The global Molecular Imaging Market size was valued at USD 4.67 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow from USD 4.92 billion in 2024 to USD 7.45 billion by 2031, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.10% during the forecast period. The market is witnessing substantial growth due to rising healthcare investments and a growing focus on personalized medicine.

Key Takeaways

• Rising incidence of oncology and neurodegenerative diseases is catalyzing PET and SPECT procedure growth.
• AI-driven image reconstruction, motion correction, and quantification are compressing scan time and improving diagnostic confidence.
• Radiopharmaceutical innovations (e.g., PSMA, FAPI, amyloid and tau tracers) expand clinical indications and reimbursement coverage.
• Demand is strongest in tertiary cancer centers and integrated delivery networks, with ambulatory imaging centers upgrading to digital PET/CT.
• APAC is the fastest-growing region, underpinned by nuclear medicine capacity expansion and supportive reimbursement pilots.

Market Overview and Growth Narrative

Molecular imaging captures functional and metabolic processes at the cellular level, enabling early detection, staging, therapy selection, and response assessment across oncology, cardiology, and neurology. Over 2024–2031, market momentum is supported by:

• Precision oncology: expanding use of PET-based biomarkers for tumor characterization, minimal residual disease (MRD) assessment, and treatment monitoring.
• Theranostics: convergence of diagnostic imaging and targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT), requiring robust diagnostic tracer supply and longitudinal imaging follow-up.
• Hybrid modalities: continued replacement cycle from analog to digital PET/CT systems with higher sensitivity, time-of-flight (TOF), and long axial field-of-view (LAFOV) platforms.
• Operational efficiency: AI-enabled scheduling, automated quantification, and protocol standardization reduce total cost per study.

Unlock Key Growth Opportunities: https://www.kingsresearch.com/molecular-imaging-market-1008

List of Key Companies in Molecular Imaging Market

• Hermes Medical Solutions
• Bruker
• GE HealthCare
• Fujifilm Holdings Corp.
• Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Siemens Healthcare Private Limited
• Carestream Health
• Esaote SpA
• Positron Corporation
• Medisco Ltd.

Demand Dynamics: What’s Powering Procedure Volumes

• Oncology dominance: PET/CT procedures for staging and restaging in prostate, lung, breast, lymphoma, and colorectal cancers continue to climb as evidence and access expand.
• Cardiac applications: Improved availability of perfusion agents and quant tools contributes to stable growth in SPECT and increasing adoption of PET myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI).
• Neuroimaging inflection: Broader use of amyloid and tau PET in appropriate patient populations strengthens dementia workups and clinical trial imaging endpoints.
• Screening & surveillance: Risk-adapted programs in high-prevalence geographies encourage earlier diagnostic imaging referrals.
• Care-model shifts: Integrated cancer centers and academic medical centers push comprehensive theranostics programs, spurring scanner upgrades and radiopharmacy partnerships.

Key Market Trends (2024–2031)

• Digital PET & LAFOV: Long axial FOV systems increase sensitivity and throughput; pediatric and low-dose protocols gain traction.
• AI everywhere: From denoising and super-resolution to lesion detection and quantitative analytics; vendors integrate AI natively into consoles and PACS.
• Radiopharmaceutical pipeline: PSMA and FAPI tracers broaden into new indications; neuro tracers support Alzheimer’s disease pathways; novel beta/alpha emitters align with therapy planning.
• Theranostics ecosystems: Coordinated networks linking tracer production, cold kits, generators, and centralized compounding to guarantee on-time dose delivery.
• Dose & sustainability: Emphasis on ALARA, helium stewardship, and greener cyclotron operations; procurement increasingly weighs ESG metrics.
• Decentralized access: Growth of ambulatory imaging footprints and mobile PET/CT services in underserved regions.

Market Drivers

• Rising disease burden in cancer and cardiovascular conditions.
• Evidence-based guidelines endorsing PET/CT and SPECT/CT in specific care pathways.
• Favorable reimbursement in mature markets with procedure codes expanding for new tracers.
• Technology refresh cycles, replacing aging analog fleets with digital and AI-enabled systems.
• Public–private investments in nuclear medicine infrastructure, cyclotrons, and isotope supply.

Market Restraints

• Radiotracer supply variability due to isotope logistics and regulatory complexity.
• Capital intensity of LAFOV and PET/MRI platforms; budget constraints at smaller providers.
• Workforce shortages (nuclear medicine technologists, radiopharmacists) impacting throughput.
• Regulatory timelines for tracer approvals and site licensing.

Opportunities

• APAC greenfield installations combined with radiopharmacy buildouts.
• AI-enabled productivity reducing cost-per-scan and broadening referral bases.
• Theranostics-linked imaging services with bundled care models.
• Clinical trials imaging services for pharma/biotech, including centralized reads.

Segmentation Analysis

By Modality

• PET/CT (fastest growth): driven by oncology indications, digital detectors, TOF, and LAFOV.
• SPECT/CT: sustained demand in cardiology and infection/inflammation imaging; value-driven upgrades.
• PET/MRI: niche but strategic in neuro-oncology and pediatric applications.
• Standalone SPECT/PET: declining share as hybrid systems dominate.

By Radiopharmaceutical / Tracer Type

• FDG (workhorse tracer) for broad oncologic applications.
• PSMA agents for prostate cancer detection and management.
• FAPI agents emerging for fibroblast activation imaging across tumor types.
• Amyloid & Tau tracers supporting neurodegenerative disease evaluation.
• Cardiac tracers (e.g., perfusion agents) for ischemia assessment.
• Others: somatostatin receptor (SSTR) ligands, bone metastasis tracers, infection/inflammation agents.

By Application

• Oncology (dominant revenue share)
• Cardiology
• Neurology
• Infection & Inflammation
• Endocrinology & Others

By End User

• Hospitals & Academic Medical Centers
• Dedicated Imaging Centers
• Ambulatory Surgical & Outpatient Centers
• Pharma/Biotech & CROs (clinical trials imaging)

By Technology Features

• Digital photon counting detectors
• Time-of-flight (TOF) & point-spread function (PSF)
• AI-enabled reconstruction & quantification
• Long axial FOV scanners

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