Pharmaceutical Packaging - $30 Billion by 2009

World pharmaceutical packaging demand is projected to increase 6.3% annually to reach over $30 billion by 2009.

Western Europe, the US, and Japan will continue to account for over 70% of demand. However, China’s emerging market presence is the strongest future growth area. China offers new opportunities due to its rapidly expanding pharmaceutical manufacturing and an extensive government program designed to upgrade the quality and integrity of Chinese produced drugs. India and Brazil also offer growth potential for pharmaceutical packaging, though they constitute a small percentage of the overall market.

Growth in Western Europe will be attributed to upgraded government standards requiring unit dose and high barrier packaging for many types of medication. Meanwhile, Japanese market growth will be fuled by an easing of government-imposed drug price controls and a reverse in the depressed market seen in Japan in the past decade.

Prefillable inhalers and prefillable syringes represent the fastest growth opportunities among all pharmaceutical packaging products based on performance advantages in drug delivery. Plastic bottles will have the largest share of demand based on low cost, versatility, availability, and continuous quality and design improvements. Expanding applications in both solid and liquid oral medications will create above average growth opportunities for these containers globally. Pharmaceutical blister packaging will generate strong growth based on its adaptability to unit dose, clinical trial, compliance, and adaptability for institutional and OTC drugs.

The global market for pharmaceutical closures and accessories will grow 5.1% annually to $9.5 billion by 2009. Other quick growth sub-areas in packaging are: child-resistant, senior-friendly and dispensing closures; compliance-enhanced prescription containers; high visibility labels; and tamper-evident accessories.

Source: Market Wire, January 4, 2006.