Stem cell therapy is an emerging
branch of medicine that has the potential to restore organ and/or tissue
function of patients suffering from serious injuries or chronic diseases, in
which the body’s own responses are not capable of repairing damaged
tissues/organs. These therapies are estimated to hold high therapeutic
potential for the treatment of various incurable diseases throughout the world.
Most of the stem cell based therapeutics are in the research and development
stage.
North America and Asia-Pacific regions are the major markets involved in
the development of stem cell based therapeutics. After 2015, developing regions
such as Asia-Pacific (China and India), Latin America, and the Middle East are expected
to form the new revenue pockets for this market. The stem cell therapy market
in these emerging regions is primarily driven by rising regulatory support
through favorable government policies, strong product pipeline, and increased
licensing activities. Moreover, the presence of a large patient population, low
cost of conducting clinical trials compared to developed nations, and growing
focus of both international and domestic players on the Asia-Pacific stem cell
therapy market are the key factors fueling the growth of the market in these
regions.
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These regions provide favorable
conditions for the growth of market players and have a high demand of stem cell
therapy products along with related tools and technologies. As a result of
this, a number of players in the stem cell therapy market are focusing on the emerging
economies to strengthen their market position. In September 2012, the U.S.-based Vitro Diagnostics, Inc.
signed an agreement With StemGenesis, Inc. (U.S.) for exclusive distribution of
its products in Chinese provinces. Likewise, in
December 2013, Korea-based Medipost Ltd. entered into a licensing agreement
with Alkem Laboratories Ltd. (an Indian pharmaceutical company) for its stem
cell-based cartilage repair drug—Cartistem.
Emergence of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells as an
alternative to embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is expected to unfold new
opportunities for the commercialization of stem cell therapies. Human-induced
pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were first derived artificially in 2007. iPSCs
are adult cells that can be genetically reprogrammed to behave like embryonic
stem cells. iPS cells hold similar potential to that of embryonic stem cells
for their use in drug discovery and development process, with reduced ethical
concerns. As a result, government bodies are increasingly ruling out various
initiatives to upsurge the use of iPSCs in stem cell based researches. For
instance, Japan has eased its regulatory policies for the approval of iPS-based
stem cell research. Consequently, in June 2013, the country approved the
world’s first iPS stem cell-based clinical trial for the treatment of
age-related macular degeneration (AMD).