Pharmaceutical Cartridges Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Material Type (Glass Cartridges, Plastic Cartridges, Rubber), By Application, By Chamber Type, By Size, By Therapeutic Area, By End-use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Market Size & Trends

The global pharmaceutical cartridges market size was valued at USD 1.30 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.05% over the forecast period to reach an estimated value of USD 2.42 billion from 2023 to 2030. Key market drivers include the rising prevalence of chronic conditions, such as diabetes & arthritis, and recent technological advancements in drug delivery devices. The pharmaceutical industry is primarily driven by progress in the field of medicine and bioscience. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry acts as a key asset to the European economy, as it is one of Europe’s top-performing, high-technology sectors. This, in turn, is anticipated to boost the market for pharmaceutical packaging in Europe over the forecast period.

Furthermore, growing health awareness among consumers in Asia Pacific, especially in developing countries, including China & India, coupled with the growing disposable income of consumers is anticipated to boost the pharmaceutical industry over the forecast period. The U.S., along with the UK, and the rest of Europe dominated the pharmaceutical market over the past decade; however, they are facing major competition from emerging economies such as Brazil, India, & China.

To attract more clients, market participants are focusing on providing value-added services. The most frequent procedures used by packaging makers for coloring packaging containers include ultraviolet coating, spray painting, and metallization. Furthermore, packaging makers frequently undertake labeling and the incorporation of various anticounterfeit packaging techniques, including covert and overt technology such as sealing tapes, barcodes, holograms, and radio frequency identifying devices.

The demand for drug delivery devices is anticipated to drive the need for pharmaceutical cartridges. Drug delivery devices, such as pens, injectors, and inhalers, are increasingly popular among patients and healthcare professionals due to their ease of use & ability to improve medication adherence. Many of these drug delivery devices require prefilled cartridges to administer medications safely and accurately. For instance, a patient using an autoinjector to deliver a life-saving medication like epinephrine would typically use a prefilled cartridge containing the medication.

Application Insights

Based on application, the market is segmented into dental anesthesia, pen injectors, autoinjectors, and wearable injectors. The pen injectors segment captured a market share of approximately 47.5% in 2022. The wearable injectors segment is estimated to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period. Wearable injectors, also called patch pumps or bolus injectors, are being increasingly prescribed by physicians to administer high-viscosity & large-volume biologic drugs. These subcutaneous drug delivery devices are typically digitally powered and can help physicians improve the quality of care, reduce total healthcare costs, & improve patient outcomes.

The growing pharmaceutical cartridge market includes a wide range of products used for drug delivery. Autoinjectors are becoming an increasingly popular choice for drug delivery as they are convenient, easy to use, and can be self-administered by patients. This makes them an attractive option for patients who require frequent injections, such as those with chronic conditions. In March 2023, PCI Pharma Services, a biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing partner, announced a USD 50 million expansion project at its Illinois sterile injectables site. The project involves the construction of a new facility, which is expected to enhance the facility’s capacity for injectable drug-device combination solutions.

Therapeutic Area Insights

Based on therapeutic area, the market is segmented into ophthalmology, respiratory, neurology, oncology, immunology, cardiology, diabetes, dental, and others. The diabetes segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 27.80% in 2022. The segment growth is attributed to the increasing adoption of insulin delivery devices and rising prevalence of diabetes are driving market growth.

As new therapies and molecules are being developed, they account for approximately 39.0% of the industry's development pipeline. Historically, drugs used for oncology indications were administered through intravenous infusion in a hospital setting and were not suitable for subcutaneous drug delivery devices such as autoinjectors.

Over time, the market has witnessed the development of a variety of oncology treatments for subcutaneous administration, ranging in injection volumes from 5 mL to around 20 mL. While there is great interest in on-body devices for higher-volume subcutaneous drugs within the drug delivery field, there are still a few commercially available drugs in such devices, concluding that pharmaceutical companies have not fully adopted the concept of on-body devices for higher-volume injections.

Chamber Type Insights

Based on chamber type, the market is segmented into dual chamber cartridges, and large-volume cartridges. The dual chamber cartridges segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 63.46% in 2022. Dual chamber devices are increasingly being preferred as the primary drug delivery system in biopharmaceuticals, as they offer high levels of stability and convenience for doctors & patients. Hence, with significant product developments, this segment is expected to witness considerable growth over the forecast period at CAGR of 7.48%.

Dual chamber cartridges are commonly used for drugs that require reconstitution, such as certain vaccines, biologics, and hormone therapies. Sensitive drug formulations have been growing in number over recent years and are expected to grow even further in the future, posing challenges in shelf-life stability. Reconstituting lyophilized compounds separately can affect both, dose accuracy and handling efficiency. However, dual chamber cartridges provide an effective solution to these challenges by separating the two substances with a plunger and allowing them to be mixed or reconstituted just before administration.

Size Insights

Based on size, the market is segmented into 0.5 ml, 1.8 ml, 2 ml to 2.5 ml, 3 ml, 5 ml, and more than 10 ml. The 3 mL segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 36.76% in 2022 and is estimated to grow at the fastest CAGR of 8.04% over the forecast period. These cartridges are commonly used in insulin pens for treating diabetes. Thus, the rising prevalence of diabetes & cardiovascular diseases and the surge in biological drug development efforts are likely to drive the demand for 3 mL cartridges over the coming years.

In the pharmaceutical industry, 0.5 mL cartridges are prefilled syringes that contain a volume of medication of 0.5 mL. These cartridges are commonly used for drugs that require a smaller volume of medication to be delivered to the patient, such as certain vaccines, insulin, and other hormone therapies. One of the primary advantages of 0.5 mL cartridges is that they can reduce the amount of medication waste and improve cost efficiency. This is particularly beneficial for patients who require frequent injections or for drugs that are expensive to manufacture.

