Prepacked Chromatography Columns Market Analysis

Global Prepacked Chromatography Columns Market Overview

The global prepacked chromatography columns market size is projected to be worth USD 4.3 Billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period (2023–2032). 

The global prepacked chromatography columns market has been segmented based on resin type, volume type, end user, and region. Chromatography column is a preparative technique used to separate compounds based on their polarity or hydrophobicity. Prepacked columns are pre-filled with the stationary phase and can directly be attached to chromatographic systems. Prepacked chromatography columns offer several advantages: they are easy to set up, validate and clean, and reduce the amount of labor and time needed to be invested in their maintenance and application. 

The technological advancements in prepacked chromatography columns, increasing demand for process development and affordable purification of biological drugs, and higher dependence on chromatography tests for drug approvals boost the demand for these products and drive the market's growth.

COVID-19 Analysis

The COVID-19 disrupted several industries, including the life science and healthcare industries. The industries faced extraordinary challenges such as supply chain disruptions, acute shortages of raw materials, and acute shortages of manpower. However, the prepacked chromatography columns market did not get hampered to a great extent.

The COVID-19 pandemic is projected to influence market growth over the forecast period. As the coronavirus outbreak continues, the research for the development of effective vaccines and treatments has gathered significant pace, and robust analytical methods have been employed by researchers worldwide. Chromatography is one of the key techniques that researchers employ to understand the Sars-CoV-2 virus and develop better therapies, vaccines, and diagnostic tools to aid in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Several key players have launched new products to address the surge in demand for prepacked chromatography columns. For instance, in February 2021, Repligen (US) and Navigo Proteins (Germany) developed and launched NGL COVID-19 spike protein affinity resin. Likewise, COVID-19 has led to an increased demand for prepacked chromatography columns, and several key players have ramped up their production capacities as well to meet the demand. Hence, COVID-19 is anticipated to positively impact the growth of the prepacked chromatography columns market.

Prepacked Chromatography Columns Market Trends

Market Drivers

Technological advancements in prepacked chromatography columns

Technological advancements in the prepacked chromatography column continue to develop as manufacturers bring new innovative products to downstream processes. The recent expansion of salt-tolerant robust adsorber devices and newer ionic ligand technologies are beginning to fulfill end-user demand. Increasing innovation and product launches are driving the growth of the market. For instance, in September 2020, Bio-Works Technologies (Sweden) launched two new resins WorkBeads NiMAC and WorkBeads Dsalt, which are also sold in prepacked columns. These resins show high resistance to chelating agents like EDTA and reducing agents like DTT. Moreover, as the cost of resins decreases and the viability of larger-sized column production increases, they will become more and more popular with contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) and clinical trial facilities, thus expanding the market.

Increasing demand for process development and affordable purification of biological drugs

Higher dependence on chromatography tests for drug approvals

Market Restraints

Dearth of skilled professionals

Running column chromatography techniques and implementing the results for applications in the pharmaceutical industry, nutraceuticals, food & beverage, agriculture, among others, require expertise and skilled professionals. Such professionals should be knowledgeable regarding the different components of the chromatography process and be updated with technological advancements and perform complex analytical calculations. Irregularities in the performance of these techniques may result in significant losses to the companies, and thus, lack of such skilled professionals may hamper the growth of the market.

Availability of cheaper alternative with in-house packing of columns

Market Opportunities

Increasing investment in pharmaceutical research activities

Prepacked chromatography columns are used extensively for the separation of various pharmaceutical compounds. Increasing R&D activities in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sector have led to several emerging startups and clinical-stage companies being dependent on leading players and investment firms for technology transfer and scale-up of production processes. An increasing number of investment activities for R&D processes is expected to support the growth of the prepacked chromatography columns market during the forecast period. For instance, JSR Life Sciences, LLC (US), a subsidiary of JSR Corporation (Japan), announced the launch of its ‘JSR Life Sciences Corporate Venture Fund’ in March 2021 for emerging life science companies to accelerate novel therapies and innovative technologies. Moreover, as the cost of resins decreases and the viability of larger-sized column production increases, they will become more and more popular with contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) and clinical trial facilities, thus expanding the market. Thus, the Increasing investment in pharmaceutical research activities is anticipated to provide significant growth opportunities for the prepacked chromatography columns market.

Value Chain Analysis

The global prepacked chromatography columns market is growing steadily due to the rising number of players coming forward with new and better products. The market's value chain analysis of the prepacked chromatography columns comprises four major components: the R&D and designing, then manufacturing the products, distribution & sales, and ends with post-sales services.

