CYTOMEGALOVIRUS INFECTION TREATMENT AND DIAGNOSIS MARKET ANALYSIS

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a virus that belongs to herpes virus family that remain dormant in the human body. CMV infection can occur in people of all ages worldwide. CMV is a communicable disease that spreads through body fluids such as saliva, blood, urine, semen, and breast milk. Presence of CMV infection can be detected by various testing methods based on which the global cytomegalovirus infection treatment and diagnosis market can be analyzed:

• Serologic test
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test

CMV diagnosis is very critical in pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals. Enzyme-linked immunoassay test is the most widely used serologic testing for CMV infection in laboratories. Besides, PCR technique is also widely implemented for samples of saliva, and urine. Awareness about the infection is essential as most of the cases go undiagnosed at early stages as the disease is asymptomatic.

Cytomegalovirus infection market: Treatment approach

People diagnosed with high risk of CMV infection may be given anti-viral medications to prevent the disease to get in to active stage. There is no cure available for treating the CMV infection. Ganciclovir, Val ganciclovir, Cidofovir, Valacyclovir and Foscarnet are few major anti-viral medications prescribed. In some cases, CMV immune globulin contains antibodies (proteins) may be prescribed to prevent CMV infection. There are certain products in pipeline which includes Cytovir CMV, Letermovir, CytoTect CP 70, Brincidofovir and ASP0113, commercialization of which is expected to fuel the global CMV infection treatment and diagnosis market growth in the near future.

Vital statistics for the global cytomegalovirus infection treatment and diagnosis market

Besides, diagnosis of new CMV cases would be a propelling factor for global cytomegalovirus infection treatment and diagnosis market. The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates that 40%-100% of the global population have CMV antibody present in their body. Immunocompromised patients (HIV, organ transplant), premature infants, newborns and with congenital CMV are at high risk of developing serious illness with CMV infection.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every 150 infants are born with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in the U.S. However, only one in five infants infected with CMV have long term health problems. Prevailing infection rates and demand for effective treatment therapies would be thrusting the cytomegalovirus infection treatment and diagnosis market growth.

CMV infection treatment and diagnosis market: Regional overview

Early diagnosis practices would drive the global cytomegalovirus infection treatment and diagnosis market in developed regions such as North America and Europe, where accessibility to advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities is high compared to the emerging economies. For market players in the diagnosis and treatment of CMV infection, ensuring accessibility and healthcare investment in emerging nations would be critical to generate better return on investments.

Some of the major players in the global cytomegalovirus infection treatment and diagnosis market are Merck & Co. Inc., Cell Medical Ltd., Chimerix, Inc., Affymetrix, Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Johnson & Johnson, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Key Developments

Major institutes are focused on launching various programs focused on R&D activities related to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. For instance, in August 2019, The UW Program for Advanced Cell Therapy (PACT) launched first-in-US cell-therapy trial for kidney transplant patients that will deploy virus-specific white blood cells for the treatment of severe cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection after kidney transplantation.

Moreover, in January 2019, a team of researchers from Lions Eye Institute (LEI), a medical research institute affiliated with the University of Western Australia, discovered a new method to prevent reactivation of CMV in mouse models by injecting them with their own antibodies. The research is expected to offer a new strategy to control CMV reactivation in humans.

In November 2018, a study by University Children’s Hospital Tuebingen, Germany — published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases of Infectious Diseases Society of America— found that short-term pasteurization of breast milk prevents postnatal CMV transmission in very preterm infants.