End-use Insights

Based on end-use, the market is segmented into pharmaceutical, biotechnology, research organizations, and others. The pharmaceutical segment dominated the market with a share of 42.52% in 2022. This is attributed to factors such as growing innovation in pharmaceutical packaging processes, rapid development of new biologics, and rising number of medical research projects. However, other segment is expected to exhibit the fastest growth during the forecast period.

Pharmaceutical companies can use cartridges as a way to streamline their manufacturing and packaging processes. For example, prefilled cartridges can be filled with a specific amount of drug, reducing the need for manual filling and decreasing the risk of errors. In addition, cartridges can be used in conjunction with automated filling and packaging equipment, which can improve efficiency & reduce costs. Overall, pharmaceutical cartridges offer a reliable and efficient way for pharmaceutical companies to store and deliver their drugs while ensuring patient safety & product quality. As the demand for injectable drugs continues to grow, the use of pharmaceutical cartridges is likely to continue increasing.

Material Type Insights

Based on material type, the market is segmented into glass, plastic, and rubber. The glass segment captured a market share of approximately 58.14% in 2022. Superior quality and higher resistance to chemicals over plastics have increased the overall demand for glass cartridges. These cartridges offer the lowest coefficient of expansion and high resistance to thermal shock & stress. Characteristics such as a high melting point make it resistant to damage due to multiple chemicals and reduce leaching. Such factors are expected to fuel the demand for glass cartridges over the forecast period. The glass cartridges segment is further divided into types 1, 2, and 3. Moreover, plastic segment is expected to exhibit the fastest growth during the forecast period at CAGR.

In June 2021, SGD Pharma announced that 20ml EasyLyo molded glass Type 1 vials were accessible to consumers in a ready-to-use format. Owing to the growing requirement for drugs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, biopharmaceutical companies experienced increased pressure to accelerate their time-to-market. The combination of primary and secondary packaging from SGD Pharma provides biopharmaceutical manufacturers with the flexibility to deliver innovative medicines to patients much faster.

Regional Insights

Geographically, North America held the dominant market share of 30.05% in 2022 and is expected to continue its dominance over the forecast period. This can be attributed to the presence of a highly developed healthcare infrastructure, the local presence of major global players, and continuous strategic initiatives implemented by these players to maintain their market share. However, Asia Pacific is expected to exhibit the fastest growth during the forecast period at CAGR of 9.16%.

Asia Pacific region is expected to exhibit the fastest growth due to increasing penetration of major market players in the untapped opportunities and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and arthritis. For instance, as per the International Diabetes Federation in 2017, 82.0 million people were diagnosed with diabetes in South-East Asia. In addition, around 72,946,400 cases of diabetes were from India in 2017.Thus, these factors are expected to drive the market growth.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Some of the major players operating in the market are Gerresheimer AG, SCHOTT AG , West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., Merck KGaA, Stevanto Group, Transcoject GmbH, and Baxter. Prominent players adopt strategies such as launching new product lines, establishing new manufacturing centers and entering into partnerships to strengthen their position in the market.

For instance, in January 2023, West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc, announced its participation in Pharmapack Europe 2023, which will be held in Paris, France, to demonstrate its expertise on industry issues and developments in packaging & containment. With the introduction of three new products, the company developed its innovations for global clients and their patients: West Ready Pack with Corning Valor RTU Vials with EZ-fill SG EZ-fill technology from Stevanato Group, a Daikyo Crystal Zenith 2.25mL Insert Needle Syringe System, and a FluroTec 5-10mL Cartridge Plunger. Some of the prominent companies operating in the global pharmaceutical cartridges market include:

• Stevanato Group

• Nipro Corporation

• Gerresheimer AG

• West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

• Schott AG

• Transcoject GmbH

• Shandong Medicinal Glass Co., Ltd.

• Dätwyler Holding Inc. 

• AptarGroup, Inc.

• Sonata Rubber 

Pharmaceutical Cartridges Market Report Scope

Global Pharmaceutical Cartridges Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional & country levels and provides an analysis on the latest trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented global pharmaceutical cartridges market on the basis of material type, application, chamber type, size, therapeutic area, end-use, and region:

• Material Type Outlook (Revenue USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • Glass Cartridges

    • Type 1

    • Type 2

    • Type 3

  • Plastic Cartridges

    • Polypropylene (PP)

    • Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC)

    • Cyclic Olefin Polymer (COP)

    • Polyethylene

  • Rubber

• Application Outlook (Revenue USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • Dental Anesthesia

  • Pen Injectors

  • Autoinjectors

  • Wearable Injectors

• Chamber Type Outlook (Revenue USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • Dual Chamber

  • Large Volume

• Size Outlook (Revenue USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • 0.5 ml

  • 1.8 ml

  • 2ml to 2.5 ml

  • 3 ml

  • 5 ml

  • More than 10 ml

• Therapeutic Area Outlook (Revenue USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • Ophthalmology

  • Respiratory

  • Neurology

  • Oncology

  • Immunology

  • Cardiology

  • Diabetes

  • Dental

  • Others

• End-use Outlook (Revenue USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • Pharmaceuticals

  • Biotechnology

  • Research Organizations

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • UK

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • Denmark

    • Sweden

    • Norway

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

    • India

    • Australia

    • South Korea

    • Thailand

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

    • Argentina

  • Middle East and Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • South Africa

    • UAE

    • Kuwait