In recent years, the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disorders and diabetes has led to a surge in the demand for advanced drug delivery systems that enable patients to self-administer their medications. A self-administering system such as prefilled syringes allow the patient to manage their health conditions without the need for a healthcare clinician on hand to assist with medications.
The pre-filled syringe is a form of packaging system that comes with an accurate pre-loaded dose of parenteral medication, which provides several benefits to the patients including dosage accuracy, self-administration, and reducing the risk of contamination. With the development of prefilled syringes, there has been a significant reduction in hospital visits for disease management.
To address the growing demand, several pharmaceutical companies have developed prefilled syringes. Driven by the increasing adoption of self-administered devices, the global prefilled syringes market is projected to experience a remarkable surge in value from USD 3,024 million in 2024 to USD 4,972 million by 2035, as per a recent report by Roots Analysis. The prefilled syringe market is poised to grow at a high compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5% from 2024-2035.
The Global Prefilled Syringes Market
According to Roots Analysis, the prefilled syringes market features nearly 35 players that have the required technical expertise for the development of innovative syringes for the self-administration of medication. Currently, the prefilled syringes market has close to 125 prefilled syringe products. It is worth highlighting that around 70% of these prefilled syringes use glass as a barrel material. Additionally, 90% of the prefilled syringes developed by the key players are in single chamber format. However, the growing shift towards dual-chamber prefilled syringes to enhance drug stability and shelf life is capturing the interest of companies in this field. Overall, this market seems highly fragmented, with the presence of very small, small, mid-sized, large, and very large manufacturers.
Technological Advancements Driving Growth
Several players in this field are exploring different materials to enhance the shelf-life, stability, and quality of the drugs. Technological innovations in materials help eliminate the interaction of numerous stored therapeutic drugs with the packaging material, such as silicone residues and tungsten. For instance, SCHOTT AG's Syria BioPure silicone-free syringes, when combined with ImproJect plungers offered by W.L. Gore & Associated, provide silicone-free products compatible with highly sensitive therapeutic drugs.
Needle Safety Mechanisms
Prefilled syringes pose needle stick injuries that mainly occur due to accidental puncture during drug administration and handling of prefilled syringes. To address this concern, several players in this field integrated retractable needles and began to use needle shielding systems that automatically retract inside the syringe barrel post-injection. For instance, Ompi syringes launched by Stevanato provide an integrated safety system for staked needle syringes.
Smart Prefilled Syringes
Currently, the prefilled syringes market is witnessing several advancements, such as the integration of smart technologies that help to enhance functional value and enable data tracking. For instance, Med-ic® SyringePack ECM™ helps to track the temperature of prefilled syringes, ensuring the integrity of the product at the time of administration. Further, several industrial leaders are focusing on automated fill / finish operations processes to ensure higher efficiency, data integrity, and greater flexibility.
Key Milestones in the Prefilled Syringes Market
According to the report by Roots Analysis, the prefilled syringes market is expected to exhibit significant growth owing to a variety of increasing development activities. Some notable examples of the key developments that have taken place in this field are listed below:
- In July 2023, Fresenius Kabi launched their first ready-to-administer prefilled syringes (Simplist®) that consist of Fentanyl Citrate injection.
- In May 2023, Becton Dickinson expanded the customer availability of their prefilled flush syringe with the help of an integrated disinfection unit.
- In May 2023, SCHOTT AG launched its prefillable syringes made with advanced, pharmaceutical-grade polymers for the delivery of deep-cold drugs.
- In May 2023, Medefill launched their Atropine Sulfate injection with USP 1 mg/10ml for the treatment of bradyasystolic cardiac arrest.
It is worth noting here that in August 2023, Becton Dickinson, Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Pfizer, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation expanded their collaboration, aiming to deliver over 320 million doses of Pfizer's injectable contraceptive namely Sayana® Press that is administered by Becton Dickinson’s Uniject™ Auto-Disable Prefillable injection system by 2030.
Regional Dynamics: Europe Leading the Market
In 2024, Europe is expected to hold a significant share (50%) of the prefilled syringes market, followed by North America and Asia-Pacific, as per Roots Analysis. The global region's dominance remains unchanged, and in Asia Pacific, the market is expected to expand at a higher CAGR of 7% from 2024-2035.
As the key players leverage advanced technologies to develop innovative automated drug delivery systems, the prefilled syringes market is expected to grow substantially at a steady rate. Some notable examples of the leading industrial players in this market are Credence MedSystems, Gerresheimer, J.O.Pharma, Medefil, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, Novartis, Pfizer, SCHOTT, Stevanato, Taisei Kako and Vetter Pharma.
Concluding Notes
In a nutshell, the prefilled syringes market is growing exponentially due to the increasing demand for self-administration devices to improve patient compliance. However, the prefilled syringes are fraught with several challenges such as needlestick injuries and risk of contamination due to wrong handling. Therefore, the current focus of key players will be on enhancing drug biocompatibility and the ongoing concerns that patients can administer their doses accurately without taking help from healthcare professionals. Further, the growing demand for automated drug delivery systems and increasing support from regulatory bodies such as the FDA is encouraging industrial leaders to develop more novel prefilled syringe solutions. The ongoing efforts and widespread adoption of these devices have become major reasons for growth in this field, and the trend will continue during the projected period.
For more information, please read the full report Prefilled Syringes Market, which details this market's unique dynamics, providing insights into the historical period (2023-2024) and forecasting trends for 2024-2035.
About Author
Simran Kaur is a senior analyst who has been working as an integral part of the Roots Analysis team since 2020. Holding a master's and bachelor's degree in pharmacy from a prestigious institution, she embarked on her professional journey with a strong academic foundation and an interest in the life sciences domain. Her keenness to learn more about emerging trends, regulatory dynamics, and technological advancements enables her to provide comprehensive analyses.
About Roots Analysis
Roots Analysis is a global leader in pharma and biotech market research. Having worked with over 750 clients worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, academia, venture capitalists, and strategic investors for more than a decade, Roots Analysis offers a highly analytical and data-driven perspective to a network of over 450,000 senior industry stakeholders looking for credible market insights. All reports provided by this firm are structured in a way that enables the reader to develop a thorough perspective on the given subject.
