Strategic Analysis of Pharmaceutical Excipients Market in Europe

Increasing Interest in Pharmaceutical Excipients for Cost-effective Drug Development

Amidst a changing global pharmaceutical industry with many imminent patent expiries, growing generic competition and drug failures, pharmaceutical companies are facing numerous cost issues. With rising investment in drug development, but slim profit margins, pharma companies are constantly looking to cut product development costs without compromising on quality. Excipients and their strategic product applications provide a welcome opportunity to add better functionality to products at lower costs. Companies are increasingly realising the value of excipients, particularly in drug efficacy, safety, stability and storage. Excipients, therefore, enable enhanced functionality, besides helping innovate drug formulations and extend patents.

This Frost & Sullivan strategic analysis is an in-depth study of the European pharmaceutical excipients market. It provides detailed market revenue forecasts, analyses various market segments and offers useful profiles of key industry participants.

Europe and North America Lead in Excipient Production

"Frost & Sullivan estimates the total European pharmaceutical excipients market revenue to be $1.13 billion in 2004," says the analyst of this research service. "The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3 per cent between 2004 and 2008, representing revenues of 1.39 billion in 2008." While the growth rate for 2002 was around 5 percent, it decreased to 4.6 per cent in 2003 and remained constant in 2004. Over the period 2004-2008, revenues are expected to grow slightly due to an increase in demand for pharmaceutical excipients, as the product pipelines of many companies improve.

Europe and North America together contribute to approximately 75 per cent of the global pharmaceutical excipients market, with the European region accounting for about half of this share. Within Europe, Germany and the United Kingdom are the two largest and most developed markets for pharmaceutical excipients, while France, Switzerland, Spain and Italy are other significant markets.

Changing Definition of Excipients Contributes to their Success

"Frost & Sullivan believes that the changing definition of excipients from inactive ingredients to a functionally active material has contributed tremendously to their success," remarks the analyst. Biotechnological developments and various emerging protein-based therapies are broadening the definition for excipients products. With this change, many new natural products, synthetic polymers, small molecules and the modifications of these molecules are likely to assume increasing importance. The resulting enhanced product portfolio is likely to improve the pharmaceutical excipients market conditions.