Mar 7, 2018   SOURCE: PR NewsWire

5 Reasons Mass Spectrometry is Moving from Research Lab to Disease Detection

5 Reasons Mass Spectrometry is Moving from Research Lab to Disease Detection

ROCKVILLE, Md., March 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kalorama Information believes that five factors are driving demand for mass spectrometry technology as it moves from research tool to clinical diagnostic option. The publisher reported on the technology in its report, Mass Spectrometry in Clinical Applications. Mass spectrometry was first developed several decades ago. For much of this time, mass spectrometry has been primarily used in research applications. Early applications of mass spectrometry focused on small molecules. However, development of soft-ionization techniques such as matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) has made it possible to study larger molecules such as proteins, peptides, DNA, and other large molecules without extensive fragmentation. This has opened up a whole new world of opportunities, in addition to the analysis methods for small molecules.

    --  Demand: A major market driver for the mass spectrometry clinical market
        is the clinical need for the tests.  The increasing number of clinical
        applications that can be tested by mass spectrometry will drive growth
        of this market.  For many years, laboratory developed tests have been
        available for years for applications such as therapeutic drug monitoring
        (including immunosuppressants, pain management drugs, and many others),
        metabolite testing, steroid hormone, vitamins (including vitamin D),
        newborn screening, and others.  The addition of new applications
        (markets) such as microbial identification, oncology, and others is
        fuelling growth of this market.


    --  Approvals: The number of FDA cleared and/or CE-IVD marked platforms and
        assays is slowing growing.


    --  Better Sensitivity than Immunoassays: Mass spectrometry has the
        potential to be a disruptive force for immunoassays.  At this time,
        immunoassays have many advantages such as the large, fully automated
        analyzers widely found in clinical laboratories that can perform large
        numbers of immunoassays.  However, as companies develop integrated,
        fully automated mass spectrometry platforms, the increased sensitivity
        and specificity of these assays may help mass spectrometry displace many
        of the immunoassays - at least for those applications where this
        improved performance is beneficial.


    --  Improved Process For Operators: Companies marketing mass spectrometry
        platforms and assays to clinical laboratories are developing integrated
        systems that include everything needed to perform the analysis, starting
        with the patient sample and ending with the assay result.  However, this
        move to full automation and integration takes time.
    --  Increasing Base of Academic Hospital Customers: Mass spectrometry has
        already had a disruptive effect on microbial identification, at least at
        large hospitals and academic centers that are able to purchase and use
        the mass spectrometer platforms for microbial identification.  As mass
        spectrometry platforms become even easier to use, this disruption may
        spread further throughout this market.

More information can be found in Kalorama Information's market research study on the topic, Mass Spectrometry in Clinical Applications. The report is available for purchase at: https://www.kaloramainformation.com/Mass-Spectrometry-Clinical-10554966/.

About Kalorama Information

Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies the latest in independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare; as well as a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased through Kalorama's website and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com.

We routinely assist the media with healthcare topics. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog on our company website: https://www.kaloramainformation.com/.

Press Contact:
Bruce Carlson
212 807 2262
bcarlson@marketresearch.com

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SOURCE Kalorama Information