The Contract pharmaceutical manufacturing market is estimated to be valued at USD 211.34 Bn in 2024, and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 9.7% over the forecast period (2024-2031). Global contract pharmaceutical manufacturing market is growing at a rapid pace owing to the expansion of production capacities by major contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) globally. Furthermore, the rising demand for generic drugs across countries due to their affordability is also fueling the market growth.
Market Dynamics:
Rapid capacity expansion by CMOs and surging demand for generic drugs are the two major drivers propelling the growth of the global contract pharmaceutical manufacturing market. CMOs are actively expanding their production capacities through new facility constructions as well as facility acquisitions to cater to the growing demand from pharmaceutical companies looking to outsource their manufacturing needs. Additionally, the demand for affordable generic drugs is increasing significantly among cost-conscious consumers as well as governments worldwide, which is providing a big fillip to contract manufacturing of generics. CMOs engaged in generic drug manufacturing are well-positioned to benefit immensely from this rising demand over the coming years.
Increasing Demand for Outsourcing Drug Manufacturing is Driving the Market Growth
One of the key drivers for the global contract pharmaceutical manufacturing market is the growing demand from pharmaceutical companies to outsource drug manufacturing activities. There is increasing focus on the core competencies of research and development among pharmaceutical firms which is driving them to outsource production to specialized contract manufacturing organizations. This allows drug makers to focus internal resources on innovation while leveraging the manufacturing expertise of contract manufacturers. Outsourcing non-core activities also helps pharmaceutical companies reduce operating costs and improve economies of scale
Demand for Generic and Biosimilar Drugs is Propelling the Market Growth
Another major growth driver for the contract pharmaceutical manufacturing market is the rise in the demand for affordable generic and biosimilar drugs globally. The patent expiry of many blockbuster drugs is resulting in the growth of the generic drug market. At the same time, the development of biosimilar drugs provides treatment options that are more cost-effective than innovative biologics. Contract manufacturers are well-placed to capitalize on these opportunities through their specialized manufacturing infrastructure and capabilities in producing generic drugs and biosimilars at scale. This is propelling many pharmaceutical firms to outsource such production to contract service providers.
Stringent Regulatory Requirements are Restraining the Market Growth
One of the key challenges faced by the contract pharmaceutical manufacturing industry is stringent regulatory requirements for drug production facilities and processes. Manufacturing drugs is a highly regulated process and companies must adhere to strict Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) enforced by regulatory bodies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Ensuring compliance with frequent changes in regulatory guidelines requires substantial investments and managerial efforts from contract manufacturers. This regulatory burden acts as a restraint on the growth and profitability of contract pharmaceutical companies
High Capital Investment Requirements are Hindering the Market Growth
Another major restraint for the contract pharmaceutical manufacturing market is the heavy capital investment needed for setting up and continually upgrading production facilities. Manufacturing drugs involves large capital expenditure on plant & machinery, cleanrooms, storage, packaging, and other infrastructure. It also demands sizable ongoing capital to continually modernize manufacturing lines and equipment in order to meet evolving industry standards. The high capital intensity of pharmaceutical manufacturing poses challenges, particularly for small and medium contract manufacturers. This hinders the ease of entry and profitability of players in this industry.
Growth in Biologics Outsourcing is Creating Market Opportunities
The rising complexity of biological drugs and biologics has created sizeable outsourcing opportunities for contract manufacturers with specialized capabilities. As biologics development requires extensive expertise and investments, many big pharmaceutical companies are outsourcing biologics production. This widens the addressable market for well-established contract manufacturers providing integrated services across preclinical and clinical testing to commercial production of biologics drugs. The transition towards personalized medicine also brings opportunities.
Emerging Markets Growth is Expanding the Addressable Market
Growth in the pharmaceutical industry across emerging markets like India, China, and Latin America is a key opportunity area. These rising pharmaceutical hubs are expected to see increased drug manufacturing volumes which can be tapped by international contract service providers through local partnerships or own production facilities. The thriving biosimilar and generic drug markets in emerging nations also open up additional outsourcing potential. Overall, emerging markets present contract companies an expanded addressable market and revenue pools over the coming years.
Key Development
- On February 22, 2024, Mareana, a leader in innovative data management solutions, announced the launch of Connect CMC, a ground-breaking AI-powered tool specifically designed to transform how small pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies manage and analyze data from drug manufacturing processes. This latest offering promises to revolutionize data handling in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, especially for companies relying on paper batch records.
- In June 2023, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s global investment organization, announced that it has launched Lifera, a commercial-scale contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO). The CDMO will enable the growth of the local bio/pharmaceutical industry, strengthen national resilience, and support Saudi Arabia’s position as a global pharmaceutical manufacturing destination.
- In January 2020, Celltrion, a manufacturer of biosimilars from South Korea, planned to invest US$ 514 million over five years in its new plant in Wuhan, the biologics facility in China with a 120,000-liter capacity. The new facility is intended to develop and produce biologics for the local market as well as carry out contract work for the burgeoning industry of Chinese biotechnology firms.
Key Players: Lonza Group, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Genpact Limited, Accenture plc, Quintiles Transnational Corporation, Baxter, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd., Aurobindo Pharma, Pfizer, Inc., The Almac Group, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Piramal Enterprises Ltd., Covance, Inc., Catalent, Inc., Abbvie, Inc., and Celltrion
