Antibody Discovery Market

In most of the cases, hit generation constitutes the majority of the R&D expenditure, leading to around 40% - 50% of the total cost, thus it is expected to hold the majority of the share of the antibody discovery services market.

-- President, US-based small sized company

Antibody Discovery Services and Platforms Market Overview

The global antibody discovery services and platforms market size is estimated to be worth over $1.6 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.0% during the forecast period. The usual drug development process, beginning from discovery to commercialization of a clinically validated product spans around 10-15 years and requires investments of over $2 billion. However, despite the extensive efforts and investments, over 90% of the drug candidates fail in clinical trials. In order to streamline the drug development processes, reduce timelines, and mitigate financial risks associated with failed trials, pharmaceutical players are increasingly outsourcing various aspects of their discovery-stage operations to specialized contract research organizations (CROs). By leveraging the capabilities of such antibody CRO, companies engaged in the antibody discovery market can optimize internal resource utilization and cost saving. Such strategic collaborations allow antibody discovery companies to tap into a global network of scientific talent, which leads to the enhancement of the overall efficiency and success rate of bringing novel antibody-based therapeutics to the market.

Since the approval of the first monoclonal antibody-based therapy, Orthoclone OKT3®, in 1986, such antibodies have evolved into a versatile class of biopharmaceuticals, undergoing significant advancements in engineering, diversification of formats, and innovative discovery methods. Currently, more than 160 monoclonal antibodies have been approved by the various regulatory agencies around the world to be used in humans for the treatment of various diseases, including cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Some of the recently approved monoclonal antibody therapies include (in reverse chronological order of their approval date) ELREXFIO™ (August 2023), TALVEY™ (August 2023), Rystiggo® (June 2023), COLUMVI® (June 2023) and EPKINLY™ (May 2023). Owing to the complexities associated with the discovery of such monoclonal antibodies, many firms are opting to license and utilize specialized antibody discovery platforms and technologies. Further, given the rising demand for antibody based therapeutics and growing preference for outsourcing, we are led to believe that the opportunity for antibody discovery services and platforms is likely to increase at a significant growth rate in the foreseen future.

Key Market Insights

The Antibody Discovery Services and Platforms Market (5th Edition): Distribution by Type of Service Offered (Antigen Designing, Hit Generation, Lead Selection, Lead Optimization, Lead Characterization), Antibody Discovery Method (Hybridoma based, Library based, Single Cell based, Transgenic Animal based), Type of Antibody Generated (Monoclonal Antibodies, Bispecific Antibodies and Others), Nature of Antibody Generated (Chimeric, Human, Humanized and Murine), Type of Therapeutic Areas (Cardiovascular Disorders, Immunological Disorders, Infectious Disorders, Neurological Disorders, Oncological Disorders and Others) and Key Geographies (North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa and Rest of the World): Industry Trends and Global Forecasts, 2023-2035 report features an extensive study of the current market landscape, market size and future opportunities within the antibody drug discovery services and platforms market during the forecast period. The market report highlights the efforts of the various stakeholders engaged in this rapidly emerging segment of the pharmaceutical industry. Key takeaways of the antibody drug discovery services and platforms market are briefly discussed below.

Increasing Reliance on Outsourcing of Antibody Discovery to Contract Research Organizations

Outsourcing has been a strategic deployment of the pharmaceutical industry, for the past several decades, where companies delegate their various tasks to external vendors, in order to improve innovation and efficiency of their candidates. The contract research and manufacturing organizations accelerate the development timelines and ensure compliance with stringent regulations through their expertise. These organizations offer risk sharing and transfer and enhance adaptability to market growth. The growing interest in outsourcing of biopharmaceutical operations can be attributed to the need for rapid market access and the rising development costs. As pharmaceutical companies continue to embrace this trend, outsourcing is expected to continue to evolve the industry's landscape, optimizing operations and driving progress in therapeutic innovations.

