DNA Encoded Library Market

DNA Encoded Library Market Overview

The global DNA encoded library market is estimated to be worth USD 840 million in 2023 and is expected to grow at compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16% during the forecast period 2023-2035. Over the years, DNA encoded libraries have emerged as a powerful platform for drug discovery, enabling the synthesis and screening of millions of small molecules in a single study. DNA encoded libraries are collections of small molecules attached with DNA tags, which serve as barcodes to identify the molecules. Further, the use of DNA encoded chemical library has gained momentum in recent years due to their ability to accelerate the drug discovery process by reducing the time and cost associated with traditional high-throughput screening methods. Moreover, the increasing demand for innovative therapies to treat complex diseases, such as oncological disorders and neurological disorders, has led to a surge in the development of DNA encoded libraries. Additionally, the growing adoption of DNA encoded chemical library by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions and contract research organizations has further propelled the market growth of this industry. Driven by the ongoing pace of innovation in this field and sufficient financial support from investors, the DNA encoded library market is likely to witness substantial growth during the forecast period.

Key Market Insights

The DNA Encoded Library Market: Platforms and Services (2nd Edition) - Distribution by Application Area (Hit Generation / Identification, Hit to Lead, Hit Validation / Optimization and Other Application Areas), Therapeutic Area (Oncological Disorders, Immunological Disorders, Neurological Disorders, Respiratory Disorders, Dermatological Disorders, Cardiovascular Disorders, Infectious Diseases and Other Therapeutic Areas),  End-users (Pharma / Biopharma Industry, Academic / Research Institute and Other End-users), Type of Payment Model Employed (Upfront Payment and Milestone Payment) and Key Geographical Regions (North America - US, Europe - UK, Germany, Denmark, France, Switzerland and Rest of the Europe, and Asia-Pacific - China): Industry Trends and Global Forecasts, 2023-2035 market report features an extensive study of the current market landscape, market size and future opportunities for the DNA encoded library companies, during the given forecast period. Further, the report highlights the efforts of several stakeholders engaged in this rapidly emerging segment of the pharmaceutical industry. Key takeaways of the DNA encoded library market report are briefly discussed below. 

Growing Interest in DNA Encoded Library for Lead Screening and Lead Optimization

DNA encoded libraries (also known as DELs), owing to their advantages over high-throughput screening, have emerged to be a sophisticated combinatorial drug discovery tool for the synthesis and screening of large collections of small molecule compounds. Interestingly, DNA encoded libraries encompassing as high as 40 trillion different molecules has been developed, enabling screening, hit identification and discovery of pharmacological leads, such as macrocycles, natural products and small molecules. Furthermore, single DNA encoded library has proven to be a helpful tool in lead optimization against undruggable and unique targets and accelerating the drug development process. 

Moreover, the introduction of automated screening of small organic ligands using DEL technology has enabled the identification of potential lead molecules within a time span of a few days. As a result, a large number of pharmaceutical companies and academic / research institutions are investing in this technology to accelerate the drug discovery process and bring new treatments to patients faster. Furthermore, it has been observed that DNA encoded library is being applied for purposes beyond drug discovery. For instance, a collaboration was established in 2022 between X-Chem and Enko to enhance the Enkompass platform for the development of solutions focused on crop protection. 

Competitive Landscape Analysis: DNA Encoded Library Companies

DNA encoded library market landscape features the presence of close to 50 large, mid-sized and small companies offering various services related to DNA encoded libraries for the purpose of drug discovery, including hit identification, hit optimization / validation and lead generation. It is worth highlighting that several big pharma companies are also using DNA encoded libraries for drug discovery. For instance, Amgen uses its DNA encoded library (owned post-acquisition of Nuevolution) for in-house drug development purposes.  Other big pharma companies such as GSK, Pfizer, Roche, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi and Janssen are also using DEL technology either through in-house capability or collaboration with a DEL technology / service provider.

Technology Analysis: Emergence of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in DNA Encoded Library Market

Owing to its access to the largest chemical space available in the market, DNA encoded chemical library platforms are a natural fit for big data analytics and modeling technologies offered by artificial intelligence and machine learning. As a result, some companies have been pursuing this opportunity by integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning in DNA encoded libraries, including Insitro, a leading player in machine learning for drug discovery, which acquired Haystack Sciences in 2020.  Insitro made the acquisition to leverage Haystack Sciences DNA sequencing technology to enhance its machine learning based drug discovery capability. Additionally, Google Research also collaborated with X-Chem in 2020 to develop an effective method for finding biologically active molecules using physical and virtual screening. Further, in 2021, Relay Therapeutics acquired ZebiAI for USD 85 million upfront, allowing them to incorporate the machine learning based DNA encoded chemical library technology into their protein targeting platform, Dynamo. 