R&D and designing start with conceptualizing, followed by design, then development and lastly testing. The R&D segment comprises 25-30% of the value chain. After the product designs are final, the manufacturing of the product starts. Manufacturing consists of 45-50% of the value chain. The sourcing of raw material is the initial phase in the manufacturing of the products. The materials mostly used in prepacked chromatography columns are chemicals and petroleum products. The manufacturing components are sometimes outsourced. Outsourcing eliminates manufacturing process activities of some parts and helps to improve the efficiency of the process. Then comes distribution and sales, which is essential for any industry. Here, awareness about the products is spread across the market to get interested customers for the product. It consists of 10-15% of the value chain. Lastly comes post-sales services, which account for around 5-10% of the value chain. In this step, customer feedback is taken into consideration to improve upon their existing product portfolio.

Prepacked Chromatography Columns Market Segment Insights

Prepacked Chromatography Columns Resin Type Insights

• Affinity

Affinity chromatography is the technique that permits the purification of proteins based on biological functions rather than individual physical or chemical properties. Increasing demand for therapeutic protein and wide usage of affinity membrane chromatography in various industries such as biopharmaceuticals is propelling the growth of this segment.

• Ion Exchange

It is classified into anion exchange membrane chromatography and cation exchange membrane chromatography. It is a process that separates ions and polar molecules based on their affinity to the ion exchanger. It works on almost any charged molecule, including small nucleotides, large proteins, and amino acids. The rising adoption of ion exchange chromatography in the analysis of pharmaceutical drugs and its identification is fueling the growth of this segment.

• Hydrophobic Interaction

Hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography is a separation technique for purifying proteins while maintaining biological activity due to the use of conditions and matrices that operate under less denaturing conditions. Rising demand for these chromatography techniques for protein purification is driving the growth of this segment.

Prepacked Chromatography Columns Volume Type Insights 

• <10 ml

These include prepacked columns that have column volumes less than 10 ml. This range of columns mostly finds their applications in process development and high throughput screening. These columns are mostly used for R&D.

• 10-1000 ml

This range includes prepacked columns that have column volumes between 10 ml to 1000 ml. This range of columns is generally used for pilot operations for scale-up operations.

• >1000 ml

This range includes prepacked columns that have column volumes higher than 1000 ml. This range of columns finds their applications in process validation, scale-up, and manufacturing. These columns are mostly used for commercial operations.

Prepacked Chromatography Columns End User Insights 

• Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies

Pharmaceutical companies use chromatography to prepare large quantities of extremely pure materials and analyze the purified compounds for trace contaminants. Separating specific amino acids, proteins, or other biomolecules from a sample are some of the applications of prepacked chromatography columns in the biotechnology industry. Prepacked chromatography columns are increasingly being employed in manufacturing scale owing to an increasing range of product offerings in prepacked chromatography columns for various applications such as assessing yield, cost, and purity of products such as inulin, growth hormone, interferons, erythropoietin, and others.

• Research & Academic Institutes

Research & academic institutes mostly utilize prepacked chromatography columns for educational purposes, R&D and to develop new separation techniques on a pilot scale. The growing number of research organizations and availability of research grants significantly contribute to the growth of this segment.

• Food & Beverage Manufacturers

Prepacked chromatography columns are extensively used in the food & beverage industry for food testing purposes. Some chromatography applications in the food & beverage industry include quality control, separation of food additives and preservatives, vitamins, proteins, and amino acids. In beverage testing, chromatographic methods are employed to assess the sugar level and separation of caffeine from drinks. Similarly, food companies identify components such as flavors, colorants, additives, and preservatives in food.

• Hospitals & Diagnostic Clinics

In hospitals, prepacked chromatography columns are used for clinical applications such as therapeutic drug monitoring, toxicology, and doping analyses. Diagnostic laboratories use chromatographic techniques for the diagnosis of human metabolic disorders, which are used by hospitals for therapeutic purposes.

• Others

Others include environmental testing laboratories, cosmeceutical companies, nutraceutical companies, and more. Environmental testing laboratories utilize chromatography for materials analysis in biological, pharmaceutical, chemical, and food sectors, where it is used to determine contents in foods and beverages. Cosmetical companies use prepacked chromatography columns for synthesizing or extracting active constituents used in cosmetics. Nutraceutical companies also use chromatography for the separation and purification of dietary supplements. The increasing adoption of prepacked chromatography columns in various sectors is expected to increase the market share of this segment during the forecast period.

Prepacked Chromatography Columns Regional Insights 

North America:

The North American market accounted for the largest share in 2020, owing to well-established research organizations involved in research activities, the high adoption rate of prepacked chromatography columns by researchers, and a rising number of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies. The presence of major market players in this region and their contribution through mergers & acquisitions and product launches is also boosting the market growth. For instance, in August 2021, Sartorius AG (Germany) and McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada came into partnership to advance manufacturing processes used for antibody and virus-based treatments such as COVID-19, genetic disorders, and cancer. North America is expected to continue dominating the global prepacked chromatography columns market during the forecast period, owing to a rise in R&D investments by public and private players in the healthcare sector.