Key Drivers of the Global Market for Antibody Discovery Services and Technologies

Recent advancements in biotechnology, increasing demand for targeted therapies, ever-increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, increase in R&D expenditure in pharma and growing trend for outsourcing antibody discovery are some of the key drivers of the antibody drug discovery services and antibody discovery platforms market growth. In addition, the increasing number of collaborations between academic institutions and antibody discovery companies engaged in this industry contributes to the market growth. It is interesting to note that recently, in May 2023, Nona Biosciences signed an agreement with ModeX Therapeutics in order to integrate Harbour Mice® technology into the latter’s MSTAR platform for the discovery of improved treatment options. 

Market Trends: Increase in Funding Activity in the Antibody Drug Discovery Service and Platform Domain

Owing to the increase in applications of antibody drug discovery services and platforms, the industry has garnered significant interest from investors, which has resulted in a strong spur in investment activity in this market. For instance, in January 2023, IASO Biotherapeutics USD 75 million in a venture series C round. Further, it is worth highlighting that, in the past two years, four antibody discovery companies (Apexigen, Biocytogen, Shandong Boan Biotechnology and Twist Bioscience) have collectively raised over USD 375 million through initial public offerings. The funds raised by the companies operating in antibody discovery market will continue to advance the development of next generation antibody discovery platforms, which will support the development of novel antibody-based therapeutics driving the market growth over the forecast period.

Furthermore, several companies are entering into mergers and acquisitions to expand the service offerings in the antibody discovery market. In March 2023, Twist Bioscience announced the launch of its antibody discovery services under the Twist Biopharma Solutions subsidiary. The company acquired Abveris, an antibody discovery CRO in 2022 to gain hold of its single cell screening and hybridoma approach.

Recent Trends on the Licensing of Antibody Discovery Platforms

Licensing of antibody discovery platforms enables the companies to access innovative tools and methods for developing therapeutic antibodies, allowing firms to leverage specialized expertise and expand their R&D capabilities by avoiding the spend on the technology. Recent trends highlight a growing emphasis on collaborations and partnerships between academic institutes, biotechnology startups, and established pharmaceutical companies. Various key players engaged in this market have undertaken various initiatives to out-license / in-license several such antibody discovery platforms. For instance, recently, in June 2023, AbTherx entered into an agreement with Gilead Sciences in order to in-license latter’s novel transgenic mouse technology, named Atlas™ Mice. In addition, in January 2023, Hummingbird Bioscience entered into an agreement with Synaffix in order to utilize Synaffix’s proprietary technologies, GlycoConnect™ and HydraSpace™. 
 
Market Size: Key Segments of the Antibody Drug Discovery Services and Platforms Market

The global market size for antibody drug discovery services and platforms is anticipated to grow at an annualized CAGR of 11.0%, during the forecast period, 2023-2035. At present, the hit generation segment captures the largest market share (40%) of the overall antibody discovery services and platforms market. The hit generation step, which usually employs high-throughput screening and computational methods to accelerate drug discovery, generally accounts for the major proportion of the R&D expenditure in the antibody discovery processes. Given its significance in antibody discovery processes, this trend is unlikely to change during the forecast period. Further, in terms of the antibody discovery method, hybridoma method captures the largest market share (over 30%) of the overall antibody discovery services and platforms market. Owing the capability of hybridoma method to lead the fusion of antibody-producing B cells with myeloma cells in order to create immortalized cell lines capable of continuous antibody manufacturing, this method has proven valuable for generating targeted antibodies for various therapeutic and research applications.

Regional Analysis: North America Holds the Largest Market Share of Antibody Drug Discovery Services and Platforms Market

Presently, close to 40% of the market is captured by companies based in North America. Driven by the rising interest in advanced antibody discovery platforms and increasing need for outsourcing in the pharmaceutical industry, the market size for antibody drug discovery services and platforms in North America is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 12%, during the forecast period, 2023-2035. Several factors contribute to the region’s dominance in this domain, which include the presence of big pharma companies with well-established R&D divisions that foster innovation and drive the demand for advanced antibody discovery platforms. 

Key Players Engaged in Antibody Discovery Services and Platforms Market 

Examples of key players (which have also been profiled in this market report) engaged in antibody discovery market include (in alphabetical order) Ablexis, Antibody Solutions, ChemPartner, Creative Biolabs, GenScript, Genmab, Harbour BioMed, ImmunoPrecise, Mabsilico, Myrio Therapeutics, Nona Biosciences, Rockland Immunochemicals, Synbio technologies and WuXi Biologics. This market report includes an easily searchable excel database of all the antibody discovery service providers and antibody discovery platform providers worldwide.

