Market Size of Global Specialty Pharmaceuticals Industry
| Study Period | 2019 - 2029 |
| Base Year For Estimation | 2023 |
| Forecast Data Period | 2024 - 2029 |
| CAGR | 35.40 % |
| Fastest Growing Market | Asia-Pacific |
| Largest Market | North America |
Major Players
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order |
Need a report that reflects how COVID-19 has impacted this market and its growth?
Specialty Pharmaceuticals Market Analysis
The specialty pharmaceuticals market is expected to grow at a significant CAGR of 35.4% during the study period (2022-2027).
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic harmed the world economy and the healthcare system. According to the article "CVS is Adapting its Strategy for Specialty Pharmacy for COVID-19. Here's How," published in May 2020, CVS pharmacy has used a secure messaging tool, which allows pharmacists to text members directly to discuss their medications. Therefore, such changes in the strategy of market players have minimized the impact of COVID-19 on the supply of specialized drugs. However, the production of these drugs was hampered due to the temporary lockdown in the manufacturing plants, shortage of skilled labor, and increasing cases of COVID-19 inside the manufacturing plants, which has led to outages, thus, impacting the market. Hence, the above factors indicate that COVID-19 significantly impacted the studied market.
The factors propelling the studied market growth are the increasing prevalence of chronic and rare diseases and growing research and development activities. New drug launches, approvals, and strategic initiatives by key market players are expected to contribute to significant market growth.
According to the American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures 2022, substantial progress has been made against cancer in recent decades. over 1.9 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2022
According to the October 2020 report published by Global Blood Therapeutics, Sickle Cell Disease is one of Europe's most common rare diseases. It is the most common genetic disease in France and the United Kingdom (UK), and its prevalence is growing in many other European countries. SCD primarily affects socioeconomically vulnerable populations. According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) report 2020, approximately 1 in 10,000 people in the EU/ European Economic Area had SCD. This equates to approximately 52,000 people. Similarly, Orphanet (the European information resource for rare diseases) 2020 estimates the prevalence of SCD in Europe to be 10 per 100,000 people in 2020. Thus, the increasing number of the patient pool for the diseases drives the market's growth.
Additionally, research and development studies for proving the efficacies of specialty drugs in treating cancer and other diseases will drive the studied market growth. For instance, according to the study "Recent Breast Cancer Treatment Advancements and the Support of Specialty Pharmacies," published in October 2021, specialty pharmacies can help reduce barriers to care for breast cancer patients by providing prompt therapy authorization, reducing out-of-pocket costs, and providing access to specialty medication.
Moreover, the launch of new specialty pharmacies will also drive market growth. For instance, in March 2022, Boston Children's Hospital partnered with Shields Health Solutions to launch Boston Children's Pharmacy, a specialty pharmacy to help young patients and families get better access to specialized pharmacy services, including help with prior authorizations and specialized medications. Such a launch of pharmacies will make specialized pharmaceuticals more accessible to the people in the country, thereby contributing to the market's growth.
Therefore, owing to the factors mentioned above, the studied market is expected to grow significantly during the study period. However, the high costs of specialty medications are expected to hinder the market growth during the study period.
