Global Pharmaceutical Desiccant Market Size, Forecast, and Trend Highlights Over 2025-2037
Pharmaceutical Desiccant Market size was valued at USD 1.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 3.1 billion by the end of 2037, rising at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast period, i.e., 2025-2037. In 2025, the industry size of pharmaceutical desiccant is evaluated at USD 1.6 billion.
The growing worldwide need for a reliable supply chain of quality drugs and their raw materials is fueling a steady growth in the market. While outsourcing or supplying active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and other medicinal components, preservatives are highly required to prevent damage by absorbing moisture in humid environments, testifying to the sector’s continuous expansion. The Department of Health and Human Services reported that 90-95% of generic sterile injectables (GISs) and drug substances, used in critical acute care in the U.S., were being imported from China and India till 2024. Similarly, as per the API Innovation Center, over 72.0% of the FDA-authorized production plants, supplying APIs to U.S. drug manufacturers, originate from overseas.
The impact of economic variability, affordability, and stability in the market is significantly prominent over the producer price index (PPI) and consumer price index (CPI) of the final therapeutics. For instance, in December 2024, the PPI of the U.S. pharmaceutical preparations accounted for 297.5. Thus, both public and private efforts are concentrated on creating innovative desiccants with accessible payers’ pricing to maintain competency with current financial trends. Further, several government initiatives are serving this purpose by implementing favorable and subsidiary policies for associated producers. In this regard, in 2021, the Department of Pharmaceuticals in India commenced the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme to accelerate domestic pharma production and innovation.
Pharmaceutical Desiccant Sector: Growth Drivers and Challenges
Growth Drivers
-
Increasing expenditure on prescription and generic drugs: With the increasing healthcare accessibility and disposable income of individuals, the expenses on various pharma products are rising. For instance, in 2022, the total Part D expenditure by Medicare in the U.S. on prescription medicine surpassed USD 125.7 billion. This ensures a steady cash flow in the pharmaceutical desiccant market. Particularly, the growing focus on availing high-cost sensitive medicines across individual medical settings is heightening the demand for these humidity defenders to attain the highest stability and efficacy. On this note, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) prioritized high-spending drugs to make significant progress in cost containment.
-
Strategic commercial expansion and innovation: Being a pivotal part of globalization strategies, a majority of pharma producers tend to invest in the pharmaceutical desiccant market. Their aim to realize a unified worldwide distribution and supply of advanced biologics, inhalers, and other medications is fueling demand in this sector. In addition, the continuous capital influx by global leaders to conduct R&D to create more effective absorbents is expanding the pipeline of this merchandise. For instance, in February 2024, Aptar CSP Technologies partnered with ProAmpac to develop a next-generation platform technology, ProActive Intelligence Moisture Protect (MP‐1000), creating a patent-pending moisture-absorbing packaging solution.
Historical Patient Growth and Dynamics in the Pharmaceutical Desiccants Market
The reliance on medication to retain the quality of life for patients with chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, diabetes, hypertension, Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s disorder, and other non-communicable ailments, is raising the demand for adequate medicine supply. Particularly, the increasing adoption of sedentary lifestyles and urbanization in developing countries, such as India and China, are multiplying the number of afflicted residents due to the presence of high-risk factors. Additionally, the rapidly aging worldwide population is contributing to the enlargement of the patient pool, requiring moisture-sensitive medications, hence creating a surge in the pharmaceutical desiccant market.
Historical Patient Growth Data (2010–2020)
|
Country |
2010 Patient Pool (in millions) |
2020 Patient Pool (in millions) |
Growth (%) |
|
U.S. |
50.3 |
70.2 |
40.2% |
|
Germany |
12.1 |
15.5 |
25.5% |
|
France |
10.2 |
13.1 |
2.4% |
|
Spain |
8.4 |
10.3 |
25.3% |
|
Australia |
5.5 |
6.4 |
30.3% |
|
Japan |
12.1 |
15.5 |
29.3% |
|
India |
20.2 |
30.1 |
50.4% |
|
China |
60.3 |
90.2 |
50.5% |
Revenue Potential and Feasibility Models
The continuously magnifying patient pool and inspirational financial success are fostering new opportunities for the pharmaceutical desiccant market. As the global demand for resilient medicine supply chains increases, the possibility of generating greater and more profitable revenue is heightening, particularly in emerging economies with significant growth in the population of afflicted citizens. Moreover, the current scenario and demography suggest rigorous participation in R&D cohorts to expand the range of options existing in this field. Pharmaceutical discoveries are being observed as a crucial asset for a dedicated entity to concur untapped segments, fostering new revenue streams and consumer bases.
Revenue Feasibility Models for Pharmaceutical Desiccant Market Expansion:
|
Landscape |
Model Type |
Revenue Impact (%) |
Timeframe |
|
India |
Local Partnerships |
+12.2 |
2022–2024 |
|
U.S. |
Medicare Integration |
+8.4 |
2023–2025 |
|
Europe (Germany) |
Industry Collaborations |
+10.3 |
2021–2023 |
|
Japan |
Technology Joint Ventures |
+15.2 |
2022–2024 |
|
China |
Government Partnerships |
+20.1 |
2023–2025 |
Challenge
-
Volatility in compliance and price competency: Several factors are contributing to the presence of unavoidable economic hurdles in the pharmaceutical desiccant market. The process of acquiring clearance from different stringent regulatory frameworks across the world often becomes complex, lengthy, and costly for manufacturers in this field. Additionally, the add-on expenses on specific raw materials, such as molecular sieves, may result in financial exhaustion for both desiccant producers and consumers in price-sensitive regions. This barrier may be diluted by the integration of advanced methods and tools for cost-effective production in this sector, enabling suppliers the ability to offer competitive pricing.
Pharmaceutical Desiccant Market: Key Insights
| Report Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
|
Base Year |
2024 |
|
Forecast Year |
2025-2037 |
|
CAGR |
7% |
|
Base Year Market Size (2024) |
USD 1.5 billion |
|
Forecast Year Market Size (2037) |
USD 3.1 billion |
|
Regional Scope |
|
Pharmaceutical Desiccant Segmentation
Type (Silica Gel, Molecular Sieves, Activated Alumina)
Based on type, the silica gel segment is predicted to dominate the pharmaceutical desiccant market with a 40.5% share throughout the assessed timeline. This subtype is highly desired and widely used for drug packaging across the globe. This can be testified by the gradual expansion of the pharmaceutical packaging industry, which is poised to attain USD 133.8 billion and USD 356.6 billion by 2025 and 2037, respectively. Its exceptional absorption capacity, non-toxic kinetics, non-corrosive properties, and flexibility made this segment a priority for pharma producers, influencing them to invest more in this segment. Furthermore, its versatility and cost-effectiveness deliver unmatched stability to medicinal formulations, making regulatory compliance easier and faster for drug manufacturers.
Application (Tablets, Capsules, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), Nutraceutical Product Packaging)
In terms of applications, the tablets segment is anticipated to acquire the largest share of 34.6% in the pharmaceutical desiccant market by the end of 2037. The convenience brought by this type of medicine through an easy route of administration is pushing pharma companies to invest in large-scale production. On this note, NLM estimated the global solid oral drug product industry to reach USD 550.0 million in 2022, where the tablets segment dominated with 53.0% revenue share. Furthermore, its increasing availability in the forms of generic and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines is also contributing to this segment’s proprietorship over other fields of applications.
Our in-depth analysis of the global pharmaceutical desiccant market includes the following segments:
|
Type |
|
|
Application |
|
Want to customize this research report as per your requirements? Our research team will cover the information you require to help you take effective business decisions.