Strategic Alliances and Acquisitions have Fueled DNA Encoded Library Market Growth

Several stakeholders have been forging alliances with other industry / non-industry players in DNA encoded library market for platform and product licensing, research and development and product development purposes. It is worth highlighting that, since 2010, over 175 strategic partnerships have been inked in the DNA encoded library market. A notable example of partnership inked in 2023 includes research agreement between Orbit Discovery and SanegeneBio to identify and optimize hits focused on the disease-causing gene. 

Owing to several advantages of DNA encoded libraries in drug discovery, the stakeholders are also acquiring other industry players specializing in various aspects of DNA encoded library in order to expand their capabilities and to build a comprehensive product / service portfolio. In October 2021, X-Chem acquired Glamorous.AI, a biotechnology firm, to incorporate artificial intelligence in DNA encoded libraries and operate as a one-stop-shop in the DNA encoded library market. 

Market Trends Analysis: Increase in Funding and Intellectual Property Landscape Reflect the Rising Interest in DNA Encoded Chemical Library Market

The growing interest in DNA encoded library market can be validated by the fact that in the last two years, close to USD 2.5 billion has been invested by several investors based across the globe, in companies engaged in the development of DNA encoded libraries. It is worth noting that, majority of the funds have been raised through venture rounds. In terms of the funding amount raised, Relay Therapeutics and DiCE Therapeutics are the leading DNA encoded library companies, owing to the secondary offerings received in 2022, respectively.

Interestingly, the patent filing activity in the industry has also witnessed a growth rate of over 20%, in the last decade. Consistent support from the venture capital firms is anticipated to ensure the development of more advanced DNA encoded chemical libraries.

Market Analysis: DNA Encoded Library Market Size

The global DNA encoded library market is estimated to be worth USD 840 million in 2023. Currently, the market is likely to be driven by two business models; the first involves the out-licensing of proprietary DNA encoded library platforms to interested clients and the second involves charging fee-for-service to conduct research using their libraries. As the promise of DNA encoded library-based drug discovery is realized, the business models will become more collaborative in nature. The presence of big pharmaceuticals will play a major role in establishing the confidence of the industry in DEL technology. In late 2021, Amgen moved one of its small molecule drugs AMG 193, identified using Amgen’s proprietary DEL technology, to phase I/II clinical trial. The trial is active and recruiting participants with metastatic or locally advanced methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP)-null solid tumors. The market size is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.04% during the forecast period, mainly driven by the number of DNA encoded library discovered small molecule drugs reaching clinical trials. 

Regional Analysis: North America to Hold the Largest DNA Encoded Library Market Share

In the past few years, several well-funded start-ups / small companies, offering DNA encoded library platforms and associated services have been established. Of these, the majority of companies are headquartered in North America and Europe. Consequently, more than 70% of the global market of DNA encoded libraries is anticipated to be captured by players based in North America and Europe, in 2035. These companies will support the drug discovery initiatives of pharmaceutical drug developers, generating revenues through out-licensing or fee-for-service models.

Leading DNA Encoded Library Companies

Examples of the key DNA encoded library companies (the complete list of players is available in the full report) include BOC Sciences, DyNAbind, Edelris, GenScript, HitGen, NovAliX, PROVendis, SpiroChem, Vipergen, WuXi AppTec and X-Chem. This market report also includes an easily searchable excel database of all the DNA encoded library companies worldwide.

Recent Developments in DNA Encoded Library Market

Several recent developments have taken place in the field of DNA encoded library market. We have 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 have been outlined in our analysis.

• In March 2023, Philogen in collaboration with Google announced the publication of a new study focused on the utilization of Machine Learning models for the screening of DNA-Encoded Chemical Libraries (DELs). 
• In January 2023, X-Chem announced the expansion of its collaboration with Kymera Therapeutics to serve as the primary provider of DNA-encoded library (DEL)-based screening services to Kymera. 
• In January 2023, X-Chem collaborated with Sironax to leverage its DEL platform to support Sironax’s drug discovery pipeline.

Scope of the Report

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

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

• An executive summary of the insights captured in our research. It presents a high-level view on the current scenario within the DNA encoded library market and its evolution in the mid to long term.
• A general overview of DNA encoded libraries, along with the information on the encoding strategies for library construction, comparison of traditional libraries and DNA encoded libraries, key advantages and challenges within this market.
• A detailed assessment of the overall landscape of DNA encoded library service providers / platform providers / in-house companies, based on various relevant parameters, such as year of establishment, company size (in terms of employee count), location of headquarters, type of organization (academic / research institute, biopharmaceutical, contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), contract manufacturing organization (CMO) and contract research organization (CRO)), library size (<1 billion, 1-10 billion and >10 billion), library synthesis method(s) (DNA-conjugate, self-assembled, DNA-directed and unspecified library synthesis method), library screening method(s) (conventional screening, Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML)-based screening and unspecified screening method), type of product(s) offered (proprietary library, DEL synthesis package / kit and ancillary tools), type of service(s) offered (type of library design service(s) offered - codon (oligo) sequence design and synthesis and custom library design / synthesis, and type of library screening service(s) offered - hit identification, hit optimization / validation, hit to lead, sequencing, data analysis and other / unspecified services offered), type of pharmacological lead(s) (small molecules, macrocycles / peptides and other / unspecified molecules), therapeutic target(s) (G protein-coupled receptors, protein-protein interactions, enzyme targets, membrane proteins, nucleic acids, undruggable biological targets and other / unspecified therapeutic target), therapeutic area(s) (oncological disorders, cardiovascular disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, inflammatory disorders, metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, ophthalmic disorders and other / unspecified therapeutic areas) and end-user(s) (academic / research institute and pharma / biopharma industry).
• A detailed analysis of various business models adopted by the companies providing DNA encoded library platforms and services, include operational model, service centric model and product centric model.
• A detailed competitiveness analysis of DNA encoded libraries platform and service providers based on supplier strength (in terms of year of establishment and company size) and company competitiveness (in terms of type of business model, number of products offered, number of services offered, number of platforms, number of pharmacological leads, number of therapeutic area and number of therapeutic target).
• Elaborate profiles of the prominent platform and service providers (shortlisted based on a proprietary criterion) engaged in this market. Each profile features a brief overview of the company (including information on its year of establishment, number of employees, location of headquarters and key members of the executive team), DNA encoded library platform and service portfolio, recent developments and an informed future outlook.
• A detailed analysis of the partnerships inked between industry / non-industry stakeholders engaged in this industry, since 2010, covering research agreements, R&D agreements, license agreements (specific to technology platforms and product candidates), product development agreements, product development and commercialization agreements, mergers and acquisitions and other relevant agreements.
• An analysis of funding and investments that have been made into companies having proprietary DNA encoded chemical library, including venture capital financing, capital raised from IPOs and subsequent offerings, grants, and debt financing. It includes a detailed analysis of the funding instances that have taken place during the period 2018 to 2023, highlighting the growing interest of venture capital (VC) community and other strategic investors in this market.
• An in-depth analysis of various patents that have been filed / granted related to DNA encoded chemical library, since 2005, taking into consideration several parameters, such as publication year, application year, patent jurisdiction, CPC symbols, leading players (in terms of number of patents filled / granted) and type of organization. In addition, the chapter includes a detailed patent benchmarking and an insightful patent valuation analysis, highlighting the leading patents (in terms of number of citations).
• A detailed analysis of various DNA encoded libraries focused initiatives undertaken by big pharma players (shortlisted on the basis of the revenues generated in 2022), featuring heat map representations that highlight the distribution of top pharmaceutical companies and spider web representations, comparing the initiatives of big pharma players based on multiple relevant parameters.
• A case study on companies / organizations that are presently engaged in supporting the development of DNA encoded libraries. Further, chapter also includes analysis based on various relevant parameters, such as year of establishment, company size (in terms of employee count), location of headquarters (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific), type of organization (pharma / biopharma industry and academic / research institutes) and types of support services / ancillary tools offered (building blocks, oligos, scaffolds and other support services / ancillary tools).

