US demand for drug delivery products will expand 7.4 percent annually to $134 billion in 2015. The best growth opportunities will emerge in dosage formulations that advance the nature of therapy for autoimmune conditions, cancer, heart disease, neurological disorders and other debilitating health problems. Based on the complex nature of therapy and the high frequency of dosing requirements, central nervous system and hormonal and related conditions will be the fastest growing indications served by drug delivery products. These and other trends are presented in Drug Delivery Products, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

Demand for oral drug delivery products will increase 4.3 percent annually to over $52 billion in 2015. Controlled-release formulations will command the largest share of sales, but will lose some growth momentum due to patent expirations on several large-selling sustained-release therapies. Nanoparticulate medicines will record some of the fastest growth among oral drug delivery products based on new product introductions and the high value-added nature of indications served.

Demand for parenteral drug delivery products will reach $54.7 billion in 2015, up nearly eleven percent annually from 2010. Monoclonal antibodies will lead gains as advances in biotechnology lead to the introduction of new and improved therapies for autoimmune disorders, cancer and various rare debilitating diseases. Safety-engineered prefillable syringes and IV catheters, along with bag/vial infusion systems, will post the best growth among parenteral delivery devices based largely on infection prevention advantages.

Demand for other drug delivery products will rise 7.4 percent annually to $27.1 billion in 2010. Prefilled dry powder and metered dose inhalers will retain the largest share of sales, spurred by upward trends in prevalence of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Demand for implantable drug delivery products will increase nearly eleven percent annually through 2015 led by new brachytherapy offerings for cancer and macular degeneration. Additionally, the US market for drug-eluting stents will rebound from a recent downturn as next-generation devices promote expansion in the volume of angioplasty procedures. Contraceptive inserts will fare the best among other drug implants. Transdermal patches will record above-average growth as improved therapies for breakthrough pain and various central nervous system disorders capture demand away from less effective oral medicines.

Posted by Sean Fenske, Editor-in-Chief, MDT