Increasing number of diagnostic imaging procedures drive demand for radiopharmaceuticals, according to new report (PRWeb, 26 June 2013)

Each year, over 10,000 hospitals across the world utilise radioisotopes for in-vivo diagnosis in the treatment of approximately 35 million patients, and this number is set to rise further over the next few years.

According to Global Industry Analysts, the global radiopharmaceuticals market is expected to be valued in excess of $7.9bn USD within the next 5 years – the result of a combination of both social and economic factors. An ageing population, the rise in the number of cancer patients, increased affordability and access to treatment throughout the developing world in addition to improvements in screening and diagnosis will, the report finds, drive growth in the coming years.

Spurred by the successful use of radiopharmaceuticals in tumour identification and localisation, the report, entitled Radiopharmaceuticals: A Global Strategic Business Report, highlights the efforts already underway to research and develop newer diagnostic agents for oncology with a number of new developments already in the pipeline, including agents designed for colorectal cancer imaging, breast cancer imaging, neuroendocrine tumour imaging and small-cell lung cancer imaging.

Cardiology, it finds, represents the fastest growing healthcare area for radiopharmaceutical manufacturers to develop new contrast agents capable of aiding in better diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, with Alzheimer’s disease is also emerging as a key application area for radiopharmaceuticals.

Indeed, it is suggested that with recent studies demonstrating the fact that imaging of amyloid plaque enables early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, the number of PET scans for diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is expected to increase, thereby offering opportunities for growth of radiopharmaceuticals.

Source: PRWeb

Report (£)