Inhalation Anesthesia Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis By Drug (Sevoflurane, Isoflurane, Desflurane), By Application (Induction, Maintenance), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The global inhalation anesthesia market size was valued at USD 1.1 billion in 2021 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 9.0% in the forecast period. The market growth can be attributed to the growing number of surgical procedures. Inhalation anesthesia facilitates higher patient outcomes as compared to intravenous anesthesia. Administration of an anesthetic agent through the respiratory tract allows controllable and effective sedation, which is cost-effective and safe. Various advantages of inhalation anesthesia over intravenous anesthesia are primarily driving the market growth. Inhalation anesthesia is considered to be the best alternative for patients who are on ventilation for more than 24 hours as it becomes easy to monitor the patient’s health. Hence, higher patient benefits associated with the use of inhalation anesthesia as compared to intravenous anesthesia is expected to drive revenue growth in the forecast period.

According to NCBI data, around 310 million major surgeries are performed across the world every year, out of which approximately 40-50 million are performed in the U.S. and 20 million in Europe. During the post-COVID-19 situation, there has been an increase in the number of elective surgeries, which has further boosted the demand for inhalation anesthetics. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recommended that hospitals minimize, postpone, or cancel elective surgeries which have led to a reduction in the number of surgeries by 48% in the U.S. Inhaled anesthetics are commonly used to provide general anesthesia. Based on NIH data, nearly 60,000 people undergo a surgical procedure under general anesthesia. Life-saving surgical procedures such as brain surgery, open-heart surgery, or organ transplantation would not have been possible without general anesthesia, thereby, boosting the demand for inhaled anesthetic drugs.

Inhaled anesthetics help in reducing patients’ overall healthcare expenditure. Patients who have undergone surgery and are critically ill are usually admitted to ICUs, which increases their healthcare expenditure due to an increase in the duration of hospital stays. Inhalation anesthesia helps surgeons design the dosage to avoid the additional hospital stay. However, this is not possible in the case of intravenous anesthesia which helps reduce the patient’s overall healthcare expenditure.

Increase in greenhouse gas emissions is one of the major reasons for global warming and climate change. Inhaled anesthetic gases including sevoflurane, isoflurane, and desflurane are potent greenhouse gases, which have more deteriorating effects compared to normal carbon dioxide emissions. Globally, these anesthetic gases contribute up to 1% of the global carbon dioxide emissions as they have a longer shelf life and cause greater environmental damage.

Drug Insights

The inhalation anesthesia market is segmented by drug into sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane, and halothane. Sevoflurane dominated the inhalation anesthesia market in 2021 because it is potent, rapidly acting, and has faster emergence and recovery as compared to the other drugs available in the market; however, it is more expensive than its alternatives. These factors have led to sevoflurane being the preferred choice of surgeons during surgical procedures for induction and maintenance of anesthesia.

Isoflurane is expected to show the highest growth rate over the forecast period. If fresh gas flow rates are considered, sevoflurane and desflurane cost two to three times more than isoflurane. Hence, isoflurane is the preferred choice for inhalation general anesthesia of anesthesiologists in developing countries owing to the presence of a cost-sensitive patient pool.

The number of manufacturers of halothane is decreasing owing to a decline in demand from hospitals as new agents such as desflurane and sevoflurane are gaining traction. Although halothane is no longer used in clinical practice in North America, it is still extensively used in developing countries and during veterinary surgeries owing to its low cost.

Application Insights

The inhalation anesthesia market is segmented by application into induction and maintenance. The maintenance segment held the largest share in 2021 due to the fact that inhaled anesthetics are more preferred for the maintenance of anesthesia. They allow more precise control of the anesthetic state, which is cost-effective.

Factors influencing induction of anesthesia include a therapeutic index of a drug, Minimum Alveolar Concentration (MAC), potency, patient’s age, rate of metabolism by kidney/liver, compatibility with other drugs, and blood/gas solubility. Inhalation general anesthetic agents have different mechanisms of action in the central nervous system depending on blood and gas solubility and the Minimum Alveolar Concentration (MAC) concentration of different drugs.

Regional Insights

North America dominated the market in 2021 due to the rise in the number of surgeries performed in the U.S. Key players have also gained significant market revenue in the country. Piramal Enterprises Limited, one of the key players in inhalation anesthesia holds the largest market share of sevoflurane and isoflurane in the U.S. Presence of a large number of registered hospitals in the U.S. is also a factor contributing to the high demand for anesthetic drugs in surgeries performed in the country. The total number of U.S. hospitals increased by 61 percent [TD3] from August 2020 to March 2021.

The Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness the fastest growth in the forecast period due to the rising population in the region and subsequent increase in the number of surgical procedures. The growing geriatric population is also a significant factor driving the disease incidence in the region, thereby leading to high demand for inhaled anesthetic drugs. Moreover, in China, sevoflurane and desflurane are widely used in day surgeries owing to advantages such as rapid response and faster recovery.

Key Companies & Market Share Insight

Key players are undertaking various strategic initiatives to gain market shares such as mergers & acquisitions, technological collaborations, partnerships, and innovative product developments & launches. Some of the key players holding maximum share in the market include Baxter, Abbvie, Halocarbon Life Sciences, Sandoz, and Piramal. In January 2019, Sandoz International GmbH launched Desflurane liquid as an inhalation agent for induction and maintenance of anesthesia, required for inpatient and outpatient surgery in adults & pediatric patients in the U.S. It was the first generic of Suprane in the U.S. Some of the prominent players in the global inhalation anesthesia market include:

• Halocarbon Products Corporation

• Baxter

• AbbVie

• Lunan Pharmaceutical Group

• Piramal Enterprises Ltd.

• Sandoz International GmbH (Novartis)

• Fresenius Kabi Ag

Inhalation Anesthesia Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report 

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, & country levels and provides an analysis of industry trends in each of the subsegments from 2016 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research, Inc. has segmented the global inhalation anesthesia report based on drug, application, and region:

• Drug Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)

  • Sevoflurane

  • Desflurane

  • Isoflurane

  • Halothane

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)

  • Induction

  • Maintenance

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • U.K.

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

    • India

    • Australia

    • South Korea

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

    • Argentina

  • Middle East and Africa

    • South Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE