Biodefense research represents one of the fastest growing markets for life science suppliers. The ability to effectively combat bioterrorism largely depends on the information generated by biomedical research on disease-causing microorganisms and the immune system's response to them. Thus, of the $41 billion that has been allocated for homeland security in the United States for 2004, roughly $3.8 billion will go to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to fund biodefense research. This budget will help support basic research on potential agents of bioterrorism as well as the development of vaccines, diagnostic tests and therapies to detect and counter the effects of a bioterrorist attack. Within the Department of Homeland Security, the 2004 budget includes $400 million for the Strategic National Stockpile of drugs and vaccines, $890 million for biodefense vaccines and medications, and $365 million for biological countermeasures. When the expenditures of other agencies, private institutions and corporations related to biodefense are considered, the total market could reach as high as $50 billion within the next few years. Moreover, it is quite possible that a consumer market for biodefense products will develop as the public becomes skeptical of the effectiveness of plastic sheeting and duct tape. Despite the billions of dollars being invested in biodefense research, few life science suppliers of research products and instrumentation have aggressively moved to dominate this segment. In fact, relatively few tools and techniques are specifically designed for biodefense research, often leaving researchers to adapt products and methodologies currently designed for other uses. Looking at the entire market potential, Market Opportunities in Biodefense Research not only reflects the experiences and opinions of over 265 scientists who are currently engaged in biodefense research but also over 235 scientists who plan to conduct biodefense research within the next year. It provides a thorough analysis of the commercial opportunities in this growing field, including the rate at which new researchers are entering the field and barriers to adoption as well as the most commonly studied diseases and/or bioterrorism agents, approaches and techniques used and sources of funding. Respondents also disclosed unmet needs and identified areas where companies can focus their efforts to capture market share. While substantial progress has been made in the biodefense research enterprise, much remains to be accomplished. With the appropriate research tools, scientists will be able to develop the tools for diagnosis, treatment and prevention that will improve the response to future bioterrorist attacks as well as help deter the ravages of infectious disease outbreaks. Suppliers that can develop the competencies required to meet the needs of this currently underserved niche will be in a competitive position and best able to dominate the market. Report Highlights Market Opportunities in Biodefense Research contains over 170 charts and/or tables and more than 10 cross-tabulations for the 36 survey questions. Below is a glimpse of the key findings derived from just a few of the survey questions: • Cited by 40% of the scientists, anthrax is the most commonly studied disease and/or potential bioterrorism agent. (Question 4) • Respondents most frequently use molecular and/or cellular approaches (62%) and cell and/or tissue culture (60%) to conduct their biodefense research. (Question 10) • For their biodefense research, respondents most frequently cited Invitrogen, Sigma-Aldrich, Bio-Rad and Qiagen as suppliers of products that are not specifically designed for biodefense applications. (Question 18) • Approximately one-third of respondents believe that life science suppliers can best support the efforts of scientists conducting biodefense research on treatment by developing assays to measure host immune response to infection. (Question 24) • Nearly half of the respondents who are currently engaged in biodefense research estimate that their biodefense budget will increase within the next year-with 22% of them citing an increase of over 80%. (Question 29) • Overall, both scientists who currently conduct biodefense and those who plan to cited limited access to biological agents (48%) and excessive documentation (45%) as the most challenging bureaucratic roadblocks in biodefense research. (Question 34)
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