Fragment-Based Drug Discovery Market

Market Overview

The worldwide market for fragment-based drug discovery market was USD 568 million in 2020, which is expected to expand to USD 1.1 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 10.4% between 2020 and 2027.

The method of finding and creating novel medications for a variety of ailments is known as fragment-based drug discovery. The identification of tiny fragment molecules, around half the size of a conventional drug molecule, is the first step in fragment-based drug discovery. These segments are then improved and combined to create therapeutic candidates.

The worldwide fragment-based drug discovery market is driven by continuous advancements in 'In Silico' technology. The word 'in silicon' refers to the computational technique used in the drug development process and is derived from the computer component silicon. By identifying relevant fragments, silico approaches play a significant role in fragment-based drug discovery design. The discovery of low-molecular-mass compounds is a part of the fragment-based strategy.

Low-molecular-mass molecules provide a unique chance to produce effective and efficient compounds once their interaction with biological target molecules is thoroughly defined and empirically confirmed. The whole operation is aided by in silico technologies, which improve the speed and cost-effectiveness of drug development. The Silico approach has seen growth in computational methods and aggressive launches in recent years. Bruker, for example, introduced the scimaX MRMS resolution in June 2018, which will aid biopharma customers in performing advanced native protein and fragment-based drug discovery research.

Global market development is projected to be aided by increased research activity on uncommon illnesses. Rare illnesses are defined differently in various parts of the world; for example, in the United States, a sickness that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals is considered uncommon, but in the European Union, a disease that affects one in every 2,000 people is considered rare.

More than 7000 rare illnesses are recognized worldwide, yet only a percentage of these have authorized medicines and therapies. Many of the world's largest pharmaceutical corporations, government agencies, non-profit groups, and legislators are investing heavily in research and development to find effective treatments for uncommon illnesses.

Fragment-based Drug Discovery Perspectives

Fragment-based drug discovery has been used to find drugs for various targets and is an essential part of target-based medication development. The approach is crucial in chemical biology since it allows the development of high-quality chemical probes for multiple targets (Scott et al., 2012). The following measures are taken to achieve FBDD (Figure 6). When a target is set bioinformatics will be used to deduce the structure, which is determined via X-ray crystallography or other approaches such as homology modeling. The target protein will be in the second step.

The protein-based NMR may be used in screening if the isotopically labeled protein can be readily purified and the purified protein shows scattered cross-peaks in the 1H-15N-HSQC spectrum. Otherwise, fragment screening will be done using DSF or 19F-NMR. The only way to determine if the target can be crystallized will be X-ray crystallography. When a target structure is accessible, virtual screening is done at any time. Third, a library will be chosen from various sources, which is not a constraint. Finally, structural, biophysical, and biochemical approaches are used to confirm hits. Appropriate tactics help to take advantage of fragment growth. In the process, medicinal chemists will be crucial.

Regional Analysis

The market is divided into five regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. The worldwide fragment-based drug market is dominated by North America. The presence of significant pharmaceutical businesses in the area, and high expenditure on R&D, are key drivers driving the industry. The United States, Canada, and Mexico make up North America. Because of its well-developed healthcare infrastructure and the presence of numerous CROs and firms active in the sector, such as Abbott Laboratories, the U.S to dominate the regional fragment-based drug discovery market.

In the United States, the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) is responsible for evaluating new medications before they are approved for sale. A CDER team of doctors, statisticians, chemists, pharmacologists, and other scientists examines and tests to ensure that they are safe and effective for their intended purpose. In the U.S, the medication approval process follows a structured framework that includes examination of the target ailment and existing therapies, benefits and hazards based on clinical evidence, and risk management methods.

The global fragment-based drug discovery market is expected to grow significantly in Europe from 2019 to 2026, owing to increased access to advanced technology, rising adoption of fragment-based drug discovery in academic-level research, and combined R&D efforts from several developed countries from the European Union. Germany, France, the U.K, Italy, Spain, and the rest of Europe make up Europe. Because of its extensive network of products to a great university and non-university research institutions, numerous member businesses of the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies Germany may dominate the regional fragment-based drug development market in Europe.

The European Union has coordinated all member nations' R&D activities and established the European Medicines Agency to assess medical goods. Thousands of professionals from around Europe help the EMA, ensuring the expertized possible scientific knowledge for drug regulation. The assessment process is divided into pre-submission, evaluation, and post-authorization.

Segmental Analysis

The worldwide fragment-based drug discovery market is divided into service components, end-users, and geographic areas.

Segmentation based on Service Components

The market is divided into fragment screening and fragment optimization based on the service component. Biophysical procedures and non-biophysical approaches are the two types of fragment screening techniques. NMR spectroscopy, DSF assay, fluorescence polarisation (FP), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), X-ray crystallography, surface plasmon resonance, mass spectrometry, and capillary electrophoresis are classified as NMR spectroscopy.

DSF assay, fluorescence polarisation (FP), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), X-ray in the drug development process, fragment-based screening have emerged as potential methods. Fragment-based drug design is concerned with molecules with a smaller molecular weight, typically between 100 and 300 Daltons, and less functionality as compared to bigger molecules. Because the fragments have affinities ranging from micromolar to millimolar, sensitive detection techniques are needed to identify such weak protein ligands.

Several biophysical methods, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography, are available on the market to identify weak protein-ligand interactions. However, various biophysical approaches are used to find potential hit molecules.

Non-biophysical approaches, such as computational screening tools play an essential role in fragment-based drug discovery. Researchers, industry, and regulatory authorities have created, accepted, and utilized several computational tools. When paired with experimental procedures, these computational methods are valuable. These are quick, low-cost approaches that work with a broad range of biological targets. Researchers may use computational tools to skip the random screening of compounds across hundreds of biological targets.

One of the most critical processes in fragment-based drug discovery design is fragment optimization. The detection of fragments by screening is the first step in fragment-based drug development. Due to the poor quality of leads generated by screening, considerable optimization is required to improve drug-like characteristics and create prospective lead compounds. Experimental and computational techniques are used to filter and optimize fragments.