Market Challenges And Opportunities

Global Meperidine (Demerol) Market - Driver

Increasing prevalence of knee replacement therapies

The growing geriatric population is fueling the need for surgical procedures related to chronic diseases, thus boosting the demand for meperidine. For instance, according an article published by Personalized Orthopedics of the Palm Beaches on November 19, 2021, almost 8,000,000 knee replacements are performed every year in the U.S. Out of these 90% knee replacements last for 10 years which requires resurgery. This high number of knee surgeries requires meperidine as a painkiller.

Strategies like geographical expansion by key market players

Facility expansion strategies can boost the reach of drugs, thus increasing the customer base of key market players. Hence, expansions can drive the growth of the global meperidine (Demerol) market over the forecast period. For instance, on June 5, 2022, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., an India-based pharmaceutical company, announced plans to increase its reach in the domestic market and boost geographical expansion. The company intends to expand across untapped regions.

Global Meperidine (Demerol) Market: Key Developments

The increasing research and development activities by key market players can drive growth of the global meperidine (Demerol) market over the forecast period. For instance, according to an article published by European Heart Journal on October 14, 2021, a study was conducted on 66 patients, to study the prophylactic role of meperidine in avoiding radial artery spasm during transradial cardiac interventions. The patients were divided into two groups. Group A had 42 patients while group B had 24 patients. Patients were randomized to either meperidine 0.25mg administration (Group A) or normal saline (Group B) intravascular administration. 10 minutes before the beginning of the procedure, as standard prophylactic measures against spasm, both groups received verapamil 5mg and nitroglycerin 100μg, after sheath introduction in the radial artery. Artery spasm was assessed clinically by the difficulty in advancing or exchanging catheters. It was concluded that meperidine low dose administration before radial artery catheterization shows positive results in preventing spasm and reducing patient related discomfort.

Global Meperidine (Demerol) Market: Restraint

The side effects associated with meperidine can hamper the market growth. There are several concerns about adverse reactions, drug interactions, and normeperidine neurotoxicity, which may hamper the market growth. For instance, according to an article published by Pain Physician on March 23, 2020, comparison of analgesic efficacy and side effects of meperidine with other analgesic drugs was carried out for acute postoperative and labor pain in adults. A total of 62 randomized controlled trials were reviewed in this study. It was concluded that considering the availability of other effective analgesics with potentially fewer side effects, the use of meperidine for acute postoperative or labor pain should not be recommended.

This limitation can be overcome by carrying research activities and make meperidine safer with fewer side effects.

Presence of alternative medicines as analgesic

Meperidine has several side effects such as addictive nature and neurotoxic side effects. The presence of other alternative analgesic drugs can hamper the market growth. For instance, according to an article published by International Research Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences on June 2022, a study was conducted to analyze the use of meperidine in Taiwan-based medical centers including National Taiwan University Hospital, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, and National Cheng Kung University Hospital. The study was conducted from August 2018 to December 2021. The use of nalbufin, an alternative to meperidine was analyzed in the study. It was concluded that the average monthly usage of Meperidine fell to 151 per month in 2019, there was an average of 47 per month remaining in 2021, and the decline reached 91.37% during the four-year period from 2018 to 2021. While the average monthly usage of nalbufin, an alternative to meperidine was increased from October to December 2021 and reached about 165, while the average monthly usage of Meperidine was reduced to less than 50 per month (from October to December 2021) from more than 500 from August to October 2018.

This restrain can be overcome by reducing the side effects associated with meperidine and making people aware of such developments.