All pharmaceutical, chemical, or cosmetic products have to undergo rigorous toxicity testing before they are marketed, to ensure safe usage. In earlier years, animal test-subjects were the industry norm for these trials. The increase in opposition to animal testing however, has prompted many brands to seek more ethical solutions in order to keep their customer bases happy. The most popular of these, is In Vitro Toxicity Testing. In the past few years, the Global In Vitro Toxicity Testing market has soared to a market value of over US$1.73 billion, and it is expected to continue growing at a CAGR of 15.61 percent for the next four years.
The main catalyst behind this huge growth is the government support for anti-animal testing laws in the Americas and the EMEA. For instance, this spring Europe banned the production and sale of all animal-tested cosmetics across the continent. The government is now funding a number of integrated research projects in order to encourage and support the adoption of in vitro toxicity tests. Though animal testing is still legal in the US, many laws are in place to ensure animal well-being which can make the process expensive and more inconvenient than in vitro procedures.
On the other hand, the regulations on animal testing in Asia are much more lenient, and even non-existent in some countries. As such, the APAC region accounted for only 12.7 percent of the In Vitro Toxicity Testing Market in 2012. Nevertheless, it’s expected that even without government backing, more and more chemical-based manufacturers in Asia will soon begin to replace animal testing practises with in vitro solutions because of the following advantages:
- High sensitivity and accuracy
- Safety and efficacy
- Timeliness
- Cost efficiency
Additionally, as more countries follow Europe’s lead by banning not only the production, but also the sale of animal-tested goods, Asian manufacturers who rely heavily on sales of overseas exports will be forced to either seek alternate testing solutions, or sacrifice some of their biggest revenue contributors.
When it comes down to it, it’s hard to argue for any shortcomings in the in vitro testing market. It’s ethical, affordable efficient, safe, and does not damage the environment or produce harmful waste; all of these are factors that everyone-manufacturers and consumers alike-should be willing to stand behind.
For more information, view our 2012-2016 global marketing research report on In Vitro Toxicity Testing.