Recent Developments in Antibody Discovery Services and Platforms Market

Several recent developments have taken place in the field of antibody discovery in terms of both services and platforms. We’ve outlined some of these recent initiatives below. These developments, even if they took place post the release of our market report, substantiate the overall market trends that we’ve outlined in our analysis.

• In June 2023, AbTherx announced the launch of its transgenic mouse-based antibody discovery platform, Atlas™ Mice. 
• In June 2023, another China based company Sanyou Biopharmaceuticals launched its Sanyou Super Trillion Common Light Chain Antibody Discovery Platform, which supports the discovery of bispecific antibody formats.

Scope of the Report

The market report presents an in-depth analysis of the various firms / organizations that are engaged in antibody discovery services market, across different segments as defined in the below table:

Key Report Attributes	Details
Historical Trend	2017 – 2021
Base Year	2022
Forecast Period	2023 – 2035
Market Size 2023	$1.6 Billion
CAGR	12.0%
Type of Service Offered	Antigen Designing Hit Generation Lead Selection Lead Optimization Lead Characterization
Antibody Discovery Method	Hybridoma Based Library Based Single Cell Based Transgenic Animal Based
Type of Antibody Generated	Monoclonal Antibodies Bispecific Antibodies Others
Nature of Antibody Generated	Chimeric Human Humanized Murine
Type of Therapeutic Area	Cardiovascular Disorders Immunological Disorders Infectious Disorders Neurological Disorders Oncological Disorders Others
Key Geographical Regions	North America Europe Asia Latin America Middle East and North Africa Rest of the World
Key Companies Profiled	Ablexis Antibody Solutions ChemPartner Creative Biolabs GenScript Genmab Harbour BioMed ImmunoPrecise MabSilico Myrio Therapeutics Nona Biosciences Rockland Immunochemicals Synbio technologies  WuXi Biologics (Full list of over 350 companies captured available in the report)
Customization Scope	15% Free Customization Option
PowerPoint Presentation (Complimentary)	Available
Excel Data Packs (Complimentary)	Antibody Discovery Service Providers: Current Market Landscape Antibody Discovery Platforms: Current Market Landscape Company Competitiveness Analysis Technology Competitiveness Analysis Partnerships and Collaborations Analysis Funding and Investment Analysis Licensing Deal Structure Antibody Discovery Service Providers: Market Forecast and Opportunity Analysis Antibody Discovery Platforms / Technologies: Market Forecast and Opportunity Analysis

 

The market research report presents an in-depth analysis, highlighting the capabilities of various companies engaged in this industry, across different geographies. Amongst other elements, the market report features:

 

