Pharmaceutical Glass Packaging Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Vials, Bottles, Cartridges & Syringes, Ampoules), By Drug Type (Generic, Branded, Biologic), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The global pharmaceutical glass packaging market size was estimated at USD 18.27 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.6% from 2023 to 2030. Extensive utilization of generic injectable drugs, coupled with high demand from the pharmaceutical industry, is anticipated to drive market growth during the forecast period.

The glass acts as a hindrance to atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen and prevents them from entering the primary container. This is crucial for mitigating the risk of contamination for drugs. Glass packaging lowers a drug’s susceptibility to degradation via hydrolysis and oxidation. Moreover, glass packaging helps resist the escape of volatile ingredients, thereby, increasing the drug’s stability. All these factors are anticipated to surge product demand during the forecast period.

According to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the national health spending of the country is expected to grow at an annual rate of 5.4% and reach USD 6.2 trillion by 2028. The federal government’s healthcare financial aid programs such as the Veterans Administration, U.S. Department of Defense healthcare programs, Affordable Care Act (ACA), Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, and Medicare are expected to support healthcare-related aid to the U.S. population. These can also increase the consumption of pharmaceutical products, thereby positively impacting the market in the country.

The growing significance of cost-sensitivity and biotech drugs in the healthcare sector has resulted in the establishment of strict regulations related to drug delivery products. Multiple manufacturers working in the pharmaceutical glass manufacturing industry are focused on packaging aimed at increasing the shelf life of products and are therefore investing in vials.

Pharmaceutical glass packaging developers have been enhancing their product features to cater to the changing pharmaceutical industry, which can further contribute to the market in the U.S. For instance, in November 2021, Corning Incorporated introduced coated, specially engineered, Type I borosilicate vials known as Corning Velocity Vials. These vials exhibit effective hardness compared to conventional borosilicate vials, reducing the probability of cracking and breaking.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has left the pharmaceutical industry with a steadily growing high demand for medicines and other healthcare facilities. The surge in demand for pharmaceutical drugs, as a result of the pandemic, has affected the market positively. The demand is expected to reach a new peak, depending on approvals for new COVID-19 vaccines developed by different institutions and companies in various countries.

For instance, the U.S. produces millions of surplus doses of vaccines that are packaged in large, multi-dose vials. These vials are either used domestically or distributed to other countries in the world. The U.S. is expected to have approximately 500 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines by 2021. Despite the demand from state officials in the U.S., there have been various challenges for manufacturers in switching from large multi-dose vials to single-dose vials for supplying vaccines.

Presently, most vaccines in the U.S. are distributed in the form of single-dose vials or prefilled syringes, but the COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed through multi-dose vials, owing to the requirement of their quick manufacturing in the early months of the inoculation campaign carried out in the country.

Product Insights

Bottles were the largest market segment, accounting for more than 34.2% in 2022 in terms of global revenue. The pharmaceutical glass packaging market has been segmented based on product as ampoules, bottles, vials, syringes, and cartridges. Vials have high analytical performance and great sustainability, which is expected to drive the segment with the second-fastest growth rate after ampoules. The vials segment is expected to witness a rise in market share over the forecast period from 33.3% in 2022.

Vials are made from Type 1 borosilicate glass, which imparts the desired chemical resistance properties to glass vials. The ampoules segment is expected to witness the fastest growth, whereas the largest market share is anticipated to be held by bottles. This segment also accounted for a volume share of over 75.0% in 2022 owing to its better analytical performance and suitability.

Glass bottles used for pharmaceutical packaging are categorized into two types depending on their size, namely, small bottles and large bottles. The large-size glass bottles are used for packaging reagents as well as transfusion and infusion bottles.  The small glass bottles are used for packaging syrup and other oral liquids. The small-sized bottle segment is expected to witness growth on account of numerous new opportunities, including the rising consumption of oral tablets that are packaged in small bottles.

