U.S. Transdermal Drug Delivery System Market Analysis Report By Technology (Active, Passive), By Application (Hormone, Cardiovascular, Neurodegenerative, CNS, Pain Management), And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2026

Industry Insights

The U.S. transdermal drug delivery system market size was valued at USD 14.7 billion in 2018 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.5% over the forecast period. Increasing demand for painless drug delivery, coupled with rising demand for self-administration of drugs, is anticipated to fuel market growth. The market is also propelled by ongoing technological advancements in the field. Smart patches, for instance, allow auto-injection of medication and help in monitoring various body parameters. They also enable the transmission of patient-generated data, thereby improving timing and accuracy of drug administration.

According to data by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 6 in every 10 American adults have a chronic disease, while 4 in 10 American adults have more than one chronic disease. The high prevalence of chronic disorders is anticipated to fuel the market for transdermal drug delivery systems. Cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s are some of the main chronic conditions affecting U.S. citizens. These conditions require around the clock monitoring and frequent dose administration, thus facilitating market growth.

Introduction of microneedles patches is anticipated to drive the market. This can be attributed to various benefits of microneedle patches such as rapid onset of action, improved efficacy and skin permeability, self-administration, and improved patient compliance. Furthermore, microneedle patches are able to bypass the stratum corneum and ensure 100% delivery of the loaded drug into the upper dermis or epidermis layer without any pain. These advantages will ensure product demand.  

On the down side, high costs associated with development of novel drug-patch combination is anticipated to limit investments in transdermal drug delivery systems. For instance, according to the CEO of Noven Pharmaceuticals, the cost of developing a novel molecule-patch combination is nearly USD 2 billion while the cost of developing a generic transdermal patch is less than 5% of the cost of a novel patch.

Technology Insights

Based on technology, the U.S. transdermal drug delivery system market is segmented into active and passive. Passive transdermal drug delivery systems, sub-segmented into matrix and reservoir, dominated the market in 2018 accounting for more than 50.0% of the market revenue. This can be attributed to the relatively low development costs of this patch system. Furthermore, recent developments in passive transdermal drug delivery are anticipated to fuel market growth. For instance, the Delivery-Optimized Thermodynamic (DOT) patch system enables higher drug loading in small patch size, thus facilitating segment growth. On the other hand, the active transdermal drug delivery system is anticipated to witness lucrative growth over the forecast period. Introduction of advanced drug delivery technologies such as Iontophoresis, electroporation,sonophoresis, and microneedle arrays is anticipated to fuel segment growth.

Application Insights

Based on application, the market is segmented into hormone, central nervous system, neurodegenerative, addictive therapies, urology, cardiology, and pain management. Pain management segment held the largest share in the market for transdermal drug delivery systems in 2018. This can be attributed to high availability of several opioids and nonopioids analgesic patches in the market. Global prevalence of pain and chronic pain is a major factor driving this segment. According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), an estimated 1 in 5 adults suffer from pain each year, globally, and 1 in 10 adults are diagnosed with chronic pain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that in 2016, approximately 20.4% of adults in U.S. suffered from chronic pain.

The hormone segment is anticipated to grow at a rapid pace over the forecast period. High prevalence of hormonal imbalance, especially among women, is anticipated to boost demand for transdermal drug delivery systems. For instance, a survey of 2,000 American women aged 30 to 60 years conducted by OnePoll found that nearly 47.0% have experienced some symptoms of hormonal imbalance.

U.S. Transdermal Drug Delivery System Market Share Insights

Some of the key players in the U.S. market are Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC; Novartis AG;3M; AdhexPharma; Johnson & Johnson; Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Noven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; LTS Lohmann Therapie-Systeme AG; Teva Pharmaceutical Inc.; TherapeuticsMD; Corium International; and Taho Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Mergers and acquisitions form one of the key sustainable strategies undertaken by market players. For instance, Actavis acquired Allergan in March 2015 to strengthen its market position and expand its product portfolio. This rebranding enabled Actavis to leverage the brand awareness associated with Allergan.

Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at a country level and provides an analysis on the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2015 to 2026. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the U.S. transdermal drug delivery system market report on the basis of technology and application:

• Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2026)

  • Active

  • Passive

    • Matrix

    • Reservoir

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2026)

  • CNS

    • Nausea & Vomiting

    • ADHD

  • Pain management

  • Hormone

    • Men

    • Women

  • Addiction therapies

  • Cardiology

    • Hypertension

    • Angina 

  • Urology

  • Neurodegenerative

    • Parkinson’s Disease

    • Alzheimer’s Disease