Piramal Enterprises’ Pharma Solutions division has conducted a review of the injectables market for both sterile and small molecule for the next five years in its CPhI annual report.
 
The review indicates that the near-term growth prospects are highest across generics, small molecule injectables, and in contract services. Vivek Sharma, chief executive officer, Pharma Solutions, Piramal Enterprises, said, “We recently acquired Coldstream in Kentucky, USA, to enhance our sterile injectables service offering. We expect that over the next few years there will be further acquisitions by both generic and big pharma players as companies look to gain a foothold in the growing sterile injectables space. In particular, we see this access to manufacturing infrastructure as a key driver for future consolidations.”
 
The U.S. remains the primary outsourcing destination, particularly for high value and biological formulations. However, in the longer term, it is predicted that lower cost firms in India and China may try to enter with generic injectables. Over the next few years, CMOs focused on prefilled syringes and those with high potent handling capabilities are expected to be the biggest beneficiaries of market growth, according to the report.
 
Outsourcing in the sterile injectable segment is still focused on the U.S., followed by the EU. Piramal anticipates this market to continue growing at around 10% annually for the next five years, with the U.S. remaining the most preferred outsourcing destination.”
 
Small molecule injectables are likely to expand at a faster rate than steriles, with oncology and anti-infectives representing just over 50% of the total market. In biologics, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) account for the largest market share, followed by vaccines and insulin.
 
Growth in the generic injectables is outpacing growth on the innovator side. By the year 2020, the company expects this market to double to $70 billion.
 
Based on the findings, technology is also a key component in companies’ prospects, and drug delivery systems such as Liposomes, PEGlyation and Depot Injections will play an important role. The use of these technologies should see growth, especially in therapeutic segments that require efficient targeting of drugs, according to the report.