Growth in the $54.6 billion in vitro diagnostics (IVD) market during 2013 came from emerging markets while developed nation markets grew at a much slower pace. All of the major IVD companies reported large increases in the top seven emerging markets. This is mostly fueled by privatization and health insurance initiatives by governments and employers. Medicare price cutting in the U.S. is expected to continue, and the IVD market in Europe should remain essentially flat for the next few years. 

According to Kalorama Information’s biennial survey of the IVD industry, The Worldwide Market for In Vitro Diagnostic Tests, 9th Edition, China, Brazil and Korea were among the countries that received industry interest in the form of acquisitions, partnerships and expanded sales efforts.

The U.S. weight loss market has hit a plateau, experiencing  little growth over the last 6 years. After the downsize of the economy, consumers have decreased their purchases of diet drinks, health club memberships, medical programs, diet books, and exercise videos and moved forward to a more do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. Yet, small niches in the industry are starting to boom.

According to a report by publisher Marketdata Enterprises Inc., the value of the U.S. weight loss market declined by 1.8% in 2013, down to $60.5 billion. The market is expected to increase in 2014 with the increased DIY dieting trends and as organizations sort out the effects of the Affordable Care Act.

With more than 7 Billion mobile network subscriptions worldwide, the mobile communications sector is rapidly gaining traction from a diverse range of vertical sectors. Healthcare is no exception to this trend.

As healthcare providers seek to maximize their patient outreach while minimizing costs, many view mobile healthcare (or mHealth) as the solution to improve healthcare cost-efficiency. mHealth refers to the usage of mobile communications technology & devices to enhance access to healthcare information, improve distribution of routine and emergency health services and provide diagnostic services.

MarketResearch.com partners with over 700 publishers to offer customers the most comprehensive collection of diverse business intelligence. Each publisher has its own story and offers unique and insightful perspective into the industries they cover. This week, MarketResearch.com is spotlighting global, multi-industry information provider MarketsandMarkets. Read on to learn more about MarketsandMarkets and their products.

Targeted therapies and the use of molecular profiling to determine which first-line treatments patients should receive have rapidly found their feet in the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) market. Even the segmentation of this market into very small patient sub-populations – such as the EML4-ALK positive group, which accounts for between just 3-7 percent of all NCSLC patients – can prove commercially enticing as pharma companies carve out their own niches.

In the two past decades, the healthcare industry in China has been growing at a fast pace, as it is a tremendous challenge to provide healthcare for 1.3 billion people. According to Asia Market Information and Development Company, the dramatic expansions of the healthcare system, drug manufacturing, and health insurance have transformed China’s society and economy. Life expectancy has now reached 76.8 for women and 72.5 for men compared to 69.9 for women and 66.9 for men in 1990. Demographic transition from high mortality to low mortality has helped drive this increase in life expectancy. Primary diseases have also shifted from infectious to chronic. Cancer, heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases are now top killers. As of now, spending on healthcare counts for over 5% of GDP and that will only continue to increase in the next decade. 

MarketResearch.com partners with over 700 publishers to offer customers the most comprehensive collection of diverse business intelligence. Each publisher has its own story and offers unique and insightful perspective into the industries they cover. This week, MarketResearch.com is spotlighting global multi-industry information provider Frost & Sullivan. Read on to learn more about Frost & Sullivan and their products.

MarketResearch.com partners with over 700 publishers to offer customers the most comprehensive collection of diverse business intelligence. Each publisher has its own story and offers unique and insightful perspective into the industries they cover. This week, MarketResearch.com is spotlighting Fast-Moving Consumer Goods market research publisher Canadean. Read on to learn more about Canadean and their products.

Few industries will be challenged in the coming years like the medical device industry. Many observers project that the overall medical device market may suffer from reduced profits, less venture capital spending, and R&D due to the double-effects of a new excise tax in the United States and reimbursement cuts in world markets. But, this doesn’t mean the whole industry will suffer. Without market research, one might be tempted to generalize the industry, resulting in missed opportunities. Market research reports can help market-watchers find these right opportunities. 

The start of a new year is a time for new beginnings and progress, and the healthcare industry is no different. As we enter 2014, healthcare will experience some very notable changes. To find out some of the most substantial trends to note in the coming year, I spoke with Bruce Carlson, Publisher at one of the industry's leading market research producers, Kalorama Information.

Here are some of the biggest talking points for 2014: