Morphine Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Surge in musculoskeletal conditions: Intrathecal morphine or ITM is used as optimal postoperative analgesia in patients who are suggested for total hip and knee operation. The data published by the World Health Organization in 2022 states that almost 1.71 billion people have musculoskeletal conditions globally. Also, there are more than 100 types of arthritis and osteoarthritis is the most common form, affecting almost 32.5 million adults in the U.S.

• Rising number of surgical procedures: Morphine is a commonly used intravenous opioid for postoperative pain. Doctors consider morphine to be the standard choice for post-operative pain control. National Institutes of Health in 2023 stated that 300 million major surgeries are annually performed in the U.S. alone. In order to prevent pain after major surgery, the usage of intrathecal morphine has become common.

• Rising usage in cancer treatment: Anti-cancer drugs and morphine have been simultaneously given to patients, particularly with metastasis. Morphine is used as the most potent analgesic used for the management of cancer pain. According to World Health Organization in 2024, over 35 million new cancer cases are predicted in 2050. There more be more demand for morphine-like solutions to relieve patients' pain. 
• High demand from the pharmaceutical sector: Morphine is used in the pharmaceutical industry to develop new drugs due to its multiple properties such as appetite stimulation, inflammation relief, nausea relief, epileptic seizure control, and treatment of psychiatric disorders. In 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration promulgated that they have approved 37 new drugs in the country.

Challenges:

• Concerns regarding the misuse of morphine: Morphine is a type of drug that can become addictive if used for a long period or in high quantity. Few individuals might use morphine as the mode of addiction and it becomes difficult to get over this addiction. Therefore, when it becomes an addiction people start misusing morphine medication. It becomes harmful to an individual’s health.

• Stringent policies of government: The manufacturing process, sale, and distribution of morphine are controlled by governments. The laws are passed to stop the trafficking and abuse of drugs.