Swab and viral transport medium focuses on collection, storage, maintenance, and transportation of the clinical samples. This contains chlamydia, viruses, and urea, plasma organisms, and mycoplasma organisms. The viral skin swab is gently spread in the visible skin vesicles or lesions and then transmitted to the laboratories in a viral transport medium for virus identification and virus cell culture.

Growth Factors

The global corona virus has fuel the demand for swab and viral transport mediums. The remarkable amount of diagnostic tests of corona virus and surging cases of COVID patients worldwide, is accompanies the demand for the swab and viral transport medium market. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, state public health laboratories authorized very country and city laboratories in each state to perform testing. This resulted in high demand for testing kits or diagnostic kits for testing. Such high demand for performing the test resulting in surging number of COVID patients propel the demand for global swab and viral transport medium market in the forecast period.  Rising number of small-sized emerging manufacturers boosts the business activities such as number of policies & initiatives that was undertaken by the government for COVID-19 affected countries, resulting in high utilization of testing kits in the pandemic situation. Such factors further stimulate the growth of global swab and viral transport medium market in the forecast period. Companies like BIO-MED launched virus sample collection and transport kit specially designed transport system to collect samples from throat or nasal secretion and transport viruses in an active form to the laboratory for isolation/identification. It is specifically designed to maintain the viability and the virulence of the viral sample. Bio-Med virus transport medium (BM-VTM) kit is specially designed for collection and transportation of clinical specimens containing viruses. Additionally, pricing expenditure and initiatives by various organizations globally towards the management of COVID-19 offers lucrative opportunities for the expansion of global swab and viral transport medium market in the forthcoming years. PrimeStore MTM (Molecular Transport Medium) was designed and optimized for molecular testing allowing pathogenic samples to be collected, transported, and processed safely and efficiently. Millions of PrimeStore MTM has been sold to clients worldwide during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. PrimeStore MTM is the only cleared FDA Class 2 cleared product for microbial nucleic acid storage and stabilization, hospitals, and laboratories as safer and reliable testing as compared to UTM/VTM, saline, or research use only devices. Rising government initiatives or involvement fuels the growth of the market. Surging demand for COVID-19 diagnostic had a strong impact on the production of swabs, reagents, and sterile containers. As per the release of Questex LLC, currently FDA has loosened its oversight of viral transport media, the liquid solution that keeps samples viable till test performed in labs. Majority of the molecular and antigen based diagnostic test granted emergency authorization require some form of viral transport media or different types of sterile saline solution. FDA is allowing commercial manufacturers to ship their products without prior notification of trial for new medical device. Such factors contribute to the fullest for growth of swab and viral transport medium market.

Segmental Outlook

The swab and viral transport medium market is based on the product type, indication, an end-user. By product type, the market is sub-segmented into viral transport medium and virus swabs. The viral transport medium is further bifurcated as glycerol transport medium and tissue culture medium. Virus swabs is further segregated as deep nasal swabs, culture swabs, nasopharyngeal swabs, combined nasal & throat swabs, and vaginal swabs. Based on indication, the market is categorized as mumps virus, influenza, varicella-zoster virus, rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, herpes simplex virus, COVID-19, and other indications. By end-user, the market is segmented as diagnostic laboratories, microbiology laboratories, hospitals & clinics, and others. 

Regional Overview

North America is expected to record largest market share for the swab and viral transport medium market.  Surging amount of diagnostic tests and presence of major market players in this region positively impact the growth of regional market. The requirement for the swab and viral transport medium have raise the demand during COVID-19, labs & research institute are having a strong focus on the experimentation for developing corona virus vaccine. Prominent players in the swab and viral transport medium have improved their manufacturing capabilities and developing innovative products that can prove useful for viral culture, collection, and maintenance. For instance, LaunchWorks CDMO, a contract development and manufacturing company serving the life science market, has received approval from the FDA for manufacturing and distribution of Viral Transport Media (VTM), in accordance with Section IV.B of the FDA’s COVID-19 Transport Media Policy. The company's vial transport media is available in the form of bulk tubes, large volume containers, and a specimen kit, that involves a tube of sterile LaunchWorks VTM, a biohazard bag and an absorbent bag.

On the other hand, Asia Pacific is expected to gain a significant pace in the global market for swab and viral transport medium market in the coming years. One of the prominent factors that is responsible for the growth of APAC regional market is surging demand of specimen collection kits in APAC region. In-vitro diagnostic test are performed on samples taken from the human body such as swabs and mucus inside the nose or back of the throat, or blood taken from a vein or finger stick. Beyond tests that diagnose or detect SARS-CoV-2 virus or antibodies, there are also tests that are authorized for use in the management of COVID-19. These involve detection of biomarkers related to inflammation. Once patients are diagnosed with COVID-19 disease, this additional test can be used to inform patient management decisions. Such diagnostic tests kits in APAC region further fuels the growth of regional market for swab and viral transport medium.

Competitive Landscape

The global swab and transport medium market is highly fragmented with the presence of numerous companies operating locally, regionally, as well as in international market. Companies in the global swab and viral transport medium market are continuously increasing their accessibility of ready-to-use and sterile swabs for testing of COVID-19. A number of companies have been competing in the global market for swab and viral transport medium. These involve Medical Wire & Equipment (MWE), BTNX, YOCON Biology, DiaSorin Molecular LLC, VIRCELL S.L., COPAN Diagnostics, HiMedia Laboratories, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Becton Dickinson and Company, Hardy Diagnostics, Titan Biotech Ltd., Puritan Medical Products, Deltalab and among others.

Market Segmentation

Market By Product Type

Viral Transport Medium

• Glycerol Transport Medium
• Tissue Culture Medium

Virus Swabs

• Deep Nasal Swabs
• Culture Swabs
• Nasopharyngeal Swabs
• Combined Nasal & Throat Swabs
• Vaginal Swabs

Market By Indication

Mumps Virus

Influenza

Varicella-Zoster Virus

Rhinovirus

Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Adenovirus

Herpes Simplex Virus

Covid-19

Others

Market By End-User

Diagnostic Laboratories

Microbiology Laboratories

Hospitals & Clinics

Others

Market By Geography

North America

• U.S.
• Canada

Europe

• U.K.
• Germany
• France
• Spain
• Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific

• China
• Japan
• India
• Australia
• South Korea
• Rest of Asia-Pacific

Latin America

• Brazil
• Mexico
• Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

• GCC
• South Africa
• Rest of Middle East & Africa