• A preface providing an introduction to the full report, Antibody Discovery Services and Platforms Market (5th Edition), 2017-2022 (Historical Trends) and 2023-2035 (Forecasted Estimates).
• An outline of the systematic research methodology adopted to conduct the study on antibody discovery services and platforms market, providing insights on the various assumptions, methodologies, and quality control measures employed to ensure accuracy and reliability of our findings.
• An overview of economic factors that impact the overall antibody discovery services and platforms market, which include historical trends, currency fluctuation, foreign exchange impact, recession, and inflation measurement.
• An executive summary of the key insights captured in our research. It offers a high-level view on the current state of the antibody discovery services and platforms market and its likely evolution in the short to mid and long term.
• A general introduction of antibodies, featuring details on their historical background, structure, isotypes, mechanism of action and applications. It also emphasizes the different types of antibodies, namely monoclonal, bispecific and polyclonal antibodies.
• A detailed overview on the antibody discovery process and the various methods used in the discovery of these therapeutic biomolecules. It also features a comparison of different antibody discovery methods that are currently available. Additionally, the chapter provides insights on the gradual shift in development trends of monoclonal antibodies over the last three decades, tracking the transition from fully murine to fully human product variants.
• A general overview of the current market landscape of over 160 service providers that are currently active in the antibody discovery services market. It features a detailed analysis of these service providers based on several parameters, such as year of establishment, company size, location of headquarters, type of service offered (antigen designing, hit generation, lead selection, and lead optimization and lead characterization), type of antibody discovery method (hybridoma based, library based, single cell based, transgenic animal based, and others), animal model used (rabbit, rat, mouse, llama, chicken, transgenic animal and others), type of antibody discovered (monoclonal antibody, bispecific antibody, single domain antibody, antibody drug conjugate, antibody fragment and others) and purpose of antibody discovery (therapeutic and diagnostic).
• An insightful competitiveness analysis of antibody discovery service providers that we came across during our research. The analysis compares the companies based on their years of experience, number of platforms, number of antibody discovery services offered, types of antibody discovery methods adopted, type of antibody formats generated, type of application areas. The chapter also presents the antibody discovery capabilities in different regions, based on a number of relevant parameters, such as type of service offered for service providers, and number of technologies offered, number of antibody discovery methods and type of antibody discovered by the platform providers.
• Detailed profiles of the stakeholders that are actively engaged in providing antibody discovery services to biopharmaceutical companies. Each company profile includes a brief overview of the company, recent developments and an informed future outlook.
• An overview of the current market landscape of over 290 antibody discovery platforms, including in-depth analyses on type of antibody discovered (monoclonal antibody, bispecific antibody, single domain antibody, antibody drug conjugate, antibody fragment and others), type of antibody discovery method (hybridoma based, library-based, single cell-based, transgenic animal-based, and others) and animal model used (rabbit, rat, mouse, llama, chicken, transgenic animal and others). In addition, the chapter highlights insightful analyses of 190+ antibody discovery platform providers based on their company details such as year of establishment, company size and location of headquarters. 
• An insightful competitiveness analysis of antibody discovery technologies, highlighting the leading players in this market, taking into consideration the supplier power (based on the year of establishment of the platform provider) and key specifications of the platforms, such as type of antibody discovered, compatibility of antibodies in human, number of deals signed for a particular platform (2015-2023).  
• Detailed profiles of the stakeholders, which actively provide access / licenses to their antibody discovery platform / technology to other companies. Each company profile includes a brief overview of the company, details on antibody discovery platforms / technology, recent developments and an informed future outlook.
• An in-depth analysis and discussion on the various partnerships that have been inked between the players in antibody discovery services and platforms market in the time period between 2021 and 2023. It includes a brief description of partnership models (such as acquisitions, clinical trial agreements, mergers, multipurpose agreements, product / technology licensing agreements, product development and commercialization agreements, research and development agreements, service agreements, technology integration agreements, technology utilization agreements) adopted by the stakeholders.
• An analysis of the funding and investments made in antibody discovery services and platforms market during the period 2016-2023, including seed financing, venture capital financing, debt financing, grants, capital raised from IPOs and subsequent offerings, at various stages of antibody discovery. 
• An insightful deal structure analysis, highlighting cash flows and net present values of licensor and licensee, taking into consideration multiple likely scenarios of upfront, milestone and royalty payments.
• A SWOT analysis on antibody humanization services, highlighting industry-specific trends, key market drivers and challenges for players engaged in providing such services. In addition, the chapter presents a list of key players that perform antibody humanization and affinity maturation services along with information on their respective location and the methodology adopted by such players. Further, this chapter elaborates on the factors that are likely to influence the activities of companies engaged in offering such services.
• Detailed profiles of the most successful therapeutic monoclonal antibody products (as per sales reported in 2022). It provides detailed profiles on top five drugs, namely Humira®, Keytruda®, Stelara®, Opdivo® and Darzalex®, including information on their historical sales, discovery process and methods.
• An overview of future growth opportunities in the field of antibody discovery. The chapter discusses the upcoming antibody therapeutics and technologies, which are being developed / adopted by the antibody drug discovery service and platform providers that are likely to have influence on the industry’s evolution over the coming decade.

