The global reverse transcriptase market was valued at USD 299.6 Million in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 388.5 Million by 2030, registering a CAGR of 3.3% for the forecast period 2023-2030.
Market Definition
Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme encrypted from retroviruses' genetic material that activates the transcription of ribonucleic acid into deoxyribonucleic acid. Reverse transcriptase induces the reverse transcription procedure, which contains an amalgamation of complementary DNA from a single-stranded ribonucleic acid template. The name reverse transcriptase is formed because of the catalyzed transcription process which involves the reverse of the usual flow of genetic information from DNA into RNA. The vital role of reverse transcriptase is to imitate definite kinds of genetic material, generally in the framework of retrotransposons and retroviruses. Reverse transcriptase is an essential element of RT-PCR, which is a tool utilized in the diagnosis of cancer and other diseases. To synthesize a cDNA, reverse transcriptase employs a template, an RNA molecule that transports the genetic information of HIV viruses present in eukaryotic genomes. After the completion of the reverse transcription process, the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) forms, which includes the newly created cDNA strand and its complementary strand. In the instance of retroviruses, this dsDNA can be unified into the genome of the host cell.
The rising infections of diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B are boosting the market growth of reverse transcriptase as this is a vital component in diagnostic assays for these viruses. Also, wide applications of reverse transcriptase in the development of drug and biotechnology also drives the demand for reverse transcriptase surging its market growth.
Market Size:
- 2022: USD 299.6 million
- 2030: USD 388.5 million
- CAGR (2023-2030): 3.3%
Drivers: Growing incidence of Hepatitis B, HIV, and other diseases is surging the growth of the reverse transcriptase market
The rising incidence of hepatitis B, HIV, and other diseases is growing the demand for reverse transcriptase. Reverse transcriptase plays a vital role in precise and prompt diagnostic testing of HIV and hepatitis B virus. For these viruses, it is an important constituent in various diagnostic assays. According to WHO, in 2019, 296 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B infection resulting in 820,000 deaths, with 1.5 million new infections each year. Nearly 66% of the population are unaware of their infection from hepatitis B.
The DNA which is identified through nucleic acid amplification tests and polymerase chain reaction is converted from viral RNA through reverse transcriptase. As the prevalence of the disease increases, more diagnostic tests are required which raises the demand for reverse transcriptase. Thus, the surging incidence of the viruses leads to growing surveillance and monitoring required for the number of people diagnosed with the virus, increasing the reverse transcriptase market growth.
Broad applications of reverse transcriptase in the development of drug and biotechnology drives the market of reverse transcriptase:
In the life process of HIV, reverse transcriptase is a major enzyme that makes it a chief destination for the development of drugs. To obstruct the enzyme’s activity, reverse transcriptase suppressors are utilized by researchers, avoiding the conversion of viral RNA into DNA. Reverse transcriptase has applications in screening assays and preclinical development of the drug which supports the growth of the reverse transcriptase market. Reverse transcriptase is very important for developing complementary DNA from viral RNA in research in identifying the mechanism of drug opposition, viral duplication, and establishment of exceptional therapeutic agents. This kind of research also boosts the usage of reverse transcriptase. Companies that are included in the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals, such as monoclonal immunoglobulin make use of reverse transcriptase for quality control and cell line development. Reverse transcriptase is an essential appliance for learning HIV and other viruses and constructing diagnostic tests, and vaccines. Hence, reverse transcription plays a vital role in the development of drugs, biotechnology, and research, which accelerates the growth of the reverse transcriptase market.
Recent Developments
In January 2023, Arbor Biotechnologies enlarged its current strategic collaboration covering in vivo genetic medicines through which Vertex will gain rights to Arbor’s novel precision gene editing technology using reverse transcriptase for up to three diseases. This marks a significant expansion of the relationship between the two companies and helps it access tools and expertise in its cell and genetic therapy portfolio.
In February 2022, New England Biolabs (NEB) announced the introduction of its first lyophilized product, the LyoPrime Luna Probe One-Step RT-qPCR Mix with UDG. This lyophilized master mix enables sensitive, linear real-time detection of target RNA sequences in a room temperature-stable format. Essential components of this product include Luna WarmStart Reverse Transcriptase and Hot Start Taq DNA Polymerase, for optimized specificity and robustness, in addition to room temperature setup after resuspension.
Restraint
High competition and supply chain disruptions are the major factors restraining the market growth of reverse transcriptase. Major competition is directed toward wars in prices between manufacturers and suppliers. As the companies are focusing more on increasing their market share, they also lower the product price to retain more customers and raise the sale. This decrease in the price of the reverse transcriptase leads to a reduction in the profit margins for manufacturers and supplies, which however proves to be an advantage for the buyers or customers but harms the profit of the manufacturers which resumes the company’s ability to invest in enhancement of the product, hindering the market growth of the reverse transcriptase. Also, supply chain disruptions affect the timely availability of raw materials, disturbing the production of the reverse transcriptase and other products relating to it. Interruption in the supply chain leads to delays in deliveries which further declines the growth of the reverse transcriptase market.
Challenges
High competition and regulatory requirements present a challenge for the reverse transcriptase market. Competition leads to providing the same products by various suppliers which cause wars of prices between companies. These price wars are also directed towards low margins of profit which creates a challenge for the companies to distinguish themselves from the other competitors. Additionally, reverse transcriptase and other such enzymes face numerous regulatory challenges regarding their safety and quality as they have applications in diagnosis. The biotechnology fields encounter various regulatory challenges, meeting those requirements and asking for approvals can be expensive and may consume more time which also poses a challenge for the biotechnology and molecular biology fields in the reverse transcriptase market.
