Scopolamine market is estimated to witness high growth, owing to increasing cases of motion sickness and rising geriatric population
Global scopolamine market is estimated to be valued at USD 485.1 Mn in 2024, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.2% over the forecast period 2024-2031. Increasing prevalence of motion sickness, especially among growing elderly population, can drive the market growth. Furthermore, rising awareness regarding the effective treatment of nausea, vomiting and other symptoms associated with motion sickness can drive the market growth.
Market Dynamics:
Increasing geriatric population: The elderly population is more prone to developing motion sickness due to age-related physiological changes in the inner ear and visual system. With rising life expectancy, the number of people aged 65 years or older is expected to grow from 800 million in 2030 to over 2 billion by 2050. Thus, growing geriatric population can boost demand for antiemetic drugs like scopolamine.
Rising cases of nausea and vomiting: Conditions associated with nausea and vomiting such as morning sickness during pregnancy, post-surgical nausea and vomiting, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting have been rising globally
Growing demand for treating motion sickness
Global scopolamine market growth is primarily driven by growing demand for treating motion sickness. Scopolamine is one of the most effective anticholinergic medications that is used for preventing and treating motion sickness. It works by blocking the transmission of signals from the inner ear and visual system to the brain that cause nausea and vomiting during traveling. With increasing global tourist activities such as cruises and adventure tours, there has been increase in incidents of motion sickness over the past few years. This has boosted the sales of scopolamine patches and tablets significantly. According to market research, over 80% of cruise passengers suffer from motion sickness symptoms during sea voyages. The use of scopolamine helps to enhance the travel experience for many tourists by preventing nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness. Growing sea, land and air tourism industries are expected to boost demand for scopolamine drugs during the forecast period.
Increasing usage of scopolamine for post-surgical care
Scopolamine is also widely used post-surgery to reduce nausea and vomiting. Patients often experience nausea, retching and vomiting following general anesthesia and surgery. Post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) increases patient discomfort and delay recovery. Scopolamine administered before or after surgery helps to prevent PONV and aid faster recovery. With increasing surgical procedures worldwide due to rising non-communicable diseases, accidents and growing geriatric population, there has been huge demand for anti-emetic drugs like scopolamine According to a recent study, over 30% of all surgical procedures resulted in PONV. This large unmet need makes post-surgical care a major growth driver for the global scopolamine market.
High production costs
High production costs of drugs can hamper the market growth. Scopolamine is extracted from plants like Datura stramonium through complex chemical processes. Producing scopolamine through chemical synthesis or fermentation is an expensive process due to involvement of advanced technology and strict quality norms. This increases the prices of scopolamine drugs. The manufacturing costs are further inflated due to small production volumes and niche market size. Many small companies find it unviable to manufacture scopolamine. High costs of scopolamine restrict their usage only for motion sickness and postoperative care where benefits significantly outweigh monetary costs.
Rising focus on drug development for new therapeutic areas
Ongoing research on scopolamine indicates its potential usage in several other therapeutic areas. Scopolamine can be used for treating asthma, Parkinson's disease, diarrhea and autonomic imbalance problems. Pharmaceutical companies are actively exploring these new avenues and conducting clinical trials. Attempts to develop alternative low-cost production methods through synthetic routes or natural fermentation can open game-changing opportunities by making scopolamine affordable for a wider set of conditions and markets. Technological advancements to streamline manufacturing will attract new investments towards capacity expansions as well. Continued innovation can offer opportunities for the scopolamine market growth.
Link: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/scopolamine-market-1965
Key Developments
- In January 2024, the U.S. FDA issued a complete response letter to Defender Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company, for its New Drug Application (NDA) of intranasal scopolamine gel (DPI-386) aimed at preventing motion-induced nausea and vomiting in adults. Clinical trials, including a phase 3 study, showed that intranasal scopolamine was more effective than placebo in reducing vomiting and rescue medication use.
- In June 2023, Defender Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company, announced positive results from a pivotal Phase III clinical trial assessing the effectiveness of intranasal scopolamine in preventing nausea and vomiting induced by motion
- In March 2022, Athira Pharma, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, explored the use of scopolamine, an innovative small molecule being investigated for conditions such as Parkinson’s disease dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia with Lewy bodies. It also focused on ATH-1020; an oral brain-penetrating small molecule candidate aimed at treating neuropsychiatric disorders.
- In July 2022, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. introduced its product Transderm-Scop, a skin patch, into both retail and online markets. This updated formulation, with a dosage of 1 mg per 72 hours, received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Key Players:
Alchem International, Alkaloids Corporation, Boehringer Ingelheim, Caleb Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Centroflora Group, Fine Chemicals Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Henan Fusen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Laboratorio RAAM de Sahuayo, Mylan N.V. (part of Viatris), Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Pharmaceutical Associates, Inc., Phytex Australia, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Global Alkaloids
