Market for IHC Tests Growing in Europe

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is emerging as an important tool for cancer diagnostics in Europe, following the development of new-generation diagnostic kits that can detect cancer at its earliest stages, according to a new report from Frost & Sullivan (Palo Alto, CA, USA), an international consulting firm.

Recent campaigns in Europe that improved patient management by encouraging people to test themselves for certain subtypes of cancer indicate that the focus of IHC diagnostics should be on early detection and treatment. Market revenues for IHC diagnostics are forecast to increase to U.S.$48.1 million by 2011 at an estimated compound annual growth rate of 4.7%.

"Timely disease detection offers compelling advantages such as reduced need for expensive therapies” said Frost & Sullivan research analyst Dr. Fiona Rahman. "This in turn brings down bed occupancy rates and reduces the burden on the healthcare system, driving governments to implement national cancer-screening programs across Europe.”

The IHC diagnostics market in Europe is highly competitive and manufacturers need to train company personnel who can educate end users on their products. Conferences or focus groups are being organized that provide a platform for clinicians, laboratory technicians, administrators, and product specialists to interact with each other and to become familiar with the latest practices and techniques in IHC testing.

The cost of IHC tests is higher than that of traditional testing methods. Dr. Rahman observes that companies will need to improve the automation of these tests radically to be competitive with more conventional technologies. "While physicians are reluctant to experiment with expensive IHC products, they are nevertheless essential to complement more traditional diagnostic methods” said Dr. Rahman. "The challenge for manufacturers, therefore, is to offer IHC products at cost-effective prices to encourage end users to experiment and successfully adopt these tests as routine diagnosis”


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