Global Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) Testing Market (by Type, & Region): Insights and Forecast with Potential Impact of COVID-19 (2022-2027)

Latent tuberculosis tests detect latent tuberculosis, a kind of tuberculosis infection in which the bacteria stay dormant, i.e., bacteria are present in the sleeping state inside the body. This infectious illness can only be detected by the tuberculin skin test (TST). Despite this, there is still a possibility that the latent infection will progress to active TB illness. Other disorders, such as HIV, drug misuse, or drugs that impair the immune system, elevate the risk.

The market would rise in the next years as a result of the ageing population, increased cigarette smoking, and increased pharmaceutical research and development. The LTBI Testing market is projected to reach US$1.96 billion in 2023, witnessing growth at a CAGR of 5.95%, during the forecasted period.

Segment Covered

By Type: In terms of type, the report identifies three segments of the global latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) testing market: Tuberculin skin test LTBI testing and interferon gamma released assay (IGRA). Tuberculin skin test LTBI Testing segment held the largest share in the market. On the other hand, the interferon gamma released assay (IGRA) segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR in the forthcoming years owing to the growth in pharmaceutical research and development, surging prevalence of HIV, and growing urbanization. hospitals and homes.

Geographic Coverage

According to this report, the global latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) testing market is divided into five major regions, namely North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Latin America. The countries covered in North American region are the US, Canada, and Mexico, while Europe includes UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Rest of Europe. Moreover, China, Japan, and Rest of Asia Pacific are included in the Asia Pacific region. North America held the dominant share in the market, owing to the high R&D spending and increasing cigarette consumption. In North America, the US is expected to be the fastest growing region in the forecasted period. The US continues to have one of the lowest TB case rates in the world. However, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is still a significant percentage of people that suffer from TB and the progress toward eliminating TB is relatively slow in the country. Whereas, in the Europe region, Germany held the highest share in the market owing to the rising healthcare expenditure, expanding urbanization, and advanced and hybrid technologies.

Top Impacting Factors
Growth Drivers

- Aging Population
- Upsurge in Cigarette Consumption
- Surging Prevalence of HIV
- Growth in Pharmaceutical Research and Development

Challenges

- Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB)
- Stringent Government Regulations

Trends

- Accelerating TB Funding
- Line Probe Assays (LPAs)
- Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs)
- Expansion of Advanced and Hybrid Technique

Driver: Upsurge in Cigarette Consumption

Cigarette consumption has increased across the world. The trend of increasing cigarette consumption has contributed immensely in the rising prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). The increase in cigarette consumption leads to the rise in demand for TB testing as active smokers are more prone to develop LTBI or pulmonary tuberculosis. Smoking damages the lungs and impacts the body’s immune system, making smokers more susceptible to TB infection. An increase in the number of cigarette consumption indicates increased TB detection cases which in turn increases the number of LTBI diagnosis cases, hence aiding in the market expansion.

Challenge: Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB)

Multidrug resistant tuberculosis occurs when the causative bacteria of the tuberculosis develop resistant to some specific drugs used for curing the infection. Improper prescribing is the leading cause of MDR-TB. However, it is possible a person who has not ever taken TB medications can have a strain that is drug-resistant. Mismanagement of TB treatment and person-to-person transmission are the key reasons why multidrug resistance is emerging. Unavailability of recommended medicines, expensive treatments are making it an intense challenge to control multidrug resistant TB. Increasing multidrug resistance poses a great threat to TB diagnostic demand, especially in high prevalence countries owing to its high cost involved in the diagnostic of multi drug resistance. Treatment of MDR-TB is difficult and requires a long time duration due to which financially deprived patients find it difficult to continue the regimen, thus, hampering the growth of LTBI testing market.

Trend: Line Probe Assays (LPAs)

LPAs (Line Probe Assay) are technological advancements in the tuberculosis diagnostics. Line Probe Assay (LPA) refers to a technique used for diagnosis of drug-resistant TB. Line Probe Assay (LPA) is a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT), which is a low cost NAAT as compared to other tests. It has provided the basis for rapid and effective control of drug-resistant TB. LPA methodology consists of DNA extraction, PCR amplification, hybridization, and data interpretation. LPAs can only be used by trained staff in upper and middle-tier facilities.

The COVID-19 Analysis

The provision of TB health services (TB diagnosis, care and prevention services), and access to these services, were severely disrupted by COVID-19. TB service providers across many high TB burden contexts have faced difficulties in service provision, due to lack of appropriate equipment and capacity, restrictions to movement (affecting health care workers, commodities, and stock) and reallocation of resources. The COVID-19 pandemic has reversed significant progress that had been made in the global fight against TB, causing many TB reduction targets to be missed. In recent, few studies have proved COVID-19 may have factored into the case of LTBI reactivation. This is consistent with the knowledge that LTBI is reactivated in the setting of immunosuppression. Given its high global prevalence and relatively high lifetime risk of reactivation, estimated to be 5%-10%, it is worth considering screening select populations for LTBI, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analysis of Key Players

The global LTBI testing market is moderately fragmented, with a large number of small- and medium-sized manufacturers accounting for a major revenue share. The key players in the global LTBI testing market are Abbott Laboratories, Roche Holding AG, BioMerieux SA, Qiagen N.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Sanofi S.A., Bio-rad Laboratories, Inc., Endo International plc, PerkinElmer, Inc., Bruker Corporation, and Cyrus Poonawalla Group (Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd.)

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