Frost Radar™: Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing, Global, 2021

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) provides an alternative to invasive, higher-risk tests such as amniocentesis, requiring a maternal blood sample to obtain cell-free DNA from both mother and fetus for analysis. Since NIPT’s debut in 2011, laboratories and testing companies have made incremental upgrades to their non-invasive screens, improving accuracy and positive predictive value. Frost & Sullivan forecasts a quadruple increase in penetration for average-risk pregnancies in 2021. Scalable, automated in-lab workflow solutions and remote patient monitoring in pregnancy will effectively address the incoming volume and improve overall test economics. A significant proportion of consolidation is focused on the distribution and marketing of NIPTs to expand access and coverage, followed by product development and commercialization agreements. Frost & Sullivan envisages the trend in consolidation to increase in the coming age of distributable kits, offering new solutions to drive the expansion of testing to all autosomes and microdeletions. As the clinical application becomes widespread, major leaps forward are on the horizon, including sequencing-free optics-based technology and approaches that analyze whole-fetal cells instead of cfDNA. Expanded clinical application of NIPT will accelerate technological developments in the field, making the sector a viable market.

Author: Amartya Bose