One of the key objectives of this market report was to estimate the current market size, opportunity and the future growth potential of the DNA encoded library market, over the forecast period. We have provided informed estimates on the likely evolution of the market for the forecast period, 2023-2035, Additionally, historical trend of the market has also been presented for the time period, 2017-2022. Further, our year-wise projections of the current and forecasted opportunity have been segmented based on relevant parameters, such as application areas (hit generation / identification, hit to lead, hit validation / optimization and other application areas), therapeutic area (oncological disorders, immunological disorders, neurological disorders, respiratory disorders, dermatological disorders, cardiovascular disorders, infectious diseases and other therapeutic areas), end-user (pharma / biopharma industry, academic / research institute and other end-users), type of payment method (upfront payment and milestone payment) and key geographical regions (North America - US, Europe - UK, Germany, Denmark, France, Switzerland and Rest of the Europe, and Asia-Pacific - China). In order to account for future uncertainties associated with some of the key parameters and to add robustness to our model, we have provided three market forecast scenarios, namely conservative, base and optimistic scenarios, representing different tracks of the market growth.
The opinions and insights presented in the report were influenced by discussions held with stakeholders in this industry. The report also features detailed transcripts of interviews held with various industry stakeholders.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: What is a DNA encoded library?

Answer: A DNA encoded library is a collection of small molecules attached with DNA-tags that have unique information about the identity and the structure of each library member. DNA encoded library platform enables efficient synthesis, handling and interrogation of vast number of chemically synthesized drug-like compounds.

Question 2: What is DNA encoded library screening?

Answer: The high-throughput screening capability of DNA encoded libraries allows for the rapid identification of potential drug candidates, making them particularly useful in the early stages of drug discovery when a large number of compounds need to be tested.

Question 3: How are DNA encoded libraries made?

Answer: The development of a DNA encoded library is based on tagging small molecules / organic leads with short DNA sequences and then utilizing combinatorial chemistry to generate a huge number of structurally and functionally varied compounds with unique DNA tags.

Question 4: How is information in DNA encoded?

Answer: Presently, DNA-recorded synthesis formats are widely used to encode information in DNA, which involve a series of reactions in the solution phase. Apart from this, encoding by ligation of single-stranded oligonucleotide, encoding by ligation of double-stranded oligonucleotide and encoding by polymerase-catalysed fill-in reaction are some of the encoding strategies used for encoding the information in DNA.

Question 5: How DNA encoded libraries are revolutionizing drug discovery?

Answer: DNA encoded libraries have transformed drug discovery by providing a diverse range of compounds that can be screened for potential drugs. This method is faster and more efficient than traditional screening methods and can identify novel compounds that may have been missed otherwise. It also provides valuable information on the structure and interactions of lead molecules.

Question 6: What are the advantages of DNA encoded library?

Answer: DNA encoded library technology is very helpful during the early stages of drug discovery since it requires less investment, time and storage space to identify target compounds. Apart from these, there are several other advantages as well, such as cost-effective process, rapid screening of large number of leads and hit identification against undruggable targets.

Question 7: How many companies are developing DNA encoded libraries?

Answer: Presently, close to 50 companies are offering services related to DNA encoded libraries for the purpose of drug discovery. Majority of the encoded libraries are designed to identify leads against protein pump inhibitors, which are otherwise difficult to screen using traditional libraries.

Question 8: Which type of business model is widely adopted by companies in DNA encoded library market?

Answer: The DNA encoded library market is likely to be driven by two business models; the first involves out-licensing of proprietary library platforms to interested clients and the second involves charging fee-for-service to conduct research using their libraries.

Question 9: What is the current landscape of patents filed for DNA encoded libraries?

Answer: A total of 403 patents have been filed in the field of DNA encoded libraries. Of these, 277 patents are patent applications, while 114 are granted patents. Of the total granted patents, around 65% patents have been filed in the US.

Question 10: Who are the key players in the DNA encoded library market?

Answer: Examples of key players engaged in DNA encoded library market (which have also been captured in this report) include BOC Sciences, DyNAbind, Edelris, GenScript, HitGen, NovAliX, PROVendis, SpiroChem, Vipergen, WuXi AppTec and X-Chem.

Question 11: What are the leading market segments in the global DNA encoded library market?

Answer: In terms of type of therapeutic area, oncological disorders currently account for the largest share (35%) of the global DNA encoded library market. Further, in terms of application area, hit generation / identification is likely to capture over 60% of the current and future market.

Question 12: Which region captures the largest share in the DNA encoded library market?

Answer: Presently, the DNA encoded library market is dominated by North America, capturing around 45% of the overall market size.

Question 13: What is the likely growth rate (CAGR) for DNA encoded library market?

Answer: The DNA encoded library market is projected to grow at an annualized rate (CAGR) of ~17%, during the forecast period 2023-2035.