Ophthalmology Drugs And Devices Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

Global Ophthalmology Drugs And Devices Market Trends and Insights

Aging Population And Rising Eye-Disease Prevalence

Populations are aging faster than ophthalmology workforces can expand. Japan recorded 29% of residents over 65 in 2024, the EU’s median age crossed 44, and South Korea logged a 23% jump in glaucoma diagnoses between 2020 and 2024. Longer lifespans translate into multi-year treatment cycles for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and chronic glaucoma, locking in predictable biologic revenue but stretching specialist capacity. Health systems encourage home monitoring and tele-ophthalmology to offset clinician shortages. Payers, facing lifetime therapy costs, now authorize premium drugs only after real-world evidence of functional vision gains, not anatomic changes alone.

Rapid Adoption Of Minimally-Invasive And Femtosecond-Laser Surgeries

Ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) in the United States completed over half of outpatient ophthalmic procedures in 2024, boosted by a 2.9% payment rise for 2025^{[1]Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “CY 2025 ASC Payment System,” cms.gov}. LENSAR’s ALLY adaptive femtosecond laser introduced real-time OCT guidance, lowering phaco energy and complication rates. Glaukos’ iStent infinite, launched in 2024, lowered intraocular pressure without bleb formation, accelerating micro-invasive glaucoma surgery uptake. Hospitals lag in capital purchases because Medicare pays identical facility fees regardless of technology. Consequently, ASCs bundle premium laser packages and capture co-payments, feeding a virtuous cycle of equipment turnover and consumables growth.

Long-Acting Anti-VEGF Biologics And Sustained-Delivery Implants

Regeneron’s EYLEA HD (aflibercept 8 mg) entered the U.S. market in 2024 with 16-week dosing, cutting intravitreal visits by half. Interchangeable biosimilars Yesafili and Opuviz launched at 15%-20% lower prices, prompting step-therapy protocols that steer first-line patients to cheaper alternatives. The market is splitting: high-volume, low-margin biosimilars versus low-volume, high-margin extended-interval agents. Port-delivery implants such as Genentech’s Susvimo now treat diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy, but regional regulators differ; the European Medicines Agency withheld approval for Syfovre in 2024 over long-term safety questions.

ASC Shift Unlocking Device Kit Demand

ASCs favor disposable phaco handpieces, intraocular-lens injectors, and viscoelastics that remove re-processing costs. Alcon reported USD 1.1 billion in surgical revenue for Q3 2024, with consumables growing faster than consoles, confirming a razor-and-blade strategy. CMS trimmed Omidria reimbursement to USD 425.89 per dose for 2025, encouraging volume discounts or compounded substitutes. Consolidation looms: multi-site ASC chains secure better device pricing, which could reduce the pool of independent purchasers and sharpen bargaining power against manufacturers.

High Capital Cost Of Advanced Platforms

Swept-source OCT and femtosecond lasers list above USD 150,000, restricting adoption to high-volume centers. Zeiss’s CIRRUS 6000 debuted at USD 180,000, delivering 100,000 A-scans per second, yet many rural hospitals operate on annual equipment budgets below USD 50,000. Topcon now offers pay-per-scan leasing at USD 25, shifting financial risk to practices that must maintain minimum throughput. In emerging markets, refurbished equipment remains the norm, limiting early disease detection and reinforcing inequality.

Stringent FDA & EMA Post-Market Evidence Mandates

Draft FDA guidance in 2024 requires up to 24-month registries with functional endpoints, adding USD 5-10 million per product. The EMA’s 2024 Syfovre refusal after U.S. approval highlights divergent evidence thresholds. Smaller biotechs often lack funds for long surveillance, pushing them toward early licensing or acquisition by large pharmaceutical companies.

Segment Analysis

By Product Type: Devices Anchor Revenue, Drugs Accelerate Growth

Devices held 55.12% of the ophthalmology drugs and devices market in 2025, reflecting an installed base that drives consumables pull-through. Premium intraocular lenses (IOLs) captured 35% of cataract units in developed regions, with Alcon’s PanOptix and Vivity generating USD 450 million combined revenue in 2024^{[2]Alcon, “Investor Relations Q3 2024 Earnings,” alcon.com}. Diagnostic platforms are migrating from spectral-domain to swept-source OCT; Heidelberg’s SPECTRALIS OCT2 integrates angiography and autofluorescence, cutting multimodal imaging time.

