Growth slowdown predicted for pharma packaging
pharmafile | September 14, 2010 | News story | Manufacturing and Production | packaging, pharma packaging
New regulatory requirements in the US are driving growth in the country’s pharmaceutical packaging market, according to market research firm Freedonia, which expects the sector to grow 5.3% a year to reach $18.4 billion in 2014.
However, the rate of growth in the market is some way below the average 6.5% observed between 2004 and 2009, in line with the slowdown in pharmaceutical market growth overall.
Upgraded regulations and standards in the areas of barrier protection, infection control, patient drug compliance, drug dispensing errors and drug diversion and counterfeiting are the foundations for growth, says the report.
Primary pharmaceutical containers will remain the biggest market sector, rising 5.2% a year to reach $11.3 billion in 2014, with prefillable syringes expected to lead the charge thanks to the growing proportion of injectable biologic drugs being brought to market. The parenteral container market will be the most buoyant, rising 8.5% a year over the period.
Freedonia notes that plastic bottles will remain the most widely-used packaging format for oral dosage forms distributed in bulk and prescription dose volumes to retail and mail-order pharmacies, but blister packs will also see their use expand by around 4.3% a year.
“Pharmaceutical blister packaging will derive growth based on its adaptability to unit dose formats with expanded label content, high visibility, and built-in track and trace features,” it says.
Other fast-growing segments will be pharmaceutical pouches, which are used to pack items such as transdermal patches, powders for reconstitution and creams and ointments, and prefillable inhalers.
Freedonia also notes that pharmaceutical closure demand will grow 5.5% per year from 2009 to $3 billion by 2014.
“Vial stoppers, syringe tips and plastic flip-top vial closures will command strong growth as injectable bioengineered drugs broaden emergency care and chronic disease indications,” it says.
Another interesting trend is a shift towards smaller-sized pharmaceutical shipments, which will result in greater growth for folding cartons among drugmakers than corrugated shippers.
Phil Taylor
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