Ampoules that are largely developed from glass are anticipated to advance at the most attractive CAGR, in terms of revenue, during the forecast period from 2022 to 2030, owing to the ability of glass to filter specific wavelengths, and its high microbiological control and chemical resistance. A large number of ampoules are produced in compliance with the DIN ISO EN 9187-1/2 standard in sealed designs, funnel-type, and straight-stem.

Drug Type Insights

Generic drug type led the market and accounted for more than 72.9% share of the global revenue in 2022. The global market for generic drugs has seen a rise in the past several years due to increasing cases of chronic diseases, an aging population, and a rise in the expiration of drug patents.

Furthermore, the efforts from governments and healthcare service providers to reduce healthcare expenditure & drug prices and provision of health insurance coverage are also anticipated to fuel the consumption of generic drugs. The increased consumption of generics is expected to ascend the demand for pharmaceutical glass packaging owing to its regulatory ease and extraordinary barrier properties.

The growth of biologic drugs is mainly due to their ability to treat major chronic diseases, especially certain forms of autoimmune diseases and cancer. However, glass delamination and chipping that result from surface degradation are anticipated to lower the growth of primary glass packaging for biologic drugs.

The generic drug segment in North America is expected to witness higher growth than branded segment, both in terms of volume and revenue, as it is affordable, whereas the patent expirations will lead the branded segment to have a moderate growth rate over the forecast period. The primary glass packaging segment is expected to show sluggish growth on account of decreased volume sales of branded drugs.

The pharmaceutical industry is expected to largely benefit from biologics as they cater to therapeutic aspects that are underserved. The biosimilar competition for biologics has remained low, resulting in moderate growth of the segment in the market.

The U.S. boasts the presence of pharmaceutical giants and therefore is expected to stay a core region for various business activities related to pharmaceutical glass packaging. Customer consolidation and increased competitive intensity in the country are expected to result in a significant increase in the volume of generic drug sales, causing a rapid change in market dynamics. This change, coupled with patent expirations of numerous drugs, is expected to constrain branded product sales in the U.S.

Regional Insights

North America dominated the market and accounted for more than 35.5% share of global revenue in 2022. Developing countries are expected to witness a surge in spending in the pharmaceutical industry over the coming years. The U.S. is expected to remain a key driver and most important market for the growth of the pharmaceutical sector in the region, with innovative products leading the growth. This growth is expected to be aided by the emergence of generics in the region that are anticipated to witness consistently high demand in terms of volume and sales.

Emerging markets are expected to show higher growth rates compared to developed markets due to the rapid increase in consumer base and spending. Increased cases of chronic ailments, increased healthcare awareness, and rising income levels are expected to further aid the growth of emerging markets in the Asia Pacific. The governments in the Asia Pacific region are expanding their private and public healthcare coverage as a result of increased awareness. The efforts of the government in developing regions to promote low-cost generic drugs and reduce healthcare costs are expected to result in an increased volume of pharmaceutical products, further fueling the growth of the market in the region.

Europe accounted for more than 19.0% of the volume share in 2022. The research-based pharmaceutical industry is a key asset of the European economy. The pharmaceutical glass packaging industry is on the rise owing to the growth in medical progress using research, development, and introduction of new medicines aimed at improving the health and quality of life of patients in the region.

The national regulation that holds down prices & profits and results in market fragmentation is anticipated to be a major factor that differentiates the strengths of the European research-based industry and its American counterparts in the pharmaceutical sector.

