In Vitro diagnostic market in Europe

The latest estimates on the In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) market in Europe, corresponding to the year 2005, are now available.

The IVD sales in Europe represent less than 2% of the Total Healthcare Expenditure (i.e. around Euro 20 per capita and per annum). Highly automated, IVD testing provides valuable data at low cost, thus allowing global healthcare savings while contributing to increase its quality. Increased testing will not significantly augment the costs of healthcare, but an appropriate spending on IVDs would certainly have a positive impact on healthcare.

In Vitro Diagnostics provide critical health information, influencing more than 60% of the clinical decisions and contributing significantly to the quality of healthcare. IVDs allow earlier and more appropriate treatments, thus helping to shorten length of hospital stays, rule out expensive treatments and reduce costs of treatment of complications. Moreover they assist to keep under control the spread of infectious diseases in the community.

EDMA, the European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association publishes the data compiled from the "European Diagnostic Market Statistics" (EDMS) programme, where companies report invoiced sales of reagents, instruments and consumables used to perform tests to an independent auditor CIP, according to the EDMA Classification.

As more than 85% of the market is covered in major countries, the accuracy of this data is high and represents a real asset for the IVD industry. EDMA encourage all the companies and countries to participate to the EDMS programme, which is one of the best tools available to understand the trends in our industry and a basis for marketing decisions.

The amount spent on IVDs out of the Total Healthcare Expenditure is minimal.

As stated in the following European market estimates for 2005, the average IVD industry sales represent less than 2% of the Total Healthcare Expenditure (i.e. around Euro 20 per capita and per annum). The value that In Vitro Diagnostics can contribute to increase the quality, safety, accuracy and savings of the European healthcare will only be achieved if there is a change in the way that resources are allocated in order to take advantage of these opportunities.

The results presented in the following table are based on individual estimates made in 26 European countries:

• 11 countries participating in the European Diagnostic Market Statistics - (EDMS) programme: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and UK
• The National Associations members of EDMA and the EDMA Market Research - Task Force have estimated the IVD market in 15 other countries not participating in the EDMS programme: Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden.

In 2004, healthcare costs an EU citizen only Euro 374 in Poland (lowest level), rising to Euro 4521 in Switzerland, Euro 4550 in Norway, and Euro 4801 in Luxembourg (highest levels), whereas a US citizen spent Euro 4909.

In Europe, less than 10% of GDP is spent on healthcare in most countries (more than 15% for USA), and the IVD sales represent less than 0.1% of the GDP in almost all the countries.