Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery Market: Growth, Size, Share, and Trends

Market Growth Outlook Summary

The global pharmaceutical drug delivery market growth forecasted to transform from USD 1,949.4 billion in 2024 to USD 2,546.0 billion by 2029, driven by a CAGR of 5.5%. The rising global incidence of chronic diseases, the launch of new products, increased investment in pharmaceutical R&D, emphasis on patient comfort and compliance, and government initiatives to provide affordable drug delivery products are some of the factors driving market growth. Other contributing factors include the growing geriatric population and the rising prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and infectious diseases. The market has also shown trends such as the modernization of drug delivery technologies, patient preference for home-based care, supportive reimbursement policies, and government-backed healthcare development, all of which are expected to support the growth of hospitals and ambulatory diagnostic centers, improving access to pharmacological therapies for patients.

Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery Market – Global Forecast and Growth Insights to 2029

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Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery Market – Global Forecast and Key Opportunities to 2029

Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery Market Dynamics to 2029

Driver: Rising prevalence of chronic diseases

The growing number of people suffering from chronic illnesses worldwide is likely to propel the growth of the pharmaceutical delivery market significantly. Since these diseases are mainly associated with age, with the rising geriatric population, the incidences of diabetes mellitus type 2 and high blood pressure have gone up. The WHO predicts that, by 2025, most deaths shall arise from chronic diseases, accounting for 73%, while they account for about 60% of the global burden of diseases. Additionally, according to the WHO, the world’s population of people aged 60 years and older will double by 2050. As the elderly are more susceptible to chronic diseases, the growth of this population segment will push the demand for better public health systems and medical treatments. As the prevalence of several chronic diseases progresses across the globe, the demand for effective and advanced drug-delivery technologies is expected to rise.

Restraint: Risk of needlestick injuries

Injectable drug delivery comes with the risk of needlestick injuries. The increasing prevalence of these injuries and subsequent infections from contaminated needles is a major global concern, posing severe health and safety threats to healthcare workers as well as the patient population. Reports have shown that there are more than two million occupational needlestick injuries each year, according to European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, in 2023, even with the extensive safety measures taken. In 2022, the WHO categorized needlestick injuries as 36.7% resulting in hepatitis B, 39% hepatitis C, and 4.4% HIV/AIDS among medical practitioners globally. Given its adverse effects on patients and caretakers alike, the demand for injectable drugs may be influenced within this context.

Opportunity: Increased acceptance of self-administration and home care

The drug delivery market for pharmaceutical products will likely experience substantial growth due to self-administration and home care trends. This shift seems to be mainly driven by the rising geriatric population, a major consumer of drug delivery devices in home care settings. Self-administration allows patients to take more responsibility for managing their health, making them feel more in control over their lives and improving their overall quality of life. Therefore, single-use medication devices could significantly improve adherence to prescribed medications and give rise to positive treatment outcomes.

Challenge: Government Pricing pressure

To increase affordability, governments and regulatory bodies impose price caps on medicines, thus limiting the revenue potential for pharmaceutical companies.

Government agencies, insurers, and patients are putting tremendous pressure on drug makers worldwide to reduce costs. Insurance companies bargain for reduced drug costs to cover expenses. This lowers the revenue received by pharmaceutical companies, hence controlling their profit margins. Because of the decreased pricing pressure, pharmaceuticals are being adopted more widely in emerging economies with a large need for affordable therapies. Still, this has affected the bottom line for many pharmaceutical companies. Because of ongoing pressure from insurers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and public and private payers to lower pharmaceutical prices due to worries about paying for more new medications, this pattern is anticipated to continue in the years ahead.

Each country has a very different structure for patient price sensitivity when it comes to local rules. Certain nations, including Japan, have legislative frameworks that offer doctors financial rewards for prescribing particular treatments. However, by implementing physician budgets for prescriptions, several European markets deter doctors from prescribing expensive medicines.

Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery Market Map & Ecosystem Overview

The pharmaceutical drug delivery market focuses on technologies for efficiently administering medications. Key players include pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and device manufacturers. Route of administration range from oral and injectable systems to advanced methods like autoinjectors used for various therapeutic areas. End users are healthcare providers, patients, research labs, and homecare settings. The market is driven by innovation, regulatory challenges, and a shift towards personalized medicine.

Injectable drug delivery will capture the largest share of the pharmaceutical drug delivery market

Based on the route of administration, the injectable drug delivery market is set to be the largest segment in the pharmaceutical drug delivery market. As chronic diseases become more common, injectables have become a go-to solution for managing a variety of conditions. Injections provide a solution to hormonal imbalances, cancer, autoimmune disorders, or rare diseases in which oral medication may not work effectively.

One major benefit of injectables is their ability to simplify treatment regimens. These drugs reduce patients’ daily intake, enhancing their medication adherence and maintaining the treatment efficacy. Pharmaceutical companies are focusing on improving the delivery and packaging of these injectables to make them more efficient and user-friendly. With a growing trend towards self-administration and home care, there have been impressive advancements in the technology behind syringes, cartridges, autoinjectors, and pen injectors. These innovations, including better needle designs and more comfortable devices, have made injections less intimidating and less painful, which is contributing to the rapid growth of this market.

Hospitals to show significant growth in the pharmaceutical drug delivery market, by facility of use

Based on the facility of use, it is estimated that hospitals will expand significantly due to ease of access. Due to a high number of patients visiting them on both an inpatient or outpatient basis and the need for high amounts of medication and their usage devices, the hospitals segment is expected to experience significant growth. Technological advancements, such as smart pumps and automated infusion devices, are improving the precision and reliability of drug delivery. Increased hospitalization rates and a heightened focus on patient safety and adherence to treatment protocols further drive the need for sophisticated delivery solutions. In addition, this segment has been further influenced by increased surgical cases and rising incidences of chronic diseases globally, leading to an increase in the number of patients admitted, thus accelerating the pharmaceutical drug delivery market growth within this area.

