by increasing the product yield and decreasing the cost of production.
 

North American downstream processing market size is estimated to cross USD 28.8 billion by 2032. North America has highly advance healthcare infrastructure with well-established pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies which increases the research, development, and production of pharmaceutical companies. In addition to this, presence of major biopharmaceutical companies, supportive regulatory agencies, strong research, and academic institutes, increasing demand for biopharmaceuticals and increasing clinical trials and drug development are the factors influencing the market growth.
 

Downstream Processing Market Share

The key companies in the downstream processing market are:

• Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
• GE Healthcare
• Sartorius Stedim Biotech S.A
• Danaher Corporation
• Merck and Co. Inc.
• 3M Company
• Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH,
• Lonza Group Ltd.
• Eppendorf AG
• Repligen Corporation.

These companies are implementing several strategies such as collaborations, acquisitions, partnerships, mergers, and product launches to maintain a competitive edge in the industry.
 

Downstream Processing Industry News:

• In February 2022, Sartorius Stedim Biotech acquired Novasep’s chromatography equipment division. This helped company to expand their product portfolio by developing novel chromatography systems and accelerate their growth.
   
• In August 2021, Danaher Corporation acquired Aldevron. Aldevron is now operating as a standalone company and brand within Danaher’s Life Science segment. This acquisition has helped enhance their product portfolio and grow their market cap.
   

This downstream processing market research report includes an in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of revenue in USD Million from 2018 to 2032, for the following segments:

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Market Size, By Technique

• Purification
• Ion exchange chromatography
• Affinity chromatography
• Gel chromatography
• Hydrophobic interaction chromatography 
• Solid-liquid separation
• Filtration
  • Tangential flow filtration
  • Normal flow filtration
• Centrifugation
• Clarification/Concentration
  • Evaporation
  • Membrane filtration
• Other techniques

Market Size, By Product

• Chromatography columns and resins
• Filters
• Membrane absorbers
• Single-use products
• Other products

Market Size, By Application

• Monoclonal antibody production
• Vaccine production
• Insulin production
• Immunoglobulin production
• Erythropoietin production
• Other applications

Market Size, By End-user

• Biopharmaceutical companies
• Contract manufacturing organizations

The above information has been provided for the following regions and countries:

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Switzerland
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • Australia
  • South Korea
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Rest of Latin America
• Middle East & Africa
  • South Africa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Rest of Middle East & Africa