The current Russia and Ukraine conflict has negatively impacted the energy supplies consisting of natural gas and electricity, thereby extending its impact on glass production in Europe. Since glass manufacturing involves melting limestone, soda ash, and sand, the temperatures required for melting the mixture depend on the energy generated from the natural gas supplied by Russia. The natural gas shortage has led to the halting of operations by European bottle manufacturers, automobile manufacturers, and skyscraper builders.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest-growing region in terms of revenue. This growth in demand can be ascertained by the presence of numerous small and medium scaled production units in the region. The region also enjoys lenient regulatory regimes, which work out to support the manufacturers, along with attracting foreign investment. Usually, companies like Corning Incorporated and Schott AG partner with small scaled production units in the region, which provides them a platform to expand their regional presence along with gaining higher market share.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Numerous pharmaceutical glass manufacturing companies are primarily concentrated in developed regions such as Europe and North America, resulting in well-established supply chains and production systems in these regions. However, manufacturers are shifting their bases to countries such as Brazil, India, and China due to low labor costs and the growth of opportunities offered by these countries. The generic sector, in particular, is expected to drive the demand for pharmaceutical glass packaging in these countries over the forecast period.

For instance, in February 2022, a subsidiary of India-based drugmaker Emcure Pharmaceuticals, namely Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, started manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine which will target the Omicron variant with its mRNA technology-based platform. The company plans to apply for authorization from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for the clinical trials of the booster shot of the mRNA vaccine.

Companies including SGD S.A and Şişecam Group are considered emerging players in the global market. This is due to the continuous investments in the expansion of the business and production of glass pharma packaging. For instance, SGD S.A. has been upgrading its plants in China and Spain with advanced equipment to boost production. In August 2018, the company invested approximately USD 7.8 million to rebuild the furnace and boosted production by 11%. Some prominent players in the global pharmaceutical glass packaging market include:

• Corning Incorporated

• Nipro Corporation

• SGD S.A.

• Stoelzle Oberglas GmbH

• Bormioli Pharma S.p.A.

• West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

• Schott AG

• Gerresheimer AG

• Shandong Medicinal Glass Co., Ltd.

• Beatson Clark

• Ardagh Group S.A

• Arab Pharmaceutical Glass Co.

• Piramal Enterprises Ltd.

• Şişecam Group

• Owens-Illinois, Inc.

Recent Developments

• In June 2023, SDG SA announced its partnership with Corning Incorporated to establish a glass tubing facility in Telangana, India. The partnership combined SDG’s expertise with Corning’s glass coating technology to enhance fine-line productivity, thus initiating expansion in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

• In May 2023, Bormioli Pharma S.p.A renewed its partnership with Desall.com to develop new innovation and ideas about pharmaceutical packaging by focusing on augment reality solutions for drug delivery, and biometric recognition solutions to transform child-resistant closure systems.

• In March 2023, Schott AG launched the production of FIOLAX®amber pharma glass in India with the aim to meet its increasing demand in Asia. This production will improve the reliability, planning, availability, and cost-efficiency of pharmaceutical converters.

• In October 2022, Gerresheimer AG in collaboration with Merck developed a digitalized twin solution to ensure trust and traceability in the pharmaceutical supply chain. This solution aimed to create a digital representation of packaging for syringes and vials.

• In January 2022, West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. partnered with Corning to make advancements in drug delivery and drug containment by developing pharmaceutical packaging solutions.

• In May 2021, Nipro Corporation acquired all shares of Piramida d.o.o to make expansion in the European market, and strengthen its position in the pharmaceutical glass packaging sector.

Pharmaceutical Glass Packaging Market Report Scope

Global Pharmaceutical Glass Packaging Market Segmentation

This report forecasts volume and 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 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global pharmaceutical glass packaging market report based on product, drug type, and region:

• Product Outlook (Volume, Million Units; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Vials

    • Small vials

    • Large vials

  • Bottles

    • Small bottles

    • Large bottles

  • Cartridges & Syringes

  • Ampoules

• Drug Type Outlook (Volume, Million Units; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Generic

  • Branded

  • Biologic

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

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • U.K.

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • Switzerland

    • Belgium

    • Denmark

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

    • India

    • South Korea

    • Australia

    • Southeast Asia

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

  • Middle East & Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • United Arab Emirates