Downstream Processing Market Report 2025

The downstream processing market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $31.26 billion in 2024 to $35.54 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.7%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing biopharmaceutical investments, stringent regulatory standards, globalization of biopharmaceutical production, rising incidence of chronic diseases.

The downstream processing market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $58.96 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing demand for biopharmaceuticals, focus on sustainable and green processing, collaborations and partnerships, continuous bioprocessing adoption, increasing demand for personalized medicines. Major trends in the forecast period include digitalization and industry 40 integration, technological advancements, single-use systems, biopharmaceutical industry growth, continuous processing.

The anticipated increase in healthcare expenditure is poised to be a driving force for the future expansion of the downstream processing market. Healthcare expenditure encompasses all spending related to health services, family planning activities, nutrition initiatives, and emergency aid specifically allocated for health-related purposes. This heightened expenditure is expected to bolster the sales of downstream processing, a pivotal component in extracting drug substances (DS) from natural sources such as bacterial or animal cells and subsequently purifying the drug substance. According to the 2021-2030 National Health Expenditure (NHE) report by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in the United States, as of March 2022, the annual increase in national health spending is projected to average 5.1% between 2021 and 2030, reaching an approximate total of $6.8 trillion by 2030. Over the same period, Medicare expenditures are expected to grow at a 7.2% annual rate, while Medicaid spending is projected to increase at a 5.6% annual rate. Thus, the escalating healthcare expenditure significantly contributes to the downstream processing market's growth.

The anticipated growth in the biopharmaceutical sector is expected to drive the future expansion of the downstream processing market. The biopharmaceutical sector, a segment of the pharmaceutical industry specializing in the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of drugs and therapies derived from biological sources, is set to increase the demand for downstream processing (DSP). DSP is a crucial stage in the biopharmaceutical manufacturing process, responsible for isolating, purifying, and concentrating the desired drug substance from the complex mixture obtained after upstream processing. For instance, in June 2023, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), a European trade association representing the pharmaceutical industry, reported that the total pharmaceutical production in Europe amounted to $384.2 billion (€340,000 million) in 2022, reflecting an increase of approximately 4.95% from $366.26 billion (€323,950 million) in 2021. Therefore, the rising demand in the biopharmaceutical sector is a key driver for the downstream processing market's growth.

A prominent trend gaining traction is the emphasis on product innovations. Leading companies in the market are dedicated to developing new technological solutions as part of their strategy to solidify their market presence. For example, in September 2022, Tosoh Bioscience LLC, a global chemical and specialty materials company based in the United States, introduced the Octave BIO Multi-Column Chromatography (MCC) system. This innovative system serves as a comprehensive solution for downstream process intensification, specifically designed for advanced biomolecule purification processes. Its modular design allows flexibility to accommodate diverse requirements, offering advantages such as resin and buffer cost savings.

A key focus of major companies in the downstream processing market is on pioneering solutions, including the implementation of flow cells to drive revenue growth. A flow cell is a specialized container designed for the continuous flow of liquid samples. For instance, in October 2023, SCHOTT AG, a Germany-based technology group specializing in specialty glass and glass-ceramics, launched ViewCell. This new component aims to facilitate safe and continuous process control, optimizing downstream operations in the biopharmaceutical industry. The flexibility provided by the viewcell flow cell is expected to enhance the efficiency of downstream processes in the biopharmaceutical industry.

In January 2023, Astea Bio separations, a UK-based provider of bioseparation and purification technologies, completed the acquisition of Delta Precision Ltd. for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition positions Astea Bio separations to strengthen its existing portfolio of bioprocessing resins, reusable columns, and prepacked single-use columns by incorporating a wide range of high-performance chromatography columns for biomanufacturing. Delta Precision Ltd., a UK-based manufacturer of advanced chromatography columns, produces products for various applications, including protein purification, vaccine production, and drug development.

Major companies operating in the downstream processing market include Sartorius AG, General Electric Company, Merck KGaA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Danaher Corporation, Repligen Corporation, Lonza Group Ltd., Eppendorf AG, Corning Corporation, Ashai Kasei Corporation, Finesse Solutions Inc., MilliporeSigma, Pall Corporation, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Charles River Laboratories International Inc., Waters Corporation, Becton Dickinson and Company (BD), Entegris Inc., Novasep, Avantor Sciences, Tecan Group, Agilent Technologies, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Ahlstrom-Munksjö Oyj, Grifols S.A., GenScript Biotech Corporation.

North America was the largest region in the downstream processing market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the global downstream processing market report during the forecast period. The regions covered in the downstream processing market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the downstream processing market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Downstream processing involves the retrieval and purification of a drug substance (DS) derived from natural sources such as animal or bacterial cells. It delineates the sequence of steps essential to generate a pure and uniform protein product from biological components such as cells, tissue culture fluid, or plant tissues.

Key products utilized in downstream processing encompass centrifuges, dryers, chromatography systems, filters, evaporators, and others. Various techniques are applied, including purification methods, solid-liquid separation, and clarification or concentration. Centrifuges are devices that leverage centrifugal force to separate materials based on different densities, eliminate moisture, or replicate the effects of gravity. They find applications in diverse areas such as monoclonal antibody production, vaccine production, insulin production, immunoglobulin production, erythropoietin production, and more.

The downstream processing market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides downstream processing market statistics, including downstream processing industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a downstream processing market share, detailed downstream processing market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the downstream processing industry. This downstream processing market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The downstream processing market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing downstream processing services such as cell separation, filtration, product recovery, extraction of products, and more. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The Downstream processing market also includes sales of small-scale fermenters, pilot-scale fermenters, centrifuges, and membrane filtration systems which are used in providing downstream processing services. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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