Plant-Based Biologics Market Estimated to Witness High Growth Owing to Increasing Consumer Preference for Natural Alternatives
Plant-based biologics are proteins derived from genetically modified
plants for therapeutic applications. These include antibodies, vaccines, growth
factors, and blood factors used to treat chronic diseases like cancer,
cardiovascular disorders, and metabolic conditions.
Market Dynamics:
Plant-based biologics are gaining traction due to increasing
consumer preference for natural and sustainable alternatives over conventional
biologics derived from animal sources. Additionally, plant-based manufacturing
platforms are considered cost-effective compared to microbial fermentation and
cell-culture technologies. For instance, production in plants is cheaper due to
low capital investments and simplicity of scale-up using existing agricultural
technologies and infrastructure. These platform-based cost advantages will
continue to drive the adoption of plant-based biologics over the forecast
period.
Plant-Based Biologics
Market Drivers:
Growing Preference for Vegetarian-Friendly Drug Alternatives
The plant-based
biologics market is primarily driven by an increasing preference for more
vegetarian-friendly and sustainable alternatives to conventional protein drugs
produced from animal cells. Traditional biologics derived from mammalian and
microbial sources often rely on complex and energy-intensive manufacturing
processes that may conflict with certain cultural or ethical beliefs. Plants
offer a more environmentally-friendly and ethically acceptable manufacturing
platform that does not require the use of animal-derived components. This is
enabling greater acceptance and commercialization of therapeutic proteins
produced from plant systems.
Soaring Demand for Affordable Treatment Options
Mounting healthcare costs have elevated the demand for more
affordable biologics across various disease indications. Plant-based expression
systems allow for reduced manufacturing costs and enable efficient production
of therapeutic proteins at commercial scales. Complex recombinant protein drugs
produced in microbial or animal cells typically entail high development and
production costs. In contrast, plant-based platforms provide a cost-effective
method to produce biologic drugs. This makes plant-made biologics an attractive
alternative for the treatment of chronic diseases prevalent in developing
economies with limited healthcare budgets.
Plant-Based Biologics
Market Restrain:
Compliance with Complex Regulatory Guidelines
One of the major challenges restraining the growth of the
plant-based biologics market is compliance with stringent regulatory guidelines
governing the production and approval of therapeutic proteins. Regulatory
agencies like the FDA impose rigorous testing and review protocols to ensure
the safety, efficacy and quality of novel plant-made pharmaceuticals.
Demonstrating equivalent pharmacological properties and meeting tight purity
specifications mandated for biologics adds to the complexity of product
development and market clearance process for plant-based drugs. This prolonged
approval timeline and high compliance costs pose substantial entry barriers,
especially for small companies and startups with limited resources.
Plant-Based Biologics
Market Opportunity:
Therapeutic Application in Chronic Diseases
The rising global prevalence of chronic diseases like diabetes,
cancer and cardiovascular ailments has opened up lucrative opportunities for
plant-based biologics. These indications require prolonged or frequent
medication use which significantly drives up treatment costs when addressed
with conventional biologics. Plant platforms allow sustainable and
cost-effective production of biosimilar proteins and antibodies for the
management of long-term conditions. Their regulatory approval for chronic
disease markets will enable addressing large patient pools while keeping
treatment affordable. This presents promising commercial prospects,
incentivizing further R&D towards developing plant-made biologics for
indications with growing disease burden worldwide.
Plant-Based Biologics
Market Trends:
Advancements in Molecular Farming Technologies
Continuous progress is being made to enhance the success and commercial viability of molecular farming technologies that enable high-volume production of therapeutic proteins in plant host systems. Areas of active research include development of stable nuclear and chloroplast transformation methodologies, seed-based scale-up systems, and humanized glycolylation for improved pharmacokinetic properties of plant-made proteins. Emerging technologies like marker-free gene editing and fast-tracking platforms accelerate product development cycle. Induction of plant-based synthetic biology and advanced manufacturing holds promise to augment protein yields and drive down production costs. As these innovative trends mature, they will strengthen the competitiveness of plant-based biologics to increasingly replace traditional therapeutics.
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