asia pacific rnai therapeutics Market

The Asia Pacific RNAi therapeutics market is expected to reach US$ 218.64 million by 2027 from US$ 107.63 million in 2019. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.3% from 2020 to 2027.

The RNAi therapeutics market is growing primarily due to increasing investments in RNAi therapies and rising prevalence of infectious diseases & chronic conditions in Asia Pacific. However, high cost of RNAi therapeutics is likely to restrain the growth of the market. Additionally, significant number of pipeline candidates for strategic alliances and rising emphasis on RNA technologies are likely to fuel the growth of the RNAi therapeutics market during the forecast period.   

RNAi refers to the interference RNA which is responsible for controlling and manipulating protein translation in the cell. These RNAi are used to silence particular genes which are responsible for diseases. Currently, the awareness about RNAi is increasing extensively due to its ability to offer target specific mechanism, leading to superior treatment outcomes. The approach is widely utilized for drug development. Increasing number of investments in RNAi therapy development coupled with growing prevalence of infectious diseases and chronic conditions are anticipated to drive the market during the forecast period.

According to the WHO, 79% of deaths in China are due to chronic diseases. Lifestyle changes stemming from rising wealth are behind much of the shift, with stroke, heart disease and lung and liver cancers supplanting lower respiratory diseases and neonatal disorders, according to a joint study by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle. This has propelled the growth of healthcare systems. Extensive R&D activities are being conducted by government institutions and academic research centers to discover new drug delivery technologies and deal with the increasing number of patients suffering from infectious diseases (such as pneumonia, meningitis, food poisoning, and flu) and chronic conditions (such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions).

China has been the epicenter of the infectious disease throughout the history. For instance, in 2006, the five most frequently reported infectious diseases in China were tuberculosis, hepatitis B, dysentery, syphilis, and gonorrhea. Also, in December 2019, in Wuhan, Hubei, China, COVID-19 was identified. This has resulted in a pandemic. According to the Worldometer, 30.6 million people are infected with COVID-19 till date. These numbers show that the cases of infectious diseases, are increasing day by day.

Furthermore, cancer and diabetes are among the leading causes of mortality. For instance, there were 4.3 million new cancer cases and more than 2.8 million cancer deaths in China in 2015, with lung cancer being the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in China. With increasing incidence and mortality, cancer is the leading cause of death in China and is a major public health issue. Also, approximately 1 out of 10 adults in China is suffering from diabetes. RNAi therapies have significant potential to provide promising treatment for such extensively increasing diseases. Thus, the staggering number of cases necessitates the need for superior treatments, which, in turn, bolsters the growth of the RNAi therapeutics market.

In 2019, the small interfering RNAs (siRNA) segment accounted for the highest share of the market. Growth of this segment is attributed to increasing preference for small interfering RNAs for drug development and growing number of research partnerships. Furthermore, the microRNA (miRNA) segment is expected to register higher CAGR in the RNAi therapeutics market during the forecast period.

A few of the major secondary sources associated with the Asia Pacific RNAi therapeutics market report are World Health Organization (WHO), Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and World Population Prospects, among others.