Serum Free Media Market Report 2025

The serum free media market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $1.6 billion in 2024 to $1.77 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.9%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to cell culture advancements, regulatory restrictions, demand for biopharmaceuticals, reduction in contamination risk.

The serum free media market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $2.83 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.4%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to bioprocessing expansion, cell therapy advancements, regulatory support, stem cell research, demand for vaccine production. Major trends in the forecast period include technological innovations, animal component-free solutions, customized media formulations, microcarrier culture systems, continuous bioprocessing.

The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases is poised to propel the expansion of the serum-free media market. Chronic diseases endure for extended periods, necessitating continual medical attention and often restricting daily activities. Serum-free media play a crucial role by enabling researchers to tailor the media to specific cell types, ensuring optimal growth conditions for cells. Researchers utilize serum-free media to cultivate cell types or perform specialized applications without serum, aiding in the development of new therapies and treatments for chronic diseases. For instance, projections from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in January 2023 anticipated a substantial surge of 99.5% by 2050 in the number of individuals aged 50 years and older afflicted with at least one chronic illness, climbing from 71.522 million in 2020 to 142.66 million. Thus, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases acts as a driving force behind the growth of the serum-free media market.

The escalating number of clinical trials is anticipated to drive the expansion of the serum-free media market. Clinical trials involve research studies conducted with human participants to assess the safety, efficacy, and/or effectiveness of new medical interventions, treatments, drugs, devices, or therapeutic strategies. Serum-free media contribute to the success of clinical trials by establishing a controlled and defined cell culture environment, ensuring scientific rigor, regulatory compliance, and addressing safety and ethical considerations in cell-based research. For example, data from ClinicalTrials.gov in December 2023 indicated that in 2022, a total of 437,515 clinical trials were registered, with 56,561 successfully completed. By December 20 of the subsequent year, there was an upsurge in both registration and completion figures, with 476,626 trials registered and 61,504 trials already completed. Therefore, the escalating number of clinical trials serves as a driving force behind the growth of the serum-free media market.

Leading companies in the serum-free media market are concentrating on developing innovative products, such as advanced CAR T-cell manufacturing solutions, to enhance cell therapy and cancer treatment progress. CAR T-cell manufacturing involves the process of modifying a patient's own T-cells (a specific type of immune cell) to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that targets particular cancer cells. For example, in May 2023, Lonza, a pharmaceutical company based in Switzerland, introduced TheraPEAK T-VIVO Cell Culture Medium. This specialized serum-free medium is designed for the growth and maintenance of various immune cell types, with a focus on CAR T-cell manufacturing. Notably, this medium features a chemically defined formulation that is serum-free and of non-animal origin (NAO), which significantly decreases variability and enhances consistency in T-cell culture processes.

Major companies operating in the serum-free media market are prioritizing partnerships to bolster their market profitability. Partnerships in serum-free media involve collaborative agreements and alliances among entities such as biotechnology firms, research institutions, and healthcare organizations, aimed at joint development, manufacturing, or advancement of serum-free cell culture media. For instance, in April 2023, Multus Biotechnology, a US-based manufacturer specializing in livestock farming growth media, partnered with Appleton Woods Limited, a UK-based supplier of laboratory equipment and reagents, to introduce Proliferum LSR. Multus introduced Proliferum LSR, an environmentally sustainable serum-free medium for cell growth, offering researchers consistent and reproducible outcomes while serving as an alternative to Fetal Bovine Serum. Additionally, the collaboration between Multus and Appleton Woods focuses on the exclusive distribution of Multus' Advanced Serum Free media range in the UK, aiming to provide advanced growth media formulations to life science researchers and contribute to the development of the sector. Multus' product portfolio includes Vitronectin, a recombinant human protein that enhances cell attachment and supports normal colony morphology across various cell types.

In November 2022, Angus, a company based in the US, acquired Expression Systems for an undisclosed sum. This acquisition is part of Angus's strategy to strengthen its leadership in the Life Sciences sector by enhancing its product portfolio in specialty cell culture media and related services, particularly within the baculovirus expression platform, thereby increasing customer value throughout all stages of bioprocessing. Expression Systems is a US-based biotechnology company that offers serum-free media.

Major companies operating in the serum free media market include Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Danaher Corp., Merck KgaA, FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific Inc., GE HealthCare Technologies Inc., Corning Inc., Lonza Group AG, Illumina Inc., Cytiva, Sigma-Aldrich, Bio-Techne Corporation, Serumwerk Bernburg AG, STEMCELL Technologies Inc., MP Bio medicals LLC, Gemcell Electrical Group., InVitria Inc., Takara Bio Inc., HiMedia Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., PAA Laboratories GmbH, PromoCell GmbH, Cellgenix Gmbh, Biochrom AG, Biological Industries, Pan Biotech GmbH, Biowest SAS, Bovogen Biologicals Pty Ltd, Athena Environmental Sciences Inc., Cell Culture Technologies LLC., BioSpherix Ltd., ZenBio Inc.

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

Serum-free media is a category of cell culture media designed for cultivating cells without the use of animal sera. This approach is adopted in cell culture to mitigate the risk of contamination and enhance control over the physiological responsiveness of the cells.

The primary types of serum-free media include Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell media, protein expression media, immunology media, insect cell media, hybridoma media, stem cell media, and chemically defined media. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell media, for example, is a chemically defined, protein-free, and serum-free medium specifically tailored for the proliferation of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and the expression of recombinant proteins in suspension culture. It finds applications in diverse fields such as biopharmaceutical production, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Users of this type of media include biopharmaceutical companies, clinical research organizations, academic research centers, and various other end-users.

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

The serum-free media market consists of sales of xeno-free, protein-free, and benchstable media. 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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