RNA interference (RNAi) has rapidly evolved into a powerful technique to silence gene expression in cells allowing researchers to study the molecular effects of modulating expression at the level of individual genes. This degree of precision can now be accomplished without the time-consuming efforts previously dedicated to the construction of single gene knock-outs or dominant negative expressing cell lines.
The diversity of its applications has made RNAi an indispensable tool for both academic and industrial scientists interested in gene function characterisation, signaling pathway analysis and target validation.
According to market researchers BioInformatics, this fast-growing market offers numerous opportunities for life science suppliers and has engendered interesting dynamics among competitors.
Ambion, Dharmacon (a subsidiary of Fisher Scientific International),Invitrogen and Qiagen continue to dominate the market for RNAi products. However their positions vary across market segments and geographic regions.
Ambion, Invitrogen and Qiagen products are used equally in academia and industry, while Dharmacon was cited as a supplier far more frequently by industrial researchers than by academic researchers.
Dharmacon has pioneered a custom RNAi design service that employs proprietary technology to maximise the efficiency of gene silencing. Dharmacon's SMARTselection and SMARTpool technologies result in potent and specific gene silencing agents. Dharmacon's siGENOME RNAi, offers guaranteed SMARTpool reagents and SMARTselection-designed RNAi's targeting human genes in the NCBI RefSeq database. The company recently released ON-TARGET siRNA and its new siSTABLE siRNA.
Results also indicate that Invitrogen has a consistent share of the market worldwide, while Ambion and Dharmacon are more frequently used in North America than other regions. Qiagen continues to have a strong market presence in Europe.
According to the report, the market leaders also vary by specific product categories with some competitors specializing in one type of product, while others compete by offering a full line of RNAi products.
For example, Dharmacon is the leading supplier of both pre-designed, validated or library siRNA duplexes as well as chemically synthesized custom siRNA duplexes, but the company has not established itself as a supplier of transfection reagents. On the other hand, Invitrogen is the top supplier of transfection reagents and has also become a major supplier of siRNA products following last year's acquisition of Sequitur and the Stealth RNAi technology.
These findings were recently published in the report, "The Market for RNA Interference Products: Challenges and Opportunities," which is designed to help life science suppliers understand and respond to the needs of scientists using RNAi technology. It is based on a 35-question survey of over 500 scientists who currently use small interfering RNA (siRNA).
Researchers discovered the major use of RNAi reagents is in research but it partially overlaps that of drug discovery and therapeutic development. Figures for the RNAi market have been difficult to assess primarily because no RNAi-based product is in clinical development yet.
US based Sirna Therapeutics' hepatitis C program is in the lead identification phase of development having identified several stabilized siRNAs that are currently being tested in animal model systems. Sirna are also screening these siNAs in a cell culture system of HCV infection.
According to market researchers Jain PharmaBioTech, it is estimated to be currently $300 million and will increase to $400 million in 2005 and $850 million by the year 2010. The value of the drug discovery market based on RNAi can be assessed at $500 million currently with increase to $650 million in the year 2005 and further doubling to $1 billion in the year 2010.
Even if a few products get into the market by the year 2010, this market will expand to $3.5 billion based on revenues from sales of RNAi-based drugs.
Meanwhile Frost and Sullivan's analysts estimate target validation to generate $146.4 million or just under 50 per cent of total RNAi market revenues, followed by research with USD 97.6 and therapeutics with USD 56.0 million by 2010.