Customize this ReportPharmaceutical Desiccant Industry - Regional Synopsis
North America Market Overview
The North America pharmaceutical desiccant market is expected to hold the highest share of 35.5% over the analyzed timeframe. The region’s leadership is attributable to the favorable regulatory implications and technological advancements in drug discovery. The enlarging patient pool of chronic ailments is also one of the major drivers in this landscape. As per a 2024 NLM report, the annual financial burden of chronic diseases on the nationwide medical system in America crossed USD 1.0 trillion. Another dataset from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that over 42.0% of the net population in America were suffering from 1 or more chronic conditions till 2024.
In search of sustainable and advanced packaging solutions, the pharma industry in the U.S. is continuously investing in the pharmaceutical desiccant market. This is making the country a lucrative opportunity for both domestic and global pioneers in this field. Furthermore, government initiatives are fostering a supportive business environment for this merchandise by providing accelerated regulatory approvals to mitigate the shortage of local API supply chain is also affiliating growth in this country.
Europe Market Statistics
Europe is projected to propagate at a considerable CAGR in the pharmaceutical desiccant market, acquiring a revenue share of 28.3% during the discussed period. The heightening demand for moisture-resilient drug delivery systems and active ingredients outstretch the region’s significance as one of the leading medicine suppliers is augmenting growth in this landscape. The presence of giant dedicated producers in this field is also solidifying its augmentation in this field. Moreover, robust healthcare infrastructure and significant capital investments in domestic pharma production are propelling this category's penetration in Europe. On this note, in 2022, NLM reported that 20-50% of the 3rd party pharmaceutical spending in this region originated from hospital pharmacies.
Germany is one of the world’s biggest packaged medicine suppliers, which directly feeds a steady capital influx in the pharmaceutical desiccant market. As evidence, OEC positioned the country as the largest exporter of packaged medicaments in 2023 with an export value of USD 66.4 billion. Simultaneously, Germany also ranked among the top importers of the same commodities in the world, accounting for USD 30.8 billion. This indicates the presence of an extended network of both producers and consumers, making it a suitable landscape to gain a greater business flow.
Companies Dominating the Pharmaceutical Desiccant Landscape
- Desiccant Technologies, Inc.
- Company Overview
- Business Strategy
- Key Product Offerings
- Financial Performance
- Key Performance Indicators
- Risk Analysis
- Recent Development
- Regional Presence
- SWOT Analysis
- Clariant AG
- Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Sephra LLC
- Merck KGaA
- Sica S.p.A.
- BASF
- Jiangsu Tiantai Pharmaceutical
- Kuraray Co. Ltd.
- W.R. Grace & Co.
- Silica Gel Manufacturing Co.
- VWR International
- Evonik
- CILICANT
- Sorbent Systems
- Mitsubishi Chemical
- India Silica Products
- Hyderabad Chemicals Ltd.
- Puritan Products
- Olin Corporation
The presence of several global pioneers and their rigorous R&D activities are fostering a highly competitive pharmaceutical desiccant market. They are focused on developing advanced technologies and forming strategic alliances to expand their pipeline and leverage their territories across the globe. For instance, in January 2023, Airnov Healthcare Packaging released an advanced solution, Integrated Desiccant Closure (IDC), to comply with the global standards of retailing. Its unique design is adaptable to SP 400 bottles. This launch was the new pathway for this company to solidify its position in both the U.S. and European marketplaces. Some of these key players are:
In the News
- In September 2024, Evonik inaugurated a new spray drying facility in Darmstadt, Germany, dedicated to the production of pharmaceutical oral excipients. This facility expansion was intended to produce and supply functional excipients for oral drug delivery systems at a, escalated scale.
- In June 2021, CILICANT increased the production capacity of its cGMP-compliant Pune plant by 3 times to cope with the rising demand from the pharma and medical device industry. This 3rd addition to the manufacturing facility was dedicated to commencing desiccant sales and solidifying its position in the global landscape by 2022.
Author Credits: Radhika Pawar
- Report ID: 1326
- Published Date: May 14, 2025
- Report Format: PDF, PPT
