Market Profile: UHPLC

Ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) systems are designed to take full advantage of smaller particles (sub-2-μm), which yield higher resolution and increased sensitivity. Because of increased back-pressure, UHPLC systems employ high-performance pumps that deliver pressures of 15,000 psi (1000 bar) or higher. Some systems solve the back-pressure issue by elevating temperatures using a column oven, which lowers the viscosity of the mobile phase and allows it to move faster through the column. UHPLC systems have been shown to provide analysis times of less than 1 min and up to 40 times faster than conventional HPLC systems.

2011 UHPLC market demand by industry

It is clear that UHPLC systems offer a higher degree of chromatographic technology, especially when paired with mass spectrometry. Historically, HPLC users have focused on factors such as performance, reliability, and robustness. Although the market dynamics have changed, these decision-making parameters remain the same. Many users, particularly users in analytical and method development laboratories, have adopted UHPLC systems because of the range of applications these systems cover. SDi expects quality control and routine applications to fuel growth as users look to benefit from UHPLC’s speed and efficiency.

The market for high performance liquid chromatography continues to be one of the most dynamic markets of the analytical instruments industry. In a recently published report, SDi forecasts that the UHPLC technology is expected to continue its momentum with an annual double-digit growth for the next few years. Pharmaceutical companies have been the early adopters of this technology and, in fact, account for nearly one-third of the UHPLC market. Although biotechnology and academic industries are second and third largest users of UHPLC, combined they still account for less than the overall pharmaceutical market.

The foregoing data were extracted and adapted from SDi’s recently published Market Analysis and Perspective (MAP) report on the HPLC market. For more information, contact Glenn Cudiamat, VP of Research Services, Strategic Directions International, Inc., 6242 Westchester Parkway, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90045, (310) 641-4982, fax: (310) 641-8851, email: cudiamat@strategic-directions.com