Global Market Size, Forecast, and Trend Highlights Over 2025-2037
Medical Morphine Market size was estimated at over USD 25.7 billion in 2024 and is poised to reach USD 64 billion by the end of 2037, expanding at a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast timeline, i.e., 2025-2037. In 2025, the industry size of medical morphine is assessed at USD 27.7 billion.
The rising awareness about comforting care is driving growth in the medical morphine market. The increasing prevalence of chronic pain conditions among the aging population worldwide inflates the demand for morphine therapeutics. Additionally, the surge in cancer cases, coupled with post-surgical pain management, further fuels the market demand. According to a study published in January 2021 by the Annals of Palliative Medicine, 96.2% of cancer patients achieved pain control within 24 hours using opioid titration. It further reported that morphine remained effective in overall pain medication, ensuring its continued demand in oncology. The study also confirmed that morphine use is safe, supporting regulated use and encouraging key players to expand more.
Additionally, the market is evolving due to regulatory measures and supply chain challenges. For instance, according to a study by NLM in February 2024, the discontinuation of ordine in Australia led to the approval of overseas alternatives under section 19A of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 to prevent any type of shortages. This development emphasizes the role of regulatory authorities in ensuring a stable supply of opioids while maintaining safety standards. Therefore, the measures can strengthen the market by improving supply chain stability and regulatory flexibility.
Medical Morphine Sector: Growth Drivers and Challenges
Growth Drivers
- Rising palliative care needs: The increasing incidence of rare pain conditions, such as carcinoma, osteoarthritis, and neuropathic pain, are key drivers for the medical morphine market to showcase lucrative growth opportunities during the forecast period. Additionally, the aging population is more susceptible to chronic illnesses necessitating long-term pain management. According to WHO reports in July 2023, nearly 528 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis; among them, 73% of people living with osteoarthritis are older than 55 years. Thus, the growing need for palliative care underscores the requirement for medical morphine therapeutics, encouraging market expansion.
- Advancements in pain management technologies: With the advancements in pain management technologies, the frequency of innovation in the medical morphine market increases. The development of patient-controlled analgesia and transdermal patches enhanced safety and efficacy, minimizing the risk of side effects. For instance, in February 2025, Nutriband Inc. partnered with Kindeva Drug Delivery to integrate Aversa Fentanyl abuse-deterrent transdermal technology into opioid-based pain management solutions. Such innovations could pave the way for similar technologies in medical morphine, improving controlled pain relief with regulatory compliance.
Challenges
- Stringent regulatory measures: The products of the medical morphine market face significant challenges due to strict regulations and stringent control measures imposed by governments and medical authorities. This may limit the expansion of this sector as the usage of morphine is subjected to tight distribution and prescription monitoring to prevent illicit usage. In addition, these regulatory hurdles not only increase administrative burdens for healthcare providers but also delay the availability of morphine-based medications and restrict product exposure across the healthcare industry.
- Opioid crisis and stigma: Despite having limited adverse reaction cases, growth in the medical morphine market can be hindered due to rising concerns over opioids and dependency. Due to the global opioid crisis, there is growing skepticism among both manufacturers and consumers regarding the long-term use of morphine, which is limiting market penetration. This may further create a hurdle for this sector to captivate the optimum consumer base in the medical morphine industry. Moreover, this highly fragmented field can bring uncertainty in profit-making and consistent growth.
Medical Morphine Market: Key Insights
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Base Year |
2024 |
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Forecast Year |
2025-2037 |
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CAGR |
7.9% |
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Base Year Market Size (2024) |
USD 25.7 billion |
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Forecast Year Market Size (2037) |
USD 64 billion |
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Regional Scope |
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Medical Morphine Segmentation
Route of Administration (Parenteral, Oral)
In medical morphine market, parenteral segment is poised to hold revenue share of more than 50.1% by 2037. This drug works as an excellent indication for severe pain in critical care settings. Intravenous and intramuscular morphine administration ensures precise dosing and immediate pain relief, playing a crucial role in hospital surgical procedures. According to an ISAPS global survey published in June 2024, aesthetic procedures increased by 5.5% to 15.8 billion. Additionally, liposuction is the most common surgery, followed by breast augmentation. Thus, the rising number of surgical procedures increases the demand for pain management, supporting the growth of the parenteral segment.
Application (Cancer, Arthritis, Myocardial Infarction, Kidney Stones, Diarrhea)
In terms of application, the cancer segment is projected to garner a significant share of the medical morphine market during the forecast period. This segment is pledged with the growing need for morphine-based therapeutics to cure such medical conditions. In August 2024, according to the America Cancer Society, a few morphine as opioids such as Apokyn, Avinza, Kadian, MS-Contin are essential for managing moderate to severe cancer pain, with morphine sulfate being a key treatment option. Therefore, the growing reliance on opioids for cancer pain management supports the dominance of the cancer segment in the market.