One of the key objectives of the market report was to estimate the current opportunity and future growth potential for antibody discovery services and platforms market over the forecast period. We have provided informed estimates on the likely evolution of the market for the forecast period, 2023-2035. Our year-wise projections of the current and future opportunity have further been segmented based on relevant parameters, such as various steps involved in antibody discovery (antigen designing, hit generation, lead selection, lead optimization and lead characterization), antibody discovery method (hybridoma based, library-based, single cell-based, transgenic animal-based, animal-based and others), type of antibody generated (monoclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies and others), nature of antibody generated (chimeric, human, humanized and murine), type of therapeutic areas (cardiovascular disorders, immunological disorders, infectious disorders, neurological disorders, oncological disorders and others) and key geographical regions (North America, Europe and Asia, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa, and rest of the world). In order to account for future uncertainties and to add robustness to our model, we have provided three forecast scenarios, namely conservative, base and optimistic scenarios, representing different tracks of the market growth.

The opinions and insights presented in the market report were influenced by discussions held with stakeholders in the industry. The report features detailed transcripts of interviews held with the following industry stakeholders:

• Founder and President, Small Company, USA
• Chief Business Officer, Mid-sized Company, USA
• Vice President of Commercial Services, Mid-sized Company, USA
• Chief Business Officer, Mid-sized Company, USA
• Former Chief Executive Officer, Large Company, USA
• Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Small Company, USA
• Former Chief Business Officer, Small Company, USA
• Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, Small Company, USA
• Site Director, Small Company, USA
• Co-founder and Director of Emerging Science and Technology, Large Company, Canda
• Co-founder and Director, Small Company, India
• President and Chief Operating Officer, Small Company, USA
• Chief Executive Officer, Small Company, Taiwan
• Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, Small Company, Germany
• Business Development Manager, Small Company, USA
• Senior Vice President, Mid-sized Company, USA
• Former Chief Scientific Officer, Mid-sized Company, USA

All actual figures have been sourced and analyzed from publicly available information forums and primary research discussions. Financial figures mentioned in this market report are in USD, unless otherwise specified.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: What are antibody discovery services?

Answer: Antibody discovery services are service offerings of the pharmaceutical contract research organizations to assist in the identification of the antibody drug targets and development of antibodies.

Question 2: What are the methods of antibody discovery?

Answer: Antibody discovery utilizes various techniques, such as phage display, hybridoma technology, and next generation sequencing, to generate antibodies that can target specific antigens.

Question 3: What is the importance of antibody drug discovery services and platforms in the healthcare sector?

Answer: Antibody drug discovery services and platforms are vital in expediting the development of antibodies. Such offerings provide pharmaceutical companies with specialized expertise, advanced technologies, and cost efficiencies. Further, it helps to accelerate drug development and allows faster commercialization of a drug candidate.

Question 4: What is the likely market size of the antibody discovery services and platforms market?

Answer: The global antibody discovery services and platforms market is expected to be worth USD 32.1 billion by 2035.

Question 5: What is the estimated growth rate (CAGR) of the antibody discovery services and platforms market?

Answer: The global antibody discovery services and platforms market size is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.0%, during the forecast period 2023-2035.

Question 6: Which region is likely to hold the largest market share in the global antibody discovery services and platforms market?

Answer: Currently, North America and Europe collectively hold 65% of the market share. However, in the long run, the market in Asia is expected to grow at a relatively faster pace.

Question 7: What is the trend of capital investments in the antibody discovery services and platforms market?

Answer: Owing to the lucrative market opportunity associated with antibody discovery services and platforms, several investors have collectively invested nearly USD 24 billion, during the period 2016-2023.

Question 8: Which antibody discovery step currently accounts for the largest market share in the antibody discovery services and platforms market?

Answer: At present, the hit generation segment captures the largest market share (40%) of the overall antibody discovery services and platforms market. This trend is unlikely to change during the forecast period.

Question 9: Which are the leading market segments in antibody discovery services and platforms market, in terms of antibody discovery method?

Answer: At present, the hybridoma segment captures the largest market share (over 30%) of the overall antibody discovery services and platforms market.

Question 10: What are the key factors contributing to the growth of antibody discovery services and platforms market?

Answer: The antibody discovery services and platforms market is likely to be driven by increasing demand for therapeutic antibodies, advancements in screening and computational methods, customization for personalized treatments, increasing number of strategic collaborations, emerging disease targets, and integration of data science and AI for improved efficiency.