Europe:

The European prepacked chromatography columns market is driven by the rising R&D expenditure by biopharmaceutical companies and the presence of key market players such as Merck KGaA (Germany), Sartorius AG (Germany), and Proxcys B.V. (Netherlands) play a significant role in contributing to the market growth. For instance, in April 2020, Sartorius, a leading international partner of life science research and the biopharmaceutical industry, acquired selected life science businesses of Danaher Corporation (US). The acquisition will promote innovative protein analysis instruments, biosensors, and reagents that are used in drug discovery

Asia-Pacific:

The Asia-Pacific prepacked chromatography columns market is expected to be the fastest-growing due to rapidly growing and improving healthcare infrastructure, establishments of research organizations, and welcoming investments in biotechnology. In addition, factors such as the growing nutraceutical and cosmetic industry and developing R&D infrastructure support this market's growth. Moreover, increasing government support and significant investments by key market players is anticipated to provide significant growth opportunities for the market. For instance, in February 2021, the South Korean government announced that it would actively invest in strengthening support bio firms while local biotech companies promised to invest $5.3 billion by 2024.

Rest of the World:

Rising per capita expenditure of the population in the healthcare sector and high adoption rate of the prepacked chromatography columns by pharmaceutical companies, booming biotechnology sector, and advancements in prepacked chromatography columns are major factors contributing to the growth of the prepacked chromatography columns market in this region.

Competitive Landscape

The prepacked chromatography columns market is profitable, both for existing players as well as new entrants. A substantial level of rivalry is observed among the existing manufacturers in the market. Our analysis revealed that market players had adopted different strategies and innovative R&D techniques to expand their business and secure their position in the global prepacked chromatography columns market. For instance, in April 2020, Danaher Corporation acquired GE Healthcare Life Sciences business and was rebranded as Cytiva.

Danaher Corporation has robust industry experience and is one of the leading companies in the prepacked chromatography columns market. Furthermore, a high customer satisfaction level, exceptional performance in new markets, and a strong product portfolio add to the company’s competitive advantage. The company also has a strong clientele and is well established in the industry. Also, it is continuously involved in seminars, conferences, and trade fairs in several countries to generate awareness about its products.

Many market players are dominating the global prepacked chromatography columns market. The prominent players are involved in strategic agreements, product launches, and joint ventures to sustain their market positions.

Prepacked Chromatography Columns Market Top Key Players

• Danaher Corporation (US)


• Repligen Corporation (US)


• Merck KGaA (Germany)


• Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US)


• Sartorius AG (Germany)


• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (US)


• Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US)


• Proxcys B.V. (Netherlands)


• Antylia Scientific (US)


• Tosoh Corporation (Japan)

Recent Developments

• In March 2020, Tosoh Corporation (Japan) launched SkillPak 1 mL and 5 mL prepacked columns. These process development columns are designed for fast method development and resin screening of monoclonal antibodies, antibody constructs, oligonucleotides, proteins, and viruses.


• In March 2018, Repligen Corporation (US) launched a new OPUS column, the OPUS 80R, a large prepacked column suitable for late-stage clinical into commercial-scale manufacturing of biological drugs.


• In May 2019, Repligen Corporation announced to add eight manufacturing sites, including two manufacturing sites at its Ravensburg, Germany site and six sites at its Waltham, Massachusetts operations.


• In January 2020, Thermo Fisher Scientific (US) came into agreement with Astrea Bioseparations Ltd (UK) for a non-exclusive supply agreement to manufacture prepacked EvolveD columns that include proprietary CaptureSelect and POROS chromatography resins.

Prepacked Chromatography Columns Market Segmentation

Prepacked chromatography columns Resin Type Outlook

• Affinity


• Ion Exchange


• Hydrophobic Interaction

Prepacked chromatography columns Volume Type Outlook

• <10 ml


• 10-1000 ml


• >1000 ml

Prepacked chromatography columns End User Outlook

• Pharmaceutical Industry


• Research & Academic Research


• Hospitals & Clinics


• Food & Beverage Companies


• Others

Prepacked chromatography columns Regional Outlook

• North America
  
  
  
  • US
  
  
  • Canada
  
  
  
  


• Europe
  
  
  
  • Germany
  
  
  • France
  
  
  • UK
  
  
  • Italy
  
  
  • Spain
  
  
  • Rest of Europe
  
  
  
  


• Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  • China
  
  
  • Japan
  
  
  • India
  
  
  • Australia
  
  
  • South Korea
  
  
  • Rest of Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  


• Rest of the World




• Middle East & Africa


• Latin America