Antiviral Drugs Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Drug Class, By Application (HIV, Hepatitis, Herpes, Influenza), By Type (Branded, Generics), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028

Report Overview

The global antiviral drugs market size was valued at USD 62.8 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of (-0.6%) from 2021 to 2028. The introduction of the generic version of antiviral medicines and growing awareness about the availability of various vaccines for viral infections is affecting the growth during the forecast period.

However, the increasing prevalence of viral infections such as HIV, Herpes, Influenza, and others are expected to increase the demand for antiviral medicines over the forecast period. For instance, according to UNAIDS, in 2020, more than 37 million individuals were living with HIV across the globe. Out of these, approximately 1.5 million new people acquired HIV infection in 2020. Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased market growth in 2020 whereas, a negative impact of the pandemic has been observed for other applications of antiviral drugs.

The increasing incidence of viral infection across the globe is a major factor driving the demand for antiviral drugs over the forecast period. According to WHO, globally, an estimated 325 million people are living with hepatitis infection and out of these, around 71 million have chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Moreover, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has estimated that 2.4 million people are living with hepatitis C in the United States and around 850,000 individuals in the country have hepatitis B infection. An increasing base of patients is anticipated to increase the demand for antiviral drugs globally.

Increasing approval and expected commercialization of novel medicines for viral infections are anticipated to drive market growth. For instance, in November 2020, the U.S. FDA has approved a supplemental New Drug Application for Roche’s Xofluza for the treatment of influenza in patients 12 years of age and older. Moreover, the major players in the market have launched many novel medicines in 2 to 3 years for the treatment of viral infections. For instance, Gilead Sciences, Inc. has launched Biktarvy, Symtuza, and Veklury for the treatment of viral infections. Furthermore, GlaxoSmithKline plc. has launched Dovato, Cabenuva, and Juluca for the treatment of diseases caused by the virus. An increase in the introduction of novel products in the market will drive growth over the next 2 to 3 years.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the demand for antiviral medicines globally. The treatment of novel coronavirus has increased the demand for broad-spectrum antiviral drugs to manage the disease. Remdesivir, favipiravir, oseltamivir, and other combination medicines are highly prescribed for the treatment of COVID-19. Moreover, governments are increasing funding to pharmaceutical companies to develop novel therapeutics against COVID-19. For instance, in June 2021, the U.S. government has announced an investment of more than USD 3 billion to fasten the discovery, development, and manufacturing of antiviral medicines for COVID-19 treatment. The rising incidence of disease coupled with increasing R&D will increase the demand for antiviral drugs in the next 2 to 3 years.

Increasing collaborations for the development and manufacturing of antiviral drugs are expected to result in the development of a high number of novel drugs in the coming years. The key players in the market are collaborating for the R&D of new therapies to reduce the burden of viral infection treatment. For instance, in 2020, Gilead Sciences, Inc. has signed licensing agreement with pharmaceutical manufacturers such as Cipla Ltd., Hetero Labs Ltd., Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., Mylan, and others to expand the supply of remdesivir.

Drug Class Insights

The reverse transcriptase inhibitors segment dominated the market for antiviral drugs and accounted for the largest revenue share of 49.0% in 2020. The segment is anticipated to maintain its dominance over the forecast period. The high share of reverse transcriptase inhibitors can be attributed to the increasing diagnosis and treatment rate of HIV, as these medicines are mainly used to treat HIV infection and the high effectiveness of these drugs against viral infections. Moreover, the presence of reverse transcriptase inhibitors in the pipeline will fuel the demand for these drugs in the coming years. The drug class includes Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs) and Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs).

The protease inhibitors segment held the second-largest revenue share in 2020 and is anticipated to witness a CAGR of -1.4% over the forecast period. The decline in the segment growth can be attributed to increasing vaccination against viral infections and reduced R&D activities in the development of protease inhibitors.

Type Insights

The branded segment dominated the market and accounted for the largest revenue share of 57.2% in 2020. The segment is expected to maintain its dominance over the forecast period. Branded antiviral medicines such as Biktarvy, Genvoya, Triumeq, Mavyret, and Prezista hold a significant share of the market. The high adoption rate of branded drugs in the North American and European markets and the high cost of drugs are expected to drive the segment.

Increasing demand for the generic version of antiviral drugs in developing countries due to its cost-effectiveness is driving the generics segment. The generic antiviral drugs segment is highly competitive and price-sensitive. The presence of a large number of generic pharmaceutical manufacturers such as Cipla Inc., Aurobindo Pharma, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd., Mylan, and others make the market highly competitive for generic antiviral drugs.

Application Insights

The HIV segment dominated the market and held the largest revenue share of 44.1% in 2020. The segment is expected to witness the fastest growth rate over the forecast period. The high prevalence of HIV infection coupled with a high treatment rate, presence of branded drugs, and government initiatives to increase the treatment rate is estimated to drive the market at a higher growth rate. For instance, in 2019, the U.S. government announced the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) plan to end the HIV epidemic in the country by 2030. The initiative seeks to reduce HIV infections and improve the diagnosis and treatment rate in the U.S. Moreover, the presence of strong pipeline drugs for HIV infection will also fuel market growth over the forecast period.

The hepatitis segment held the second-largest revenue share in 2020. Increasing vaccination against hepatitis A and B is affecting the growth adversely. Moreover, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the growth of the others segment in 2020. Due to COVID-19, the others segment share increased from 6.3% to 23.5% from 2019 to 2020.

Regional Insights

North America dominated the market and accounted for the largest revenue share in 2020. The region is expected to witness a CAGR of -1.8% over the forecast period. The market decline can be attributed to the loss of market exclusivity of branded drugs, increasing vaccination rate against viral infections, and government initiatives to reduce the incidence of viral infections. For instance, the U.S. government is undertaking various measures including investment in infectious diseases programs and promoting the R&D activities of innovative therapies to manage viral infections.

In Asia Pacific, the market for antiviral drugs is anticipated to witness the fastest growth rate during the forecast period. The high growth of the market can be attributed to the increasing prevalence and treatment rate of viral infections, developing healthcare infrastructure in the region, and increasing awareness among people regarding infectious diseases. Moreover, the strong presence of generic pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in India, China, and other South Asian countries and the increasing geriatric population in the region are some of the key factors driving the segment growth.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

A number of generic pharmaceutical companies are involved in the manufacturing and distribution of antiviral drugs making the global market highly competitive. However, Gilead Sciences, Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline plc. helda significant market share in 2020 and these companies also have potential pipeline drugs expected to be commercialized over the forecast period. Some of the prominent players in the antiviral drugs market include:

• F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

• GlaxoSmithKline plc

• AbbVie

• Merck & Co., Inc.

• Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc.

• Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

• Cipla Inc.

• Aurobindo Pharma

• Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd.

Antiviral Drugs Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2017 to 2028. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global antiviral drugs market report on the basis of drug class, type, application, and region:

• Drug Class Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • DNA Polymerase Inhibitors

  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

  • Protease Inhibitors

  • Neuraminidase Inhibitors

  • Others

• Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • Branded

  • Generics

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • HIV

  • Hepatitis

  • Herpes

  • Influenza

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • North America

    • U.S

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • U.K.

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

  • Asia Pacific

    • India

    • China

    • Japan

    • Australia

    • South Korea

  • Latin America

    • Argentina

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

    • Colombia

  • Middle East & Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE

    • South Africa