North American Drug Delivery Technologies Market Worth $102.2 Billion by 2017

Patent expiry of major blockbuster drugs is a prime concern for pharmaceutical companies, as developing a new chemical entity (NCE) is more expensive and time consuming than a novel drug delivery technology. Therefore, in recent years, several pharmaceutical companies have employed drug delivery technology as a life cycle management tool for some of their blockbuster drugs, the patents for which are set to expire in the near future.

The North American drug delivery market was estimated to be worth $66.7 billion in 2012, and is expected to register a CAGR of 8.9% between 2012 and 2017, according to the latest MarketandMarkets report. Based on the route of administration, the drug delivery market has been classified as oral, pulmonary, injectable, transdermal, implantable, ocular, nasal, transmucosal, and topical. In 2012, oral drug delivery segment dominated the market with a share of approximately 38%, followed by pulmonary drug delivery segment with a 20% share.

The drug delivery technologies that have recently gained importance in the North American market include orodispersible tablet (ODT), dry powder inhalers, transdermal patches, needle-free injectors, auto and pen injectors, and buccal transmucosal tablets; controlled release is the most widely accepted technology. The use of implantable devices for drug delivery is also on a rise.

Big pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Merck have established in-house capabilities for the development of drug delivery technologies. On the contrary, many other companies are still relying on specialty companies engaged in the development of drug delivery technologies. High level of competition and increasing need for outsourcing has resulted in the drug delivery market to be fragmented, with several small companies developing novel drug delivery technologies for niche therapeutic applications.

The North American drug delivery market is largely dominated by the US (accounting for about 89% of the overall market). The key drivers for the US drug delivery market are the well-established pharmaceutical industry, healthcare reforms, and favorable changes in the FDA review process. Factors such as low-cost drug manufacturing and rising number of drug delivery formulations and devices are propelling the Canadian market.

Key players in the drug delivery technologies market are 3M Company (US), Aptalis Pharma, Inc. (US), Baxter International, Inc. (US), Becton, Dickinson & Co. (US), Catalent Pharma Solutions (US), The Dow Chemical Company (US), Endo Pharmaceuticals (US), Johnson & Johnson (US), Nektar Therapeutics (US) and Valeant Pharmaceuticals (Canada).

This research report categorizes and analyzes the North American Drug Delivery Technologies market on the basis of routes of administration. These markets are further divided into segments and sub-segments, to provide exhaustive value analysis for the years 2010, 2011, 2012, and forecast to 2017. Each market is comprehensively analyzed at a granular level by country (US and Canada), to provide in-depth information on the North American market scenario.

North American drug delivery technologies market, by segment include: Oral Drug Delivery, Controlled Release, Orodispersible Tablets (ODT) and Taste Masking, Pulmonary Drug Delivery, Dry Powder Inhalers, Metered Dose Inhalers, Nebulizers, Transdermal Drug Delivery, Passive Drug Delivery, Reservoir System, Matrix System, Active Drug Delivery, Iontophoresis, Microporation, Injectable Drug Delivery, Conventional Injection Devices, Fillable Syringes, Prefilled Syringes, Self-injection Devices, Needle-Free Injectors, Auto-Injectors or Safety Syringe Devices, Pen Injectors, Ocular Drug Delivery, Eye Drops, Ointments and Gels, Nasal Drug Delivery, Nasal Drops, Nasal Sprays, Nasal Inhalers, Topical Drug Delivery, Liquid Formulations, Semisolid Formulations, Solid Formulations, Implantable Drug Delivery, Drug-Eluting Stents, Implantable Infusion Pumps, Contraceptive Implants, Intravitreal Implants, Brachytherapy Seeds, Transmucosal Drug Delivery, Oral (Buccal and Sublingual), (Rectal and Vaginal). For more information, visit www.marketandmarkets.com.