Global Vitrification Market Size 2020, By Specimen (Oocytes, Embryo, Sperm), End User (IVF Clinics, Biobanks) Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa) and Forecast 2020 to 2030

Vitrification and other rapid cooling protocols provide an alternative to slow cooling. These cooling protocols now generally use short equilibration times (down to a few seconds), fast cooling rates (>200°C/min) and no expensive equipment other than the storage tanks for the cryopreserved specimens. Rapid cooling procedures use the same cryoprotectant chemicals as slow cooling protocols, but a high total solute concentration (cryoprotectants and additives) is used to ensure that sufficient dehydration and cryoprotectant permeation occurs before cooling to ±196°C commences. There are now many different rapid cooling protocols differing in how much and which chemicals are used in the solutions, how and when the cryoprotectant is added and/or removed (number of steps, equilibration temperatures and times) and how the specimen is cooled and warmed (volume, rate, container). In species in which rapid cooling procedures have been optimized, cryopreservation causes almost no loss. Optimizing any cryopreservation procedure (slow or rapid) for human oocytes or embryos would be of a significant advantage, which would greatly benefit human IVF clinics.

On the basis of specimen, the market is segmented into oocytes, embryo, and sperm. The vitrification-based oocyte freezing segment dominated the market in 2020. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are generally gonadotoxic and can lead to premature ovarian failure in the future. Young women suffering from cancer can preserve their fertility by oocyte freezing if referred in time. Oocyte freezing is also a viable option for women who want to delay marriage and/or pregnancy for career-related reasons, before their biological clock starts running out. In many developed countries nowadays, companies provide sponsorship for egg freezing so that women can concentrate on their work. As the rate of miscarriage also increases after 30 years of age, freezing eggs gives a woman a chance of having her own healthy genetic child whenever she is prepared for it. According to current evidence, oocyte survival after vitrification and warming ranged between 84% and 96.7% in different studies. The data from donor oocyte vitrification studies show fertilisation rates between 74% and 78%, implantation rates varying between 26.8% and 40.8%, and clinical pregnancy rate per transfer between 33.3% and 65.0%.

Europe accounted for the largest share of the global vitrification market in 2020. Moreover, Asia is likely to show lucrative growth during the forecast period.

Europe leads the world in assisted reproductive technology, initiating approximately 50% of all reported treatment cycles. In 2016, 918 159 treatment cycles were reported from 40 European countries. This compares globally (in 2016) with 264 000 cycles from the US and 81 000 cycles from Australia and New Zealand. The number of cycles performed in many developed countries has grown by 5-10% per annum over the last few years, but that growth is now showing signs of slowing. In 2016 Spain was by far the most active IVF country in Europe, with almost 141 000 treatments. France (105 000 cycles), Germany (99 000), Italy (78 000) and the UK (68 000) were Europe's most active countries. Russia reported 120 000 cycles. The most 'officially' active countries in the world are Japan (447 790 cycles in 2016) and the USA. However, estimates are that China is now performing around 900 000 cycles per year, but so far not reporting to any registry. Around 1.5 million assisted reproductive technology cycles are now reported each year worldwide, with a reported 333, 000 babies born. Registry figures are thought to represent around 70% of all assisted reproductive technology treatments. Thus, around 2.4 million assisted reproductive technology cycles are estimated each year, with about 500,000 babies born.