More Than 19 Billion IVD Tests Performed in 2012

Kalorama Information (New York, NY, USA) has reported that more than19.1 billion in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test procedures were conducted globally in 2012. This number is expected to rise by 4.2% per year through 2017.

The Kalorama report noted that approximately 80% of physician’s diagnoses are a result of laboratory tests. In addition to disease diagnosis, clinical lab testing is also performed to evaluate disease progression, monitor drug treatment and conditions, determine individual therapy, and several other reasons. Kalorama’s procedure analysis includes core lab procedures such as general chemistries, blood gas analysis, and urinalysis. It also includes immunoassays, a variety of infectious disease tests, HbA1c tests, autoimmune testing, PT coagulation tests, and a variety of molecular tests, among many tests counted. The aging of the global population, high and rising incidence of disease, ongoing technology development, and introduction of laborsaving systems were driving the test procedure increases. Core lab tests, including low cost clinical chemistry tests and more advanced immunoassays, represented approximately most of the procedure volume with a growing share in the developing nations.

Around the world, IVD and clinical laboratory tests are utilized in a wide variety of healthcare settings. In general, IVD tests are utilized most commonly in hospitals, physician offices, and independent clinical labs. Clinical laboratory tests, however, can be conducted in a broad range of settings including ambulances, health fairs, hospices, pharmacies, and other locations.

In general, IVD tests are utilized most commonly in hospitals, physician offices, and independent clinical labs. Clinical laboratory tests, however, are used in a much broader range of settings including ambulances, health fairs, hospices, pharmacies, and other locations. A wide number of companies compete for these procedures, including Abbott Laboratories, Roche, Quest, Alere, Danaher, Becton, Dickinson & Co., LabCorp, Ortho Clinical, Qiagen, Bio-Rad, and Siemens.

“In vitro diagnostics has proved its mettle as a cost saver and a patient outcome booster,” said Bruce Carlson, publisher of Kalorama Information. “While that doesn’t mean every test product will be successful, we do think the environment for testing products in general is very good, and it [is] reflected in revenues and investor interest.”

Bruce Carlson added, “In our analysis we tried to look at not just how many tests are performed today, but how many tests will be performed. Emerging countries will perform a greater share of procedures in the future, and marketers will need to adapt to that.”

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