Clinical Trial Supplies Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Phase (Phase I, Phase II, Phase III), By Product & Services, By End Use, By Therapeutic Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The global clinical trial supplies market size was valued at USD 2.0 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% from 2022 to 2030. The growth is attributed to globalization, a rise in the number of clinical trials, and an increase in the number of biologics & biosimilar drugs in clinical trials. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the market, resulting in a low growth rate in 2020 and the first half of 2021. This, in turn, has further propelled technological advancements in supply chain management, which is expected to contribute to market growth in the long run. The adoption of supply chain management systems is increasing due to rising pressure to reduce R&D expenditure and increase operational efficiency, as clinical trial supplies account for a large share of the total R&D expenditure of biopharmaceutical companies.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has accelerated certain new models in the market to ease the crisis and cope with changing trends. The implementation of virtual trials, which has been an underpinning technology, is gradually gaining popularity and is expected to witness considerable growth in the coming years. The pandemic has led to certain restrictions, such as social distancing and travel restrictions, owing to which around 80.00% of sites have canceled or put a hold on at least one clinical trial. Therefore, to avoid such situations, virtual trials are gradually being adopted, which allows the implementation of innovative approaches to trials and helps ensure a better patient experience.

There has been a significant rise in the number of biologics and temperature-sensitive drugs in clinical trials. Currently, 38.0% of pharmaceutical drugs are temperature-sensitive and 35.0% of late-phase pharmaceutical drugs are biologics. This number is expected to increase in the future, as the demand for biologics is growing owing to lesser adverse effects as compared to traditional ties for the storage of temperature-sensitive drugs. Hence, a rise in the number of biologics in clinical trials is expected to boost the demand for cold chain facilities. It has been estimated that 8 out of the top 10 biopharmaceutical products will require cold chain facilities by 2022. The high demand for biosimilars in developing and developed economies is expected to further boost the cold chain supply, thereby contributing to market growth over the forecast period.

The majority of clinical trials are currently being conducted in developing economies. The increasing cost of clinical trials and complications in the recruitment of patients have encouraged biopharmaceutical companies to outsource clinical trials to regions such as Asia Pacific, Latin America, Central & Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Disease variation in developing economies further aids biopharmaceutical companies to perform clinical trials on rare diseases. Some regions, such as the Asia Pacific, also provide greater economic benefits to biopharmaceutical companies, as governments in Singapore and China allocate funds to promote biomedical research. In Latin America, patient recruitment is easy due to reduced language barriers, which can help obtain informed consent easily, resulting in a faster clinical trial process.

Clinical Phase Insights

As of 2021, the phase I segment is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period. This is attributed to the large influx of phase I trials for COVID-19 treatment and prevention. Based on phases, the market has been segmented into phase I, phase II, phase III, and others. However, the phase III segment dominated the market due to the high requirement for supply chain management in this phase. Even though the phase I clinical trials segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate owing to growing R&D activities in the biotechnology space, the phase III segment is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period.

Phase III clinical trials are more complex than other phases. Although the number of drugs in this phase is comparatively low, the complexity associated with this phase is the highest. The failure rate in this phase is the highest as the sample size and study design require complex dosing at an optimum level. The loss associated with the failure is concerning human and financial, and the majority of failures are due to noncompliance with safety & efficacy standards. Such a scenario may boost the demand for an efficient supply chain and logistics, which, in turn, is expected to positively impact market growth.

Product & Services Insights

In 2021, the supply chain management segment held the largest market share of 46.7%. This scenario exists in most regions worldwide, except in the U.S., wherein the manufacturing segment is also expected to grow at a lucrative rate. The pandemic has widely showcased the scenario of a disrupted supply chain and its impact on the lives of the citizens of a country. This is had propelled the U.S. to become even more self-reliant, eventually laying attention on manufacturing services. The product & service segment in this market includes several processes, from drug development to logistics to distribution. Based on the type of products & services, the market is divided into three major categories, which comprise all the aspects of clinical trial supplies. These include manufacturing, storage & distribution, and supply chain management. Moreover, the manufacturing segment is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period.