Drugs advance at an 8.25% CAGR through 2031, propelled by anti-VEGF biologics and dry-eye innovations. Retinal therapeutics contributed 48% of pharmaceutical revenue in 2024, yet biosimilars trimmed wholesale prices. Dry-eye prescriptions topped USD 2.1 billion in 2024, but patent expiries invite generic erosion. Fixed-dose glaucoma combinations reduce drop burden and improve adherence, consolidating prescription share.

By Disease: Glaucoma Leads, Diabetic Retinopathy Surges

Glaucoma generated 40.53% of revenue in 2025, supported by lifelong medication and growing MIGS acceptance. Glaukos sold 12,000 iStent infinite units in Q3-2024, up 45% year over year. PreserFlo MicroShunt likewise gains traction for refractory cases.

Diabetic retinopathy posts the fastest growth at 8.85% CAGR through 2031, reflecting the CDC projection of 14.7 million U.S. cases by 2050. Anti-VEGF agents such as EYLEA HD serve both AMD and diabetic phenotypes, aiding cost amortization. Cataract surgery still leads on procedure volume but faces ASP pressure from low-cost Asian lenses. Myopia management is emerging as a preventive segment with annuity-style revenue from pediatric interventions.

By End User: Hospitals Dominate, Specialist Clinics Gain Share

Hospitals and general eye-care clinics absorbed 68.63% of 2025 spending, underpinned by referral patterns for complex retinal and corneal surgeries. Yet specialist ophthalmology clinics grow at 8.72% CAGR to 2031, buoyed by higher injection throughput and streamlined capital amortization. ASCs now deliver more than half of U.S. outpatient eye procedures, leveraging 2.9% higher CMS payments for 2025 to invest in premium technology.

Retail and online pharmacies lost 12% ophthalmic prescription volume in 2024 as payers directed patients to specialty channels with adherence oversight. Tele-ophthalmology and optical-chain OCT screening continue to widen first-line detection.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Geography Analysis

North America represented 42.13% of the ophthalmology drugs and devices market in 2025. Medicare Advantage penetration and earlier uptake of premium IOLs underpin value. CMS fixed Omidria payment at USD 425.89 per dose for 2025, pushing ASCs to seek discounts. The FDA cleared EYLEA HD and expanded Susvimo labeling, supporting long-interval therapy adoption. 

Europe held 28% of revenue in 2025 but faces stringent cost-effectiveness hurdles. The EMA’s Syfovre non-approval signals higher evidence bars. Germany and the United Kingdom dominate spending, while Central-Eastern states benefit from EU infrastructure funds. The EU Medical Device Regulation forces environmental disclosures, tilting demand toward reusable or low-carbon options. Roche secured a CE mark for Contivue in 2025, yet uptake depends on surgical capacity and infection-control data. 

Asia-Pacific advances at a 9.51% CAGR to 2031, led by Japan’s super-aged demographic, China’s school vision mandates, and India’s high-volume cataract networks. Japan’s PMDA approved anti-VEGF biosimilars in 2024, expanding access. South Korea fast-tracked Zeiss’s VisuMax 800 for SMILE, displacing LASIK. China’s urban youth myopia crisis drives orthokeratology and atropine adoption. India pilots fundus-image tele-networks to bridge ophthalmologist shortfalls. Australia accelerates device import through TGA alignment with CE marks, and its Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme reimburses biosimilar aflibercept at 40% lower patient cost. 

The Middle East and Africa plus South America remain nascent. Saudi Arabia and the UAE import premium IOLs under Vision 2030, while Brazil cleared 450,000 cataract cases in 2024 yet faces a million-plus backlog^{[3]Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária Brazil, “ANVISA Approvals,” anvisa.gov.br}. Argentina’s peso depreciation hampers imports, extending device lifecycles beyond optimal usability.