Introduction
A large number of companies are working in the global viral vector manufacturing market. Through extensive research, it is found that market players have adopted strategies such as product launches and collaborations. On the basis of market study, we found some key players operating in this market which are Lonza, Merck KGaA, Cobra Biologics, Oxford BioMedica, Spark Therapeutics, Inc., FinVector Vision Therapies, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies U.S.A., Inc.,Brammer Bio, uniQure N.V.,Novasep, and others.
Many leading players are concentrated in the Americas and Europe owing to the rising awareness of gene therapies and the importance of viral vector manufacturing products, well-established markets, high healthcare expenditures, and numerous opportunities for growth. These companies have expanded their market in other regions as well. Major players in the market are investing a huge amount of money in research and development activities to launch better and cost-effective products in the viral vector manufacturing market. They are also focusing on expanding their geographical boundaries by launching new products in emerging markets of developing countries.
Furthermore, companies such as Lonza, Merck KGaA, and Oxford BioMedica are major players in the market. Apart from this, Cobra Biologics, Spark Therapeutics, Inc., FinVector Vision Therapies, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies U.S.A., Inc., Brammer Bio, and uniQure N.V., Novasep are some of the well-established players in the global viral vector manufacturing market.
Lonza ranks first in the global viral vector manufacturing market. The company is one of the most trusted biopharmaceutical brands in the world. Amongst the viral vector manufacturing products, the company manufacturers adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors, adenoviral vectors, lentiviral vectors, retroviral vectors, live viruses, and attenuated viruses. It has a strong distribution network in more than 100 countries and a research and development team to innovate new products in the market.
Merck KGaA is the second largest in the global viral vector manufacturing market. The company is a major player in the global pharmaceuticals market and operates in business segments, namely, healthcare, life sciences, and performance materials. The company is present in more than 180 counties and offers around 300000 products. It provides cell culture supplements, prefiltration, bioburden reduction, bioreactor, and other products for manufacturing viral vectors.
Oxford BioMedica is the third largest in the global viral vector manufacturing market. The company deals in manufacturing and marketing lentivirus and major players in the cell and gene therapy market. It operates in more than 140 countries and has long term agreements with major pharmaceutical companies such as Novartis, Orchard Therapeutics, and Sanofi. It develops products related to therapeutic areas including oncology, ophthalmology, and CNS disorders. The company has a strong product portfolio which focuses on addressing the needs of the customer.
Porter’s Five Forces Model
Michael Porter’s five forces model gives a framework that models the global viral vector manufacturing market, which is influenced by five forces. The strategic business managers, trying to create an edge over competitive firms in the global viral vector manufacturing market can utilize this model to comprehend better the industry connection in which the firm operates. The components of each of the forces and the degree or impact of each component in the context of the global viral vector manufacturing market have been broken down and analyzed.
Threat of New Entrants
The threat of new entrants is medium in the global viral vector manufacturing market. Any contract development and manufacturing company trying to enter the market is required to accept or abide by the mandatory regulatory standards. However, the budget required for research and development of a product is high as compare to other industries. Viral vectors are highly specialized and manufactured to be used in gene therapy products and clinical trials. Moreover, the majority of the customers are using products of well-established brands and they are likely to prefer established brands over new market player due to quality concerns and to maintain the quality of final product, which does not comfort the new entrants to enter the market easily.
Bargaining Power of Suppliers
The suppliers in the global viral vector manufacturing market are raw material manufacturers. There are various suppliers present in the global viral vector manufacturing market. Switching cost of these suppliers is low due to intense competition, and also the raw materials required for the manufacturing of viral vectors are easily used. Moreover, suppliers are likely to enter into long term partnerships with viral vector manufacturers. Due to the increasing research and development activities related to the gene therapy and entry of major pharmaceutical companies in the market a large number of customers are available.
Moreover, several suppliers are there to cater to the needs of the customers which lead to intense competition between the existing suppliers. However, the quality of product plays an important role in the industry as the viral vectors are used in the manufacturing of final products used in gene therapy. However, low-quality products are likely to damage the quality of the final product, and it can cause adverse effects. Hence, customers are selective about suppliers. Due to this, the overall bargaining power of suppliers in the global viral vector manufacturing market is low.
Bargaining Power of Buyers
The bargaining power of buyers is moderate in the global viral vector manufacturing market. The market has a limited number of buyers and very few viral vector manufacturing companies to cater to the need of the buyers. However, the viral vector products are specialized and play an important role in gene therapy product manufacturing, and the buyers of the viral vectors are moderately inclined towards quality products manufactured by trusted companies. As the products are manufactured for gene therapy and clinical trials, there are limited substitutes available in the market. Also, most of the buyers are pharmaceutical companies and research organizations; they are likely to enter into the long-term agreements with the viral vector manufacturers for uninterrupted supply. Moreover, they can exert pressure on the manufacturers due to the low switching cost and intense rivalry in the market, which is responsible for the increased bargaining power of buyers.
Threat of Substitutes
The threat of substitutes in the global viral vector manufacturing market is low to moderate. Viral vector manufacturing is used in the development and manufacturing of gene therapy. There are limited options available in the market to serve the need of the customers and which eliminates the threat of substitute. However, the increasing research and development activities and demand for safer vectors are likely to provide new substitutes to the viral vectors. Also, the high degree of switching cost decreases the threat of substitutes. The overall threat of substitutes in the global viral vector manufacturing market is low to moderate.
Intensity of Rivalry
The rivalry in the global viral vector manufacturing market is moderate to high. The low degree of product differentiation and a limited number of customers increases the intensity of rivalry in the market. The market is growing with a prominent growth rate and likely to provide opportunities for major players to expand their geographical boundaries which will initiate cutthroat competition between major players to capture maximum market share in the emerging markets. Major players are trying to develop products under their own as a part of vertical integration. Players are engaged in developing a process to lower their manufacturing and logistics cost to increase profitability and to overcome the competition. Moreover, they are also developing advanced products for differentiating their brand from their competitors.
