The global pharmaceutical excipients market was valued at USD 10.41 billion in 2024, grew to USD 10.83 billion in 2025, and is projected to reach around USD 15.49 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of 4.06% from 2025 to 2034. The market growth is driven by the rising demand for specialty drugs and biologics, increasing research and development activities, and the development of novel drug delivery systems. Excipients, though generally inert, are essential in pharmaceutical formulations to enhance stability, solubility, and patient compliance.
Download the free sample and get the complete insights and forecasts report on this market @ https://www.towardshealthcare.com/download-sample/5535
Market Size Insights
◉Market Size 2024: USD 10.41 Billion
◉Market Size 2025: USD 10.83 Billion
◉Projected Market Size 2034: USD 15.49 Billion
◉CAGR (2025–2034): 4.06%
Key Observations:
◉The market has steadily grown due to increasing prevalence of chronic and acute disorders globally.
◉Growth is supported by advancements in drug delivery systems and the need for excipients in novel drug formulations.
◉Europe dominated the market in 2024 with a 38% share, reflecting strong pharmaceutical infrastructure and advanced R&D.
◉Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region due to the availability of manufacturing infrastructure and favorable labor costs.
Market Trends
New Product Launches:
◉November 2024: Clariant Health Care showcased 8 new pharmaceutical ingredients at CPHI India, emphasizing biologics, generics, and excipient production.
◉May 2024: WHO introduced GMP draft appendices for excipients, recommending risk management plans to prevent contamination.
Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations:
◉November 2024: Univar Solutions LLC became the sole channel partner for SD Head USA LLC to distribute cellulose ethers and plant-based capsules across North America.
Regulatory Enhancements:
◉January 2025: China strengthened quality management of excipients, effective from 2026.
◉EMA and HMA launched EMANS 2028, streamlining supply chains using AI in Europe.
◉France’s 2024–2027 roadmap emphasizes localized production and strategic stockpiling for industrial sovereignty.
Technological Advancements:
◉Co-processing multifunctional excipients (mixing multiple excipients into one) improves flowability, compressibility, and disintegration.
◉3D printing technology requires specialized excipients for precise, personalized drug formulations.
Role of AI in the Pharmaceutical Excipients Market
Formulation Optimization:
◉AI identifies suitable excipients for specific APIs, reducing trial-and-error in formulation development.
◉Machine learning models predict the ideal type and quantity of excipients for stability and solubility.
Personalized Medicine:
◉AI enables creation of tailored formulations based on patient-specific conditions, enhancing safety and efficacy.
Predicting Physicochemical Properties:
◉AI algorithms analyze large datasets of existing excipients to predict properties of novel excipients, reducing development time.
Safety and Side Effect Assessment:
◉AI assesses potential adverse reactions of excipients, ensuring safer dosage forms.
Innovation and Novel Excipients Design:
◉AI facilitates the design of complex excipients for advanced drug delivery systems, including targeted and controlled release formulations.
Regional Insights
Europe
◉Dominant Market Share (38% in 2024): Advanced R&D, strong pharmaceutical sector, and government support drive growth.
◉Germany: Funding for domestic manufacturing; early warning systems for drug shortages.
◉EMA & IPEC Europe: Focus on harmonized excipient standards and supply chain resilience.
Asia-Pacific
◉Fastest-Growing Region: Attractive labor and manufacturing infrastructure support market expansion.
◉China: Emphasis on biologicals and biosimilars; leading global companies operate manufacturing facilities here.
◉India: Leading exporter of excipients; 1,940 shipments exported from March 2023 to February 2024. Favorable policies like Make in India boost domestic manufacturing.
North America
◉Growth Drivers: Advanced R&D facilities, technological adoption, investