Immunohistochemistry Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity & Forecast, Segmented By Product (Antibodies, Equipment, Reagents, Kits), By Application (Diagnostics, Cancer, Infectious Diseases, Cardiovascular Diseases, Autoimmune Diseases, Diabetes Mellitus, Nephrological Diseases, Research), By End User (Hospitals & Diagnostic Laboratories, Research Institutes, Others), By Region, & Competition, 2020-2030F

Market Overview

Global Immunohistochemistry market was valued at USD 2.38 Billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 3.56 Billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 6.90%. The global Immunohistochemistry market is undergoing substantial growth, fueled by key drivers such as technological innovation, increasing demand for consumer-driven healthcare, the rising incidence of chronic diseases, and a growing focus on preventive care. Immunohistochemistry products ranging from blood tests and pregnancy kits to glucose monitors and allergy testing solutions are progressively becoming integral tools for individuals managing their own health. These devices enable users to monitor a variety of health parameters independently, eliminating the need for clinical visits and empowering consumers to take control of their health.

The market's growth trajectory remains robust, underpinned by advancements in diagnostic technologies, heightened consumer health consciousness, and a shift toward more affordable, accessible, and personalized health solutions. As these Immunohistochemistry products become increasingly central to health management strategies, the market is expected to continue expanding. Regulatory support and ongoing innovations in diagnostics further enhance the market's potential, positioning the Immunohistochemistry segment as a lucrative opportunity for stakeholders in the healthcare and diagnostics industries.

Key Market Drivers

Rising Incidence of Chronic and Infectious Diseases

The global surge in chronic and infectious diseases has become one of the most significant demand drivers for the Immunohistochemistry (IHC) market. This trend is not only reshaping diagnostic approaches but also creating sustained growth opportunities for IHC-related products and services across healthcare systems worldwide. Chronic diseases represent the primary driver of global mortality and long-term disability, exerting substantial pressure on healthcare systems and economies. In 2020, these conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes were responsible for or contributed to 79% of all deaths worldwide. This figure is expected to rise to 84% by 2030, underscoring the urgent need for advanced diagnostic and therapeutic solutions, particularly in high-burden regions and aging populations. As the prevalence of chronic diseases particularly cancer, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions continues to rise globally, the need for precise, tissue-based diagnostic techniques has become critical. Immunohistochemistry, which allows for the detection of specific antigens in cells of a tissue section using labeled antibodies, is widely regarded as a gold-standard diagnostic tool, particularly in oncology. The technique aids in tumor classification, grading, and staging, directly influencing treatment decisions. In oncology, IHC is essential in detecting biomarkers such as HER2, Ki-67, and PD-L1, which guide targeted therapy. In autoimmune diseases, IHC helps identify inflammatory markers and immune cell infiltration patterns.

Malaria continues to pose a critical public health challenge, with approximately 249 million cases and over 608,000 deaths reported annually, disproportionately affecting children under the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa. Dengue presents an equally pressing concern, placing over 3.9 billion people globally at risk. The disease leads to millions of infections and thousands of fatalities each year, particularly in densely populated urban regions across Asia and Latin America. With the re-emergence and evolution of infectious diseases (e.g., tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis, and most recently, COVID-19), there is growing interest in applying IHC techniques to pathogen detection and tissue-based immune response analysis. IHC is particularly useful in understanding the histopathological impact of viruses and bacteria on human tissues, which plays a crucial role in research and case-specific diagnosis, especially in post-mortem and advanced-stage analyses. This has been further amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased awareness of tissue-based diagnostic tools to study viral impact at the cellular level, thereby expanding the IHC use case beyond traditional cancer diagnostics. The World Health Organization (WHO) projects that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) will account for nearly 75% of all deaths by 2030. This projection is influencing both public and private healthcare institutions to adopt early and accurate diagnostic frameworks, where IHC plays a vital role. Simultaneously, growing healthcare spending especially in emerging economies is increasing access to sophisticated diagnostic platforms.

Growth in Geriatric Population

The steady and substantial increase in the global geriatric population is a significant driver propelling the growth of the Immunohistochemistry (IHC) market. This demographic shift is influencing healthcare priorities, diagnostics demand, and research focus areas where IHC plays a critical and expanding role. By 2050, the global population aged 65 and above is expected to more than double, reaching approximately 1.6 billion, while the 80+ age segment will expand at an even faster rate. This accelerated aging trend is set to reshape healthcare demand, workforce dynamics, and public spending, placing considerable pressure on national healthcare infrastructures and long-term care systems particularly in developed and rapidly urbanizing economies.  As individuals age, they become increasingly susceptible to chronic and degenerative diseases, including: Cancers (e.g., prostate, breast, colorectal), Neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s), Autoimmune and metabolic diseases, Infectious diseases, due to weakened immune responses. The geriatric population, therefore, requires more frequent and in-depth diagnostic evaluations, particularly those that can analyze disease at the cellular and molecular levels. Immunohistochemistry offers this precision by identifying biomarkers and pathological changes in tissues, making it indispensable in geriatric care.

Cancer prevalence rises significantly with age. For example, studies indicate that over 60% of cancer diagnoses occur in individuals aged 65 and above. IHC plays a vital role in cancer detection, classification, and treatment planning, especially in older patients where accurate diagnosis is crucial for selecting less aggressive or more personalized therapies. IHC enables: Detection of prognostic and predictive biomarkers (e.g., HER2, ER/PR, PD-L1), Assessment of tumor aggressiveness, Guidance in targeted therapy decisions, This positions IHC as a frontline diagnostic solution in oncology care for the aging population. The aging population has led to a global rise in neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. IHC is extensively used in brain tissue analysis to study the progression of these disorders by identifying protein accumulations (e.g., beta-amyloid plaques, tau proteins). As research and diagnostic efforts intensify in this area, demand for IHC-based techniques continues to grow. Older adults tend to access healthcare services more frequently and require comprehensive diagnostic workups. As a result, hospitals and diagnostic labs are expanding their capacity to accommodate the needs of this demographic. The integration of IHC into routine pathology testing for elderly patients enhances diagnostic accuracy and supports better clinical decision-making.

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Key Market Challenges

High Cost of Instruments and Reagents

Despite the growing demand for immunohistochemistry in clinical diagnostics and pharmaceutical research, the high capital and operational costs associated with IHC instruments and reagents remain a significant barrier to market expansion, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Advanced IHC systems—including automated slide stainers, image analyzers, and digital pathology platforms require substantial upfront investment.

Recurrent costs of high-quality primary and secondary antibodies, detection kits, and substrate reagents are also high, especially for multiplexed or customized panels. Smaller pathology labs and diagnostic centers in emerging markets often lack the budget or funding mechanisms to acquire and maintain these systems, limiting the adoption of IHC technology. This cost barrier not only restricts market penetration in cost-sensitive regions but also slows down lab modernization in under-resourced healthcare systems.

Shortage of Skilled Pathologists and Technicians

Immunohistochemistry is a technically complex technique that demands a high level of precision in both execution and interpretation. A persistent shortage of trained pathologists, lab technicians, and IHC specialists poses a serious challenge to both diagnostic accuracy and scalability. Manual interpretation of IHC slides still plays a crucial role in many settings, and inter-observer variability can lead to diagnostic inconsistencies. The lack of expertise in reagent handling, tissue preparation, staining protocols, and quality control frequently results in technical errors, reducing the reliability of test results.

In many developing countries, there is a significant talent gap in pathology and histotechnology, which limits the effective utilization of IHC even when infrastructure is available. This human capital bottleneck limits market growth by impacting the quality, consistency, and confidence in IHC diagnostics.

Key Market Trends

Integration of Digital Pathology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) with IHC

The convergence of immunohistochemistry with digital pathology and AI-driven image analysis is redefining how tissue diagnostics are performed and interpreted. This trend is not only enhancing diagnostic accuracy but also improving scalability, standardization, and workflow efficiency. Digital slide scanners now allow high-resolution imaging of IHC-stained tissue, enabling remote diagnosis, archiving, and secondary consultations. AI algorithms are being developed to automatically quantify biomarker expression, such as HER2 or PD-L1, minimizing subjectivity and variability in interpretation.

AI-assisted platforms are accelerating the turnaround time for high-volume labs and facilitating telepathology, especially in resource-constrained or rural areas. This trend is transforming IHC from a manual, pathologist-driven technique to a more automated, data-driven process, making it attractive to both clinical and research sectors and opening up opportunities for scalable global adoption.

Rise of Companion Diagnostics and Personalized Medicine

The global shift toward personalized and precision medicine is driving increased demand for companion diagnostics (CDx)—many of which are based on IHC techniques. Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly co-developing IHC-based CDx assays alongside targeted therapies to determine patient eligibility (e.g., PD-L1 testing for immunotherapies). Regulatory bodies like the FDA and EMA are granting approval for therapies conditional upon IHC testing, embedding IHC into clinical decision-making workflows.

As more biomarker-driven therapies enter the market, the need for validated, tissue-based diagnostics will grow, making IHC a strategic tool in oncology, immunology, and neurology pipelines. This evolution is positioning IHC as a critical enabler of drug development and commercialization, ensuring continued growth from both diagnostic and pharmaceutical sectors.

Segmental Insights

Application Insights

Based on the category of Application, the Diagnostics segment emerged as the fastest growing in the market for Immunohistochemistry in 2024. The most significant driver of growth in the diagnostics segment is the increasing use of IHC in oncology diagnostics. IHC has become a gold standard for identifying, subtyping, and staging cancers by detecting tumor-specific antigens in tissue samples. Commonly used markers such as HER2, ER, PR, and Ki-67 are critical for breast cancer classification and therapy selection. Biomarker-based IHC tests are now clinically required prior to initiating targeted therapies (e.g., PD-L1 expression for immunotherapy eligibility). As more targeted and immunotherapies enter the global market, the demand for companion IHC diagnostics is growing sharply, particularly in breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers.

Beyond cancer, IHC is increasingly utilized to detect infectious agents and analyze autoimmune conditions where traditional diagnostics may fall short. In infectious disease pathology, IHC enables localization of pathogens such as tuberculosis bacilli, viral antigens (e.g., in CMV or COVID-19), and fungal elements within tissue. In autoimmune conditions, such as lupus nephritis or inflammatory bowel disease, IHC helps in identifying inflammatory markers and tissue responses, guiding treatment decisions. This broadening clinical application is contributing to a wider adoption of IHC in hospital labs, infectious disease departments, and specialized diagnostic centers. These factors contribute to the growth of this segment.

Product Insights

Based on the category of Product, the Antibodies segment emerged as the dominating segment in the market for Immunohistochemistry in 2024. Antibodies are the core biological agents that enable immunohistochemistry to selectively bind to specific antigens within tissue samples. Without high-quality antibodies, the entire IHC process is rendered ineffective. Primary antibodies recognize and attach to target proteins or biomarkers, which form the basis for disease diagnosis and research. Secondary antibodies and detection systems amplify the signal, ensuring visualization and quantification of target molecules. The precision, sensitivity, and specificity of antibodies directly impact the accuracy and reliability of IHC results, making them indispensable components in every IHC test.

The expanding catalog of clinically relevant biomarkers especially in oncology, immunology, and neuroscience fuels growing demand for diverse, highly specific antibodies. Novel targets such as PD-L1, HER2, CD markers, and neurodegenerative proteins require tailor-made antibodies validated for IHC applications. The pharmaceutical industry’s emphasis on companion diagnostics and targeted therapies continuously introduces new antibody requirements for assay development and clinical trials. This dynamic pipeline of biomarker discovery sustains demand for antibodies as ever-expanding tools for diagnostic and translational research.

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Regional Insights

North America emerged as the largest market in the global Immunohistochemistry market in 2024, holding the largest market share in terms of value. North America benefits from a highly developed healthcare ecosystem equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic laboratories and pathology centers, enabling widespread adoption of sophisticated IHC technologies. Leading hospitals and diagnostic centers routinely integrate IHC into standard-of-care protocols, particularly for cancer diagnosis and subtyping. Automated IHC platforms and digital pathology solutions are widely deployed, facilitating high-throughput testing and enhanced diagnostic accuracy. The region’s healthcare providers prioritize precision medicine, driving routine use of IHC assays for personalized therapeutic decisions. This readiness to adopt cutting-edge diagnostic tools contributes to North America’s market leadership.

North America hosts the world’s largest concentration of pharmaceutical and biotech companies, which heavily invest in immunohistochemistry as a key tool in drug development and companion diagnostics. The region is a global hub for biomarker discovery, validation, and clinical trials, which rely extensively on IHC techniques. Collaboration between diagnostic companies and pharma firms accelerates the development of IHC-based companion diagnostics, further expanding market demand. Venture capital and public funding aggressively support innovation in IHC reagent development, instrumentation, and digital pathology integration. This thriving life sciences ecosystem fuels continual growth in IHC product consumption and innovation.

Recent Developments

• In May 2025, AbbVie announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval to EMRELIS™ (telisotuzumab vedotin-tllv) for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) exhibiting high c-Met protein overexpression. This indication applies to patients who have previously undergone systemic therapy. High c-Met overexpression is defined as strong (3+) staining in at least 50% of tumor cells, as determined by an FDA-approved diagnostic assay.
• In April 2025, Roche announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded Breakthrough Device Designation to the VENTANA® TROP2 (EPR20043) RxDx Device. Notably, this marks the FDA’s first-ever Breakthrough Device Designation granted to a computational pathology companion diagnostic (CDx) device, underscoring Roche’s leadership in innovative diagnostic technologies.

Key Market Players

• Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc
• F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.
• Merck KGaA
• Danaher Corporation
• PerkinElmer U.S. LLC
• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
• Cell Signaling Technology, Inc.
• Bio SB
• Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Abcam Limited

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Immunohistochemistry Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Immunohistochemistry Market, By Product:

o   Antibodies

o   Equipment

o   Reagents

o   Kits

• Immunohistochemistry Market, By Application:

o   Diagnostics

o   Cancer

o   Infectious Diseases

o   Cardiovascular Diseases

o   Autoimmune Diseases

o   Diabetes Mellitus

o   Nephrological Diseases

o   Research

• Immunohistochemistry Market, By End User:

o   Hospitals & Diagnostic Laboratories

o   Research Institutes

o   Others

• Immunohistochemistry Market, By Region:

o   North America

§  United States

§  Canada

§  Mexico

o   Europe

§  France

§  United Kingdom

§  Italy

§  Germany

§  Spain

o   Asia-Pacific

§  China

§  India

§  Japan

§  Australia

§  South Korea

o   South America

§  Brazil

§  Argentina

§  Colombia

o   Middle East & Africa

§  South Africa

§  Saudi Arabia

§  UAE

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Immunohistochemistry Market.

Available Customizations:

Global Immunohistochemistry market report with the given market data, TechSci Research offers customizations according to a company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

Company Information

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).