North America to account for the largest share during the forecast period.

North America is anticipated to represent the largest regional market during the forecast period. The regional market, comprising the US and Canada, shows high demand for drug delivery technologies. This is mainly due to the availability of favorable reimbursement options, growing awareness of new technologies, favorable government initiatives, the growing affordability & per capita healthcare expenditure, the presence of many global pharmaceutical giants (such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson), and the patent expiry of blockbuster drugs during 2019–2025.

Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery Market by Region – Forecast to 2029

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Prominent players in the global pharmaceutical drug delivery market include Johnson & Johnson Services (US), Novartis AG (Switzerland), F. Hoffmann-La Roche (Switzerland), Pfizer (US), Becton, Dickinson and Company (US), GlaxoSmithKline (UK), Merck & Co. (US), Sanofi (France), Bayer AG (Germany), Amgen (US), AbbVie (US), Genmab A/S (Denmark), Gilead Sciences (US), Boehringer Ingelheim International (Germany), and AstraZeneca (UK).

Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery Market Report Scope and Insights

Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery Market Segmentation and Analysis

By Route Of Administration

• Oral Drug Delivery
  • Solid Oral Drug Formulation
    • Tablets
    • Capsules
    • Oral Powders
    • Oral Pills
  • Liquid Oral Drug Formulation
    • Oral Syrups
    • Oral Solutions
    • Oral Emulsions
    • Oral Elixirs
  • Semi Semi-solid oral Drug Formulation
    • Oral Gels
    • Oral Paste
• Injectable Drug Delivery
  • By Device
    • Conventional Injection Devices
  • By Material
    • Glass
    • Plastic
  • By Product
    • Fillable Syringes
    • Prefilled Syringes
  • By Usability
    • Reusable Syringes
    • Disposable Syringes
• Self Injection Devices
  • Needle-Free Injectors
  • Autoinjectors
  • Pen Injectors
  • Wearable Injectors
• Other Injection Devices
• Topical & Transdermal Drug Delivery
  • Liquid Topical Drug Formulations
    • Solutions
    • Suspensions
    • Emulsions
  • Solid Topical Drug Formulations
    • Suppositories
    • Powders
  • Semi-Solid Topical Drug Formulations
    • Creams
    • Gels
    • Ointments
    • Pastes
    • Lotions
  • Transdermal Drug Formulation
    • Transdermal Patches
    • Transdermal Gels
    • Transdermal Sprays
• Ocular Drug Delivery
  • Liquid Ocular Drug Formulations
    • Eye Drops
    • Liquid Sprays
  • Semi-Solid Ocular Drug Formulations
    • Gels
    • Eye Ointments
  • Ocular Devices
    • Drug Coated Contact Lenses
    • Ocular Inserts
• Pulmonary Drug Delivery
  • Meterd Dose Inhalers
  • Dry Powder Inhalers
  • Nebulizers
    • Jet Nebulizers
    • Ultrasonic Nebulizers
    • Soft Mist Nebulizers
• Nasal Drug Delivery
  • Nasal Drops
  • Nasal Sprays
  • Nasal Powders
  • Nasal Gels
• Transmucosal Drug Delivery
  • Oral Transmucosal Formulations
    • Buccal Drug Delivery
    • Sublingual Drug Delivery
  • Other Transmucosal Drug Delivery Technologies
    • Rectal Transmucosal Drug Delivery
    • Vaginal Transmucosal Drug Delivery
• Implantable Drug Delivery
  • Active Implantable Drug Delivery
  • Passive Implantable Drug Delivery

By Facility Of Use

• Hospitals
• Ambulatory Surgical Centers/Clinics
• Home Care Settings
• Diagnostic Centers
• Other Facilities Of Use (Research Institutes, Cros)

By Application

• Infectious Disease
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Diabetes
• Respiratory Disease
• Autoimmune Diseases
• Central Nervous System Disorders
• Other Applications (Endocrine Diseases, Pain Management, Ophthalmic Disorders, Among Others )

By Region

• North America
  • US
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • RoEU
• Asia Pacific
  • Japan
  • China
  • India
  • Australia
  • South Korea
  • RoAPAC
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Rest of Latin America
• Middle East and Africa
  • GCC Countries
  • Rest of the Middle East & Africa

Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery Market Recent Developments and Insights

• In March 2024, Johnson & Johnson acquired Ambrx Biopharma. This will strengthen J&J’s commitment to innovation in prostate cancer therapies and deepen the pipeline of next-generation antibody-drug conjugates and targeted oncologic therapeutics.
• In January 2024, AbbVie expanded its biologics manufacturing capacity at its Singapore manufacturing site with an investment of USD 223 million.
• In June 2023, GSK acquired BELLUS Health. The acquisition provided access to Camlipixant, a potential best-in-class and highly selective P2X3 antagonist currently in phase III development for the first-line treatment of adult patients with refractory chronic cough.
• In June 2023, Merck acquired Prometheus Biosciences. The acquisition will deliver industry-leading research capability and strengthen the pipeline with a novel candidate for ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and other autoimmune conditions.
• In October 2022, Pfizer acquired Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd., which added a breakthrough portfolio, including Nurtec ODT (Rimegepant), an innovative migraine therapy, to Pfizer’s offerings.

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