Allergy Diagnostics Market Size, Growth, Share & Trends Analysis

Allergy diagnostics is an important step in treating patients suffering from allergic diseases. Major allergic diseases include asthma, rhinitis, angioedema, urticaria, conjunctivitis, and eczema. At the same time, conditions such as food allergies and drug & insect allergies also affect many people across the globe. Globally, the increasing prevalence of allergies and related diseases has continued for more than 50 years in the industrialized world. According to data from CDC’s (June 2023) National Center for Health Statistics. 27.2% of children and 31.8% of adults show allergy symptoms, which tallies over 100 million people. Cases of allergy are found to be high among children; sensitization rates to one or more common allergens among school children are currently approaching 40–50% A steady increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases globally has occurred, with about 30–40% of the world population now being affected by one or more allergic conditions. According to WHO, hundreds of millions of subjects in the world suffer from rhinitis, and it is estimated that more than 300 million have asthma, markedly affecting the quality of life of these individuals and their families and negatively impacting the socio-economic welfare of society. According to the European Association of Allergy and Immunology, allergies are among the most common chronic diseases in Europe. 150 million Europeans currently have allergies, and by 2025, it is estimated that 50% of the population of Europe will suffer from some or other sensitivity or aversion. Besides, a rise in cases of food allergy has also been observed worldwide in recent years. Food allergy occurs when the body has a specific and reproducible immune response to certain foods. Eight foods or food groups account for the most serious allergic reactions in the US: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, wheat, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts. Other than the high incidence rate among children, allergy cases are considerably high among adults. For instance, according to the CDC (January 2023), in 2021, 27.2% of children had one or more selected allergic conditions, of which 1 in 20 had a food allergy (5.8%). With the growing burden of allergic diseases, the new diagnostic market is expected to grow significantly. Furthermore, the latest diagnostic strategies for allergies and research on new treatment approaches are expected to drive the market studied over the forecast period.

Several allergy diagnostic instruments, such as luminometers, blot analyzers, scanners, ELISA analyzers, and immunoassay analyzers, are periodically updated by market players. As these instruments are equipped with advanced features and functionalities, they are priced at a premium (the price of each instrument varies based on its accuracy, flexibility, and TAT). For instance, Phadia 2500+ by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US) costs USD 1,185,895, IMMULITE 2000 xpi by Siemens costs USD 20,953.8, while luminometers cost USD 3,000 and USD 14,000. Semi-automated ELISA readers cost USD 2,000 and USD 5,000, while fully automated analyzers cost around USD 14,000. Furthermore, maintenance and insurance, laboratory supervision, and overheads (including utilities, space, and administration) are additional expenses required to operate this equipment. Large hospitals and diagnostic laboratories have a larger share of this market as they have good capital budgets to afford high-volume systems. However, most small laboratories, physicians’ clinics, and independent practitioners have budget constraints owing to which they generally cannot afford large or very large systems. Thus, high fixed-cost requirements are expected to limit the growth of the allergy diagnostics market.

The use of mHealth for the diagnosis of rhinitis is currently limited, with a small number of mHealth tools for allergic rhinitis (AR) diagnoses published in peer-reviewed journals. Recent developments in integrated biosensors, wireless communication, and power harvesting techniques generate a new breed of point-of-care devices. However, AR is a very common disease. Any diagnostic device connected to a smartphone (e.g., peak nasal inspiratory flow meters or intranasal biosensors) would need to be inexpensive to be affordable. Several applications have aimed to monitor the control of allergic multimorbidity (rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma). Allergymonitor, for example, monitors the symptoms and medication intake, which is then matched to local pollen concentrations. Similarly, the MASK (Mobile Airways Sentinel Network) MASK-Air, initially called Allergy Diary, uses a visual analog scale (VAS) for eye, nose, and asthma symptoms, work impairment, and a global assessment. The data collected by the users of this app have led to new insights into work productivity, treatment patterns, and phenotypes of allergic diseases. Mobile health in food allergy plays a promising role for different stakeholders, including patients and patient organizations, doctors, allergy organizations, and the food industry. Within food allergy, different levels of medical management can be approached by mHealth tools. Mobile health tools can support patients in documenting symptoms during allergy diagnosis. Mobile health in food allergy may play a role for different stakeholders, including patients and patient organizations, doctors, allergy organizations, and the food industry. Within food allergy, different levels of medical management can be approached by mHealth tools. At the diagnostic level, mobile health tools can support patients in documenting symptoms.

For several decades, the shortage of a skilled workforce has been a challenge, resulting in an aging workforce and declining enrollment in training programs. Technicians need almost five to ten years of continuous clinical laboratory work experience to gain expertise. The diagnosis and treatment of allergic disorders such as asthma, rhinitis, food allergies, urticaria, and others is multi-faceted and complicated, requires the prowess of a dedicated allergy specialist, and cannot be ideally managed by a general practitioner. Allergists play a vital role in maintaining good health for people of all ages. However, there is now a growing shortage of allergists. For instance, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), it is the leading membership organization of more than 7,000 allergists/immunologists and patients' trusted resource for allergies, asthma, and immune deficiency disorders. Various rural areas have a shortage of allergists. There are long scheduling waits in most areas to see allergists, with one San Francisco study reporting mean wait times to see an allergist of more than 60 days (Source: Barton Associates). In Europe, the UK has already reported low numbers of clinical technicians. The Gatsby Foundation stated in 2019 that over 1.5 million are serving in the health, engineering, science, and technology domains. Over 50,000 people retire every year, and 700,000 technicians will be required to meet the soaring demands in the next decade. The AAMC study projects a shortage of 46,100 to 90,400 physicians by 2025, including 12,500 to 31,100 primary care physicians (PCPs) and 28,200 to 63,700 surgeons and other specialists.