Bioprocess Validation Market Trends

The pharmaceutical sector uses bioreactors for the manufacture of medicines, vaccines, and other components. Bioreactors are also used for the production of monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and other diseases. Bioreactors have been utilized in many different areas of industry and research and for the progression of in vitro models of 2D cultures and suspensions to 3D constructs, mimicking the natural physiological state in situ.

In the pharmaceutical sector, bioreactors are used to hold organisms for the purpose of harnessing their natural biochemical processes. Bioreactors are designed to allow microorganisms to thrive, causing the contents of the tank to ferment and creating a usable end product. In a batch bioreactor, everything is added at once to a controlled and sealed environment, and the biochemical reactions are allowed to run their course before the reactor is opened so that the contents can be extracted and utilized, disposed of, or further processed. Others operate on a continuous flow method, in which materials constantly flow through the bioreactor.

According to the OECD, 2021, the gross domestic expenditure towards R&D was 12.5% in Germany, 12.4% in France, 11.5% in Austria, 11.4% in Sweden, and 11.3% in Norway. Hence, the increasing research and development activities is driving the usage of various bioprocess valadation devices such as bioreactors, thus elevating the segment growth.

For instance, in April 2020, researchers from Ology Bioservices and Univercells SA announced that they had developed a high-yield live-virus vaccine production platform by using a novel fixed-bed bioreactor in a paper published in the 'Vaccine' magazine. The scientists from these companies further stated that their bioreactor platform allows for a cost-effective and scalable process for viral vaccine production. Initiatives such as these are expected to boost segment growth.

In addition, as per the article published by researchers from Denmark in June 2021 under the title 'SARS-CoV-2 Production in a Scalable High Cell Density Bioreactor', researchers have established a process for COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing in Vero cells cultivated in a single-use tide-motion bioreactor (CelCradle 500-AP), one of the few scalable packed-bed bioreactors available and an attractive option for large-scale cost-effective production.

Therefore, the rising demand and use of bioreactors for applications in the pharmaceutical sector are expected to boost the innovation and usage of bioreactors, thus propelling the segment growth.