Opportunities
Technological advancement in the field of reverse transcriptase leads the industry towards various opportunities. The proceeding with innovation and research in the reverse transcriptase market such as assay development, and various techniques in reverse transcriptase, have offered opportunities for the companies or competitors to establish novel products for the coming generation with enhanced performance characteristics. Also, the progress of the point-of-care tests (PCOT) for transcriptomics and spreadable diseases is an enlarging market. PCOT remedy can also be offered through mobile devices that use reverse transcriptase to offer instant results in a non-laboratory environment is also proposing an opportunity for companies to develop such portable implements to provide PCOT solutions. Thus, the advancement in technology with ongoing research and point-of-care testing is presenting opportunities in the reverse transcriptase industry.
Report Snapshot
| Attributes | Details |
| Market Size in 2022 | USD 299.6 Billion |
| Market Forecast in 2030 | USD 388.5 Billion |
| Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) | 3.3 % |
| Unit | Revenue (USD Million) and Volume (Kilo Tons) |
| Segmentation | By Type, By Application, By Sales Channel and By Region |
| By Type |
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| By Application |
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| By Sales Channel |
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| By Region |
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| Base Year | 2022 |
| Historical Year | 2018-2022 |
| Forecast Year | 2023-2030 |
Segment Analysis of the Reverse Transcriptase Market
The reverse transcriptase market is segmented by type, application, sales channel, and region.
By Type
The MMLV segment held the largest market share in 2022:
The Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus (MMLV) reverse transcriptase segment dominated the reverse transcriptase market in 2022. MMLV plays a major role in the conversion of cDNA from RNA, which makes it suitable for various uses, such as transcription and translation analysis, molecular cloning, and complementary DNA library construction. MMLV reverse transcriptase is suitable with numerous RNA templates, containing viral RNA, messenger RNA, and total RNA. Due to its compatibility with various sources of RNA, MMLV reverse transcriptase is highly demanded by researchers for various projects. MMLV reverse transcriptase has an essential application in increasing the yield of cDNA as MMLV RT is familiar for its large production in cDNA synthesis. MMLV RT can also be utilized with a broad range of primers, such as gene-specific primers and random hexamers. Thus, the flexibility and compatibility of MMLV reverse transcriptase make it a suitable choice for researchers dominating it in the reverse transcriptase market.
However, AMV reverse transcriptase is utilized for the amalgamation of the cDNA from RNA templates, which is necessary for the conversion of the RNA molecules, such as viral RNA, and messenger RNA into a firm type of DNA. AMV RT is also utilized for gene expression analysis and also has applications in the cloning of particular DNA sequences.
By Application
The PCR segment was the leading segment in 2022:
PCR dominated the reverse transcriptase market as RT-qPCR is used for the measurement of the levels of the gene expressions, which helps in the research of the cancer, and diagnostics. Reverse transcriptase is used to transform viral RNA into cDNA, and RT-qPCR is utilized to quantify the viral load of the RNA viruses including HIV. PCR-related assays, such as RT-PCR, are extensively utilized for the identification of transmittable diseases originating from RNA viruses. Currently, RT-PCR tests are widely used globally for the detection of the existence of coronavirus. RT-qPCR also generally has applications in the measurements of molecules such as small RNA which are used by researchers to conduct studies on such molecules.
Moreover, cloning also is vital in the reverse transcriptase market. Cloning plays an essential role in the establishment of complementary DNA libraries. For the introduction of cDNA into libraries, reverse transcription is essential in transforming RNA into cDNA. Cloning also has importance in the separation and magnification of particular genes of interest.
Regional Analysis
North America occupies the largest market share in 2022:
North America dominated the reverse transcriptase market in 2022. The factors propelling the growth of the market in this region are the increasing expenditure on healthcare in contrast with the other regions for the timely diagnosis of the virus. Also, high research activities taken up by numerous pharmaceutical industries are also boosting the demand for reverse transcriptase in this region.
The reverse transcriptase market in Europe is expected to grow at a rapid pace due to the increasing research activities in the region which leads to enhancement in the product giving rise to efficiency and effectiveness in the procedure boosting confidence in people to accept these processes. Also, growing awareness regarding products among the population may also help the reverse transcriptase to speed up its development in the upcoming years in this region.
List of the prominent players in the Reverse Transcriptase Market :
- Takara Bio
- Vazyme
- Promega
- Roche
- Bio-Rad
- Fapon Biotech
- Thermo Fisher
- Agilent
- New England Biolabs
- Qiagen
Segmentation Analysis of the Reverse Transcriptase Market
By Type
- AMV Reverse Transcriptase
- M-MLV Reverse Transcriptase
- Others
- Cloning
- Sequencing
- PCR
- Distribution
- Direct Channel
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Reverse Transcriptase Market:
COVID-19 had a significant impact on the reverse transcriptase market. Due to the pandemic, there was a high demand for diagnostic tests, such as PCR-related tests that depend on reverse transcriptase to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus that caused COVID-19. The raised demand for reverse transcriptase enzymes and kits led to shortages in some regions due to a lack of production caused due to disruptions in the supply chain. Various research laboratories globally focused more on generating and validating PCR-based assays for the detection of the virus. The manufacturing of some vaccines such as Pfizer, depends on the reverse transcriptase in the amalgamation of complementary DNA from mRNA templates, increasing demand for reverse transcriptase.
Post COVID-19 the impact on reverse transcriptase was notable. The impact of the pandemic created awareness regarding the importance of reverse transcriptase in the detection of a virus. Researchers continued to research and explore the uses of reverse transcriptase, leading to significant growth and opportunities in the market.
