Preclinical CRO Market Size To Reach $12.8 Billion By 2033

Preclinical CRO Market Growth & Trends

The global preclinical CRO market size is expected to reach USD 12.8 billion by 2033, registering a CAGR of 8.4% from 2026 to 2033, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to show lucrative growth due to increasing R&D expenditure and rising outsourcing trends. The increasing volume of new drugs entering the preclinical phase is also anticipated to boost the market during the forecast period. However, the COVID-19 pandemic had temporarily affected the market owing to the shutdown of research sites due to the implementation of national lockdowns.

The market is undergoing a series of mergers and acquisitions, resulting in improvement in full-service capabilities and the international reach of larger companies. For instance, in 2019, WuXi AppTec acquired Pharmapace. On the other hand, mid-sized and smaller contract research organizations are focusing on niche sectors and are providing a personalized approach to their sponsors. Various companies are focusing on research and development of new drugs and therefore are outsourcing these activities to launch efficient CRO services in the market. This, in turn, provides a positive atmosphere for joint ventures among market participants owing to the preference of sponsors to maximize their benefits.

The COVID-19 pandemic is ever increasing since the disease was first identified in China in December 2019. Until March 9, 2022, more than 4500 million cases of COVID-19 were reported globally; this pandemic has fast-tracked the development of vaccines and drug testing. There are currently over 195 COVID-19 vaccine candidates in preclinical studies.

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Preclinical CRO Market Report Highlights

• On the basis of service, the toxicology testing segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 25.5% in the preclinical CRO industry in 2025.

• On the basis of the development stage, the preclinical optimization, efficacy & PK/PD segment dominated the market in 2025.

• On the basis of indication, the oncology segment held the largest share of the preclinical CRO industry in 2025.

• On the basis of the model, the in vivo segment is anticipated to hold the largest market share in 2025, driven by the need for these services to conduct safety, toxicology, and pharmacokinetics research, which is expected to drive higher revenue for this segment.

• On the basis of end use, the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies segment dominated the preclinical CRO market in 2025.

• The North America preclinical CRO industry dominated the global market in 2025, accounting for 48.1% of revenue.

Preclinical CRO Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global preclinical CRO market on the basis of service, development stage, indication, model, end use, and region:

Preclinical CRO Service Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)

• Bioanalysis and DMPK studies

  • In vitro ADME

  • In-vivo PK

• Toxicology Testing

  • GLP

  • Non-GLP

• Compound Management

  • Process R&D

  • Custom Synthesis

  • Others

• Chemistry

  • Medicinal Chemistry

  • Computation Chemistry

• Safety Pharmacology

• Others

Preclinical CRO Development Stage Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)

• Target Discovery

• Preclinical Optimization, Efficacy & PK/PD

• IND-Enabling Safety (GLP)

• Bioanalysis & Analytics

Preclinical CRO Indication Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)

• Oncology

• CNS

• Infectious Diseases

• Cardiovascular Diseases

• Metabolic Disorders

• Rare Diseases

• Others

Preclinical CRO Model Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)

• In Vitro

• In Vivo

• Ex Vivo

Preclinical CRO End Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)

• Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Companies

• Medical Device Companies

• Academic and Research Institutes

• Others

Preclinical CRO Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)

• North America

  • U.S.

  • Canada

  • Mexico

• Europe

  • UK

  • Germany

  • France

  • Italy

  • Spain

  • Denmark

  • Sweden

  • Norway

• Asia Pacific

  • Japan

  • China

  • India

  • Australia

  • Thailand

  • South Korea

• Latin America

  • Brazil

  • Argentina

• Middle East & Africa

  • South Africa

  • UAE

  • Saudi Arabia

  • Kuwait

  • Qatar

  • Oman

List of Key Players of Preclinical CRO Market

• Eurofins Scientific

• ICON plc

• WuXi AppTec

• Medpace Holdings, Inc.

• Charles River Laboratories

• PPD (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.)

• SGS SA (SGS Société Générale de Surveillance SA.)

• Intertek Group plc (IGP)

• Labcorp

• Crown Bioscience

• Scantox