The Cell-Based Assays Market was valued at USD 35.3 Billion in 2024, and is projected to reach USD 56.3 Billion by 2029, rising at a CAGR of 9.80%. The market’s growth is propelled by multiple factors that contribute to its expansion across many sectors, particularly in drug discovery, toxicity testing, and basic research. Cell-based assays, which utilize live cells to evaluate biological activity, are revolutionizing the life sciences industry by offering more accurate and physiologically relevant models compared to traditional methods such as animal testing. As these assays continue to evolve, they are helping to accelerate drug development processes, improving the efficacy and safety profiles of therapeutic candidates while also reducing animal testing and increasing cost efficiency.
A driver of the cell-based assay market is the increasing demand for novel drug discovery techniques. Pharmaceutical and biotech companies are investing in cell-based assays for high-throughput screening (HTS) to identify potential drug candidates, to evaluate drug efficacy, and to assess compound toxicity early in the drug development process. Compared to traditional biochemical assays, cell-based assays provide more predictive, human-relevant data, which is fundamental for the successful development of new therapeutics. As the pharmaceutical industry seeks to reduce the cost and time of bringing drugs to market, cell-based assays are being adopted as a more efficient alternative.
Additionally, the rise in chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and neurological disorders is driving the need for more effective and targeted therapies. As these diseases continue to affect a large portion of the global population, the demand for cell-based assays in both basic and clinical research has grown. Researchers are using these assays to better understand disease mechanisms at the cellular level, to identify potential biomarkers, and to evaluate drug responses more accurately. This has led to a surge in R&D investment to advance new cell-based assay technologies.
Geographically, the analysis covers North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). The report also provides profiles of key market players and highlights industry trends, major products, mergers and acquisitions, and other partnerships expected to influence the future of the industry.
A driver of the cell-based assay market is the increasing demand for novel drug discovery techniques. Pharmaceutical and biotech companies are investing in cell-based assays for high-throughput screening (HTS) to identify potential drug candidates, to evaluate drug efficacy, and to assess compound toxicity early in the drug development process. Compared to traditional biochemical assays, cell-based assays provide more predictive, human-relevant data, which is fundamental for the successful development of new therapeutics. As the pharmaceutical industry seeks to reduce the cost and time of bringing drugs to market, cell-based assays are being adopted as a more efficient alternative.
Additionally, the rise in chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and neurological disorders is driving the need for more effective and targeted therapies. As these diseases continue to affect a large portion of the global population, the demand for cell-based assays in both basic and clinical research has grown. Researchers are using these assays to better understand disease mechanisms at the cellular level, to identify potential biomarkers, and to evaluate drug responses more accurately. This has led to a surge in R&D investment to advance new cell-based assay technologies.
Report Scope
The scope of this report on the global market for cell-based assay technologies encompasses an analysis of the current landscape, including market size, growth trends and segmentation by product type, application and end user. The report breaks down the cell-based assay market into four product categories: instruments, consumables, services, and software. It also segments the market by application, such as drug discovery; absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME)/toxicity testing; and basic research. The end users considered in the report include academic and research institutions, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and clinical research organizations.Geographically, the analysis covers North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). The report also provides profiles of key market players and highlights industry trends, major products, mergers and acquisitions, and other partnerships expected to influence the future of the industry.
The report includes:
- 23 data tables and 48 additional tables
- Analyses of the trends in the global market for cell-based assays, with sales data for 2021-2023, estimates for 2024, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2029
- Evaluation of the market's current and future potential
- Estimates of the market for cell-based assays, revenue forecasts, and corresponding market share analysis by product, type/application, end user and geographic region
- Assessment of the current market, new developments, spending trends, and revenue prospects for cell-based assays in the pharmaceutical industry
- Coverage of major issues involved in the R&D of more effective cell-based approaches for drug discovery
- Information on increasing investments in R&D activities, key technology issues, industry-specific challenges, major types of end users, and COVID-19 implications
- Discussion of ESG challenges and practices of the industry
- Assessment of the competitive landscape, including the market shares of leading companies, their product portfolios and financial overviews
- Information on recent mergers and acquisitions, expansions, collaborations, investments, divestments and product launches
- Company profiles of major players within the industry, including Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Merck KGaA., Danaher Corp., Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., and Charles River Laboratories.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Executive Summary
Chapter 2 Market Overview
Chapter 3 Market Dynamics
Chapter 4 Emerging Technologies and Developments
Chapter 5 Market Segmentation Analysis
Chapter 6 Competitive Intelligence
Chapter 7 Sustainability in Cell-based Assay Market: An ESG Perspective
Chapter 8 Appendix
List of Tables
List of Figures
Executive Summary
Cell-based assays are basically experiments used to study, analyze and understand how live cells respond to external factors. These assays are commonly used in drug discovery for validating drug targets. They are also used in lead profiling, in basic research for understanding cell signaling and function, and for ADME toxicity testing.It has been observed that pharmaceutical R&D expenses place a significant burden on the healthcare industry because the drug discovery and development entails substantial time and resources to recognize an effective drug that can progress to clinical trial. This long process has a success rate of around 10%-12%, that is only 10% of the drugs get approval after undergoing clinical trials. So, using cell-based assays will be helpful in the initial step of drug discovery as it will help to screen the compounds. Also, with the advancement of technologies, automated processes are being used for drug screening and development purposes. Studies have indicated that using methods such as cell-based assays earlier in the drug development cycle will help in eliminating the toxic products and avoid late - stage drug failures and financial losses. Since live cells are used in cell-based assays, they are biologically more relevant and will also help in replacing animal testing.
There is a need to grow product pipelines for companies. The benefits of cell-based assays over in vivo methods have led to their increased use in drug discovery. In vitro cell-based methods also offer flexibility and cost advantages. In addition, advancements in automation and high-throughput techniques are offering support to this market.
The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, aging population and increased healthcare expenditure are driving the drug discovery market. There are many diseases that still do not have any approved therapies for cures and depend only on symptomatic management, e.g., amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cirrhosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, etc. Therefore, cell-based assays will be beneficial for such indications. More research and the increasing prevalence of cancer as well as neurogenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and other rare indications, will also be contributing factors for the market.
Personalized drug treatment is becoming a reality. In response to the rise in the incidence of a number of diseases and an aging population, the drug discovery industry is developing new and more efficacious drugs based on specific biomarker signatures. These drugs can be developed and tested to meet specific endpoints with the use of cell-based assays.
Companies Mentioned
- Agilent Technologies Inc.
- BD
- Bioivt
- Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc.
- Cell Biolabs Inc.
- Cell Biologics Inc.
- Charles River Laboratories
- Danaher Corp.
- Fujifilm Holdings Corp.
- GE Healthcare
- Lonza
- Merck KGaA
- Promega Corp.
- Revvity
- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
Table Information
| Report Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| No. of Pages | 139 |
| Published | February 2025 |
| Forecast Period | 2024 - 2029 |
| Estimated Market Value ( USD | $ 35.3 Billion |
| Forecasted Market Value ( USD | $ 56.3 Billion |
| Compound Annual Growth Rate | 9.8% |
| Regions Covered | Global |
| No. of Companies Mentioned | 15 |