Our in-depth analysis of the global medical morphine market includes the following segments:
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Route of Administration |
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Application |
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Distribution Channel |
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Customize this ReportMedical Morphine Industry - Regional Synopsis
North America Market Analysis
By 2037, North America medical morphine market is set to account for around 56.5% revenue share. Advanced healthcare infrastructure and the increased prevalence of long-lasting pain in the region highlight the growing need for advanced opioid drugs such as medical morphine in this region. Additionally, rising medical expenditure for advanced pain management practices encourages global players to expand their footprint in the country. Furthermore, supportive government initiatives and opioid stewardship are shaping the responsible use of morphine, thereby mitigating illicit usage.
The U.S. has become the hub for global leaders in the medical morphine market due to its wide consumer base and excellent expansion channels. The country presents a stringent monitoring program for balancing accessibility and safety. For instance, in January 2025, Purdue Pharma L.P. and the Sackler family announced a USD 7.4 billion settlement, marking a significant step toward addressing the opioid crisis in the U.S. The agreement will provide funding over the next 15 years to support addiction treatment. Thus, the settlement aims to bring relief to affected communities combating opioid misuse nationwide.
Canada is steadily consolidating its position in the medical morphine market with proactive government initiatives and pain management strategies. The healthcare system ensures safe access to morphine for post-surgical care while enforcing the regulatory guidelines. In December 2024, Health Canada announced USD 650 million for substance use treatment and pain management, strengthening the demand for medical morphine. Additionally, USD 4.5 million was allocated to Pain Canada to enhance national pain relief coordination. This is further inflating demand in this sector due to the proven efficacy of medical morphine therapeutics in pain management.
APAC Market Statistics
Asia Pacific is expected to demonstrate the fastest growth in the medical morphine market with its strong captivity in healthcare infrastructure. The region is augmenting such growth with the developmental tendency of countries such as China, India, and Japan. The rise in surgical procedures, growing awareness about pain management, and evolving regulatory frameworks are inspiring domestic leaders to take leadership in this sector. Thus, the growth in this region is further carried forward with the pharmaceutical advancements and collaborations between companies bringing innovations in this field.
India is propagating the regional medical morphine market with its strong demand in oncology and mollifying care. Domestic pharmaceutical production and opioid accessibility for medical use are anticipated to boost market expansion in the coming years. In September 2023, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment reported that opioids are among the most commonly used psychoactive substances in India, highlighting the demand for regulated pain management solutions. With over 11 crore (110 million) people reached under Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, the focus on structured opioids in healthcare is critical. Thus, the crucial step reinforces the role of medical opioids in pain management.
China is one of the biggest suppliers of the medical morphine market, which is emerging as a great distribution source in this region. The rising prevalence of cancer has driven the need for effective opioid analgesics, fostering a favorable business environment. As per a report by the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management in April 2020, China’s estimated morphine need for cancer pain management is 15,196.6 kg, but the actual morphine equivalent remains 3268.9 kg (21.51%), highlighting the treatment gap. Thus, the requirement necessitates the demand for improved opioid accessibility and pain management solutions in the country.
Companies Dominating the Medical Morphine Landscape
- Fresenius Kabi
- Company Overview
- Business Strategy
- Key Product Offerings
- Financial Performance
- Key Performance Indicators
- Risk Analysis
- Recent Development
- Regional Presence
- SWOT Analysis
- Allergan
- Pacira BioSciences, Inc.
- Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- Tris Pharma, Inc
- Purdue Pharma L.P.
- VERVE HEALTH CARE LTD.
- Taj Pharmaceuticals Limited
- AbbVie Inc.
- Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
- Alcaliber S.A
- Arrotex Pharmaceuticals
- Johnson Matthey
- Northeast Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd
- Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd
- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd
- Pfizer Inc
- Cipla Inc.
- Mylan N.V.
- Nutriband Inc.
- GE HealthCare Technologies Inc.
- Endo Health Solutions Inc.
- Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
The competitive demographic of the medical morphine market is inspiring global leaders to enforce their resources, innovating effective solutions. They are putting efforts into promoting adoption to push their territory forward. According to a study published by TGA in January 2025, (morphine) oral liquid, previously discontinued by Mundipharma Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, is now supplied by Arrotex Pharmaceuticals. In the interim, substitute overseas registered products such as Morphini HCL Steuli, RA-MORPH, and Morphine sulfate are available under Section 19A. Thus, this shortage reinforces the demand for medical morphine, showcasing lucrative growth opportunities during the forecast timeline.
A few key players in the market include:
In the News
- In April 2024, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the U.S. FDA approval and launch of OTC Naloxone Hydrochloride Nasal Spray for emergency opioid overdose treatment.
- In February 2024, Endo Health Solutions Inc. agreed to a global resolution of civil investigations into its sales and marketing practices, ensuring long-term transparent practices.
Author Credits: Radhika Pawar
- Report ID: 7481
- Published Date: Apr 08, 2025
- Report Format: PDF, PPT
