In the arena of the IVD industry, a hidden battle about "core materials" has already quietly begun. While many companies are still struggling with product homogenization competition, top players have quietly pushed the game to a higher dimension - whoever can master the independent research and development capabilities of key bioactive raw materials such as antibodies, enzymes, and coenzymes will be able to occupy the high ground in the industry reshuffle. This is not a future trend, but an ongoing industry revolution.

glutamic dehydrogenase

Self research of raw materials: a qualitative change from the "supply chain link" to the "main competition track"

Once upon a time, IVD companies regarded raw materials as standard products that could be purchased at will. However, in chemiluminescence detection, subtle differences in antibody affinity may lead to differences in detection sensitivity by several times; In the field of POCT, the stability of enzymes directly determines whether the inter batch difference of the reagent kit can be controlled within 5%. After a domestic enterprise achieved self research on antigen and antibody, the sensitivity of its infectious disease detection products surpassed that of imported competitors, which is precisely the "technological premium" brought about by the self-reliance of raw materials.

The value chain of self-developed raw materials goes far beyond performance improvement. When a corporate giant suddenly cuts off the supply of key enzyme raw materials, companies that rely on external purchases are caught in a dilemma of "no rice to cook", while companies with independent development capabilities take the opportunity to seize market share. This kind of 'supply chain resilience' has become a survival necessity for IVD enterprises.

Breaking through the Cost Dilemma: Self developed 'Long Term' Economics

On the surface, outsourcing raw materials saves research and development investment, but the hidden costs are alarming: the price of imported antibodies is as high as 10000 yuan/mg, and it increases by 15% -20% annually; The fluctuation in activity of different batches of raw materials has forced enterprises to increase quality control costs. According to the financial report of a listed IVD company, after building its own raw material platform, the cost of core reagents decreased by 37%, and the gross profit margin increased to 82%. This is precisely the financial dividend brought by "raw material freedom".

But for small and medium-sized enterprises, the path of self-development is full of thorns. A monoclonal antibody screening equipment has been invested over ten million yuan, and an enzyme directed modification project has a lifespan of up to two years. How to use a "lightweight" strategy to break through? The industry is exploring innovative models such as joint research and development and CRO outsourcing, and a smarter approach is to leverage the mature technology accumulation of professional raw material platforms.

The password to crossing cycles: building a sustainable raw material innovation ecosystem

The true industry leader has already upgraded raw material research and development to system engineering. A certain enterprise has compressed the antibody development cycle from 18 months to 6 months by building a three in one platform of "computer-aided design high-throughput screening process amplification"; Another company has utilized directed evolution technology to develop high-temperature resistant nucleic acid polymerases, enabling its molecular diagnostic products to outperform competitors in the African market. These cases reveal a truth: the competition in the IVD industry is essentially a competition of raw material innovation capabilities.

In the cold winter of the industry, some people see crises, while others discover opportunities. As the IVD industry moves from "product competition" to "bottom-up technology competition", those companies that have built moats in the raw material field early on will eventually win the right to define the rules of the game in the new round of industry reshuffle. This is not a cost calculation, but a strategic decision related to survival.

In the process of accelerating the localization of raw materials in IVD enterprises, Desheng New Materials is becoming a strategic partner for more and more enterprises with its profound research and development accumulation and flexible service model. Its independently developed core materials such as highly active proteases and highly specific antibodies have been recognized by multiple customers for their performance parameters, and customized development services can provide accurate solutions to meet customer needs.

Pyruvate kinase

In the future, as competition in the IVD industry continues to intensify, the importance of raw material self-sufficiency will become increasingly prominent. Desheng New Materials will continue to increase research and development investment, deepen technological innovation, continuously expand the application boundaries of raw material products, work together with partners to help IVD enterprises achieve breakthroughs in the core raw material field, and jointly write a new chapter of high-quality development in the industry.