Globalization of clinical trials and an increase in the number of clinical sites are expected to drive the demand for supply chain management systems by life science companies & CROs. The adoption of mobile and supply chain management technology is expected to be the driving factor for segment growth. According to a survey by Sonoco Thermosafe, interactive response systems and Microsoft Office tools are major technologies that are employed by respondents, contributing 25.0% and 24.0%, respectively.

Therapeutic Use Insights

In terms of therapeutic use, oncology is expected to be the fastest & dominant segment, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.2% over the forecast period. This is attributed to the presence of a huge R&D pipeline of oncology drugs. The majority of oncology drugs require temperature-sensitive distribution, which is expected to fuel the demand for cold chain distribution. The segment is majorly categorized into oncology, central nervous system disorders, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and others.

Cardiovascular diseases are known to be the leading cause of death globally. According to the report published by the American Heart Association, in 2018, around 92.1 million people in the U.S. were living with some form of cardiovascular disease, and this disease is the most common cause of mortality in the country compared to cancer & other chronic diseases. It also reported that around 2,300 people in the U.S. die due to cardiovascular disease per day, which is around 1 death every 38 seconds. Thus, such factors are anticipated to propel segment growth during the forecast period. However, introducing a new cardiovascular drug to the market presents many challenges such as stringent regulatory policies for clinical trials and late-stage failures. Supplies are prepared according to changes in the dosage, sites, and packaging design.

End-use Insights

The pharmaceuticals segment held about 42.1% of the total market share in 2021 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period. The clinical trial supplies are used for clinical trials of pharmaceuticals, biologics & medical devices, and other research applications. Procurement, manufacturing, storage, and distribution of clinical trial supplies are done for these segments. Therefore, based on end-use, the clinical trial supplies market is segmented into four types: pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices, and others.

There has been a steady decrease in pharmaceutical drugs in the R&D pipeline as it has been substituted by biological drugs, which is expected to have a slightly negative impact on segment growth during the forecast period. The number of pharmaceutical drugs in the top 10 innovative drugs has decreased drastically and is expected to be replaced by biologics. Although pharmaceutical drugs account for the highest number of drugs in the clinical trial segment, the growing number of biological drugs is likely to have an impact on this number. However, the demand for safe, efficacious, and cost-effective medicines is expected to fuel the development of enhanced pharmaceutical drugs, thereby propelling segment growth.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR of 6.9% over the forecast period. North America dominates the market and accounts for the highest number of clinical trials conducted among all regions. Various factors responsible for this growth include the increasing number of healthcare companies conducting clinical trials in the region, supportive government legislation, and the availability of cost-effective products.

Asia Pacific is expected to be one of the fastest-growing regions in the global market. The tremendous growth in clinical research is expected to drive market growth in the region, thereby contributing to market growth. The primary factors driving the growth of clinical research in these regions include the low cost per patient in Asia Pacific countries and the presence of a diverse group of patients that are easy to recruit.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Geographical expansion and development of niche business units catering to the industry are being currently performed by various players. For instance, in April 2021, Catalent expanded capabilities at its clinical supply services facility in Philadelphia to support sponsors developing cell and gene therapies. Some prominent players in the global clinical trial supplies market are:

• KLIFO A/S

• PAREXEL International Corporation

• Almac Group Ltd.

• Movianto GmbH

• Patheon, Inc.

• Biocair International Ltd.

• PCI Services

• Marken

• Thermo Fischer Scientific, Inc.

• Sharp Packaging Services

• Catalent Pharma Solutions

Other players present in the market include:

• Clinigen Group plc

• Merck Serono

• Chimerix

Clinical Trial Supplies Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at the global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segments from 2017 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global clinical trial supplies market report based on clinical phase, product & services, therapeutic use, end use, and region:

• Clinical Phase Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Phase I

  • Phase II

  • Phase III

  • Others

• Product & Services Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Manufacturing

  • Storage & Distribution

    • Cold Chain Distribution

    • Non-cold Chain

  • Supply Chain Management

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Pharmaceutical

  • Biologics

  • Medical Device

  • Others

• Therapeutic Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2017 - 2030)

  • Oncology

  • CNS

  • Cardiovascular

  • Infectious Disease

  • Metabolic Disorders

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

  • Latin America

    • Mexico

    • Brazil

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa

    • Saudi Arabia