Global Fragment Based Drug Discovery Market SIZE AND SHARE ANALYSIS - GROWTH TRENDS AND FORECASTS (2024 - 2031)

Global Fragment Based Drug Discovery Market Size - Analysis

The market is expected to witness notable growth over the forecast period. Increased R&D investments from pharmaceutical companies for drug discovery along with rapid adoption of fragment-based screening over other traditional methods are some key factors driving the market. Additionally, availability of advanced technologies for structural determination and characterization of fragments has propelled the market growth over the years.

Global Fragment Based Drug Discovery Market Trends

When developing new drugs, pharmaceutical companies aim to maximize success rates while minimizing risks and costs during development. Fragment based drug discovery provides a potent approach to achieve this by facilitating identification of novel hits with improved chemical qualities. Compared to traditional high throughput screening which relies on whole molecules, fragment-based screening employs small molecule fragments with lower molecular weight between 100-300 Daltons. These fragments have increased potential to bind promiscuously to different regions of target proteins. During screening, any fragments demonstrating binding are then grown step-wise to develop drug-like molecules optimized for interactions with the target.

Expanded chemical libraries from screening further reduce chances of duplicating work of competitors. This enhanced hit rate and diversity addresses a major challenge of drug discovery - identifying new therapeutically relevant molecular structures. It optimizes use of time and resources spent on earlier stages of research by advancing higher quality hits into later development phases. For pharmaceutical companies, fragment-based approaches provide a productive solution to mitigate compound attrition rates downstream and higher probability of clinical success.

Expanding applications in therapeutic areas like oncology

Early binding information from fragment screening provides insight into feasibility of modulating oncology-related protein targets. Even weak binding fragments that may not directly translate to drug candidates can reveal functional pocket points of interest on target proteins like kinases. Efforts are ongoing to develop potent kinase inhibitors for blocking growth and survival signals driving numerous cancer subtypes. Fragment growing may yield selective compounds targeting treatment-resistant cancer mutations or selectively hitting multiple kinases involved in interconnected signaling webs sustaining tumor progression. This maximizes chances of achieving more durable clinical responses.

Market Challenge - High costs associated with fragment-based drug discovery

One of the major opportunities for the global fragment-based drug discovery market is the growth of biophysical techniques. As mentioned earlier, biophysical methods such as X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy and SPR play a crucial role in detection of fragment hits by enabling characterization of molecular interactions. In recent years, there have been significant technological advancements in these techniques, allowing for improved data acquisition rates and sensitivity. For instance, new generations of NMR spectrometers and crystallography equipment have enhanced automated fragment screening capabilities. Additionally, analytical methods like isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and thermal shift assays (ThermoFluor) are also being increasingly used as complementary techniques. The growth of these techniques has made fragment screening for a wider range of targets and libraries feasible and more cost-effective. It has also facilitated elaboration of hits by enabling structure-based design. The continued evolution of biophysical tools is expected to further optimize the fragment-based workflow and make it an increasingly attractive drug discovery approach. This growing technical capability presents considerable opportunity for growth of the overall fragment-based drug discovery market.

Key winning strategies adopted by key players of Global Fragment Based Drug Discovery Market

Collaboration and partnership: Companies have extensively partnered and collaborated with leading research institutes, pharma/biotech companies and contract research organizations to advance their fragment based drug discovery programs. For instance, Astex Pharmaceuticals collaborated with GlaxoSmithKline in 2005 to develop novel oncology drugs using its Pyramid technology. This partnership was highly successful and led to the discovery and development of multiple clinical candidates.

Focus on high value therapeutic areas: Companies focus their fragment screening efforts on identifying hits for complex, high value targets in oncology, neuroscience and rare genetic diseases where traditional approaches have limitations. For example, SomaLogic uses its fragment screening platform SOMAscan to discover molecules for difficult G-protein coupled receptors and ion channel targets in cancer and neurological diseases.

These strategic approaches have helped global leaders advance their pipeline, accelerate drug discovery timelines and achieve clinical and commercial success. Collaborations estimate the market to grow at a CAGR of over 11.6% through 2025 as companies increasingly adopt FBDD to overcome challenges in traditional drug discovery.

Segmental Analysis of Global Fragment Based Drug Discovery Market

In terms of By Component, Biophysical Techniques contributes the highest share of the market owning to continuous technological advancements in this area. Biophysical techniques provide direct information on biomolecular interactions and are crucial for fragment screening. The development of sophisticated biophysical tools that offer high-throughput capabilities at lower costs has boosted their uptake in drug discovery. For instance, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has evolved tremendously over the years, becoming a mainstay for determining binding affinities. The availability of SPR systems paired with newer biosensor chips and automation software hasmade the method highly amenable for fragment screening. NMR spectroscopy too has reached new heights with optimization of experimental parameters and improved NMR machines equipped with enhanced field strengths and flow probes. Such enhancements have augmented NMR’s capacity to deliver high-quality data on fragment hits rapidly. Going forward, further refinement of biophysical tools and methods through automation,label-free detection, and enhanced analytic capabilities is expected to augment their utility, fueling segment expansion.

In terms of By Application, Oncology contributes the highest share of the marketowing toincreasing incidence and socio-economic toll of cancer worldwide. According toWHO estimates, cancer cases are projected to rise by over 70% in the next two decades globally. Fragment-based approaches are widely applied in oncology projectsas they allow identification of novel chemical matter with new mechanisms of action to address cancer's complexity and tackle resistance. Additionally, key cancer drivers continue to be important molecular targets for fragment-based campaigns as they offer viability over conventional drugs. Biopharma firms are aggressively exploring fragments against complex oncology targets such as KRAS, MYC, Hedgehog pathway proteins, and epigenetic modulators. Sustained R&D focus on cancer along with rising patient numbers and healthcare burden renders oncology a major application area for fragment-based strategies, driving the segment's growth.

By End user- Fragment-based drug discovery initiatives by academic institutions and public-private partnerships spur demand from academic and research organizations

Competitive overview of Global Fragment Based Drug Discovery Market

The major players operating in the Global Fragment Based Drug Discovery Market include Emerald BioStructures, Inc., Crown Bioscience, Vernalis Research, Sygnature Discovery, Shanghai ChemPartner, SARomics Biostructures, Red Glead Discovery, Domainex, CRELUX, ComInnex, Creative Biolabs, ChemAxon, 2bind, Amgen and University of California, San Francisco.

Recent Developments in Global Fragment Based Drug Discovery Market

Global Fragment Based Drug Discovery Market Segmentation

• By Component
  • Biophysical Techniques
    • NMR Spectroscopy
    • Differential Scanning Fluorimetry (DSF) Assay
    • Fluorescence Polarization
    • Isothermal Titration Calorimetry
    • X-ray Crystallography
    • Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)
    • Bilayer Interferometry
    • Mass Spectrometry (MS)
    • Capillary Electrophoresis
    • Weak Affinity Chromatography (WAC - HPLCUV/MS)
    • Other assays (biochemical)
  • Non-biophysical Techniques
• By Application
  • Oncology
  • Central Nervous System (CNS) Disorders
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Metabolic Disorders
  • Inflammation & Autoimmune Diseases
• By End-user
  • Academic & Research Institutions
  • Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies
  • Contract Research Organizations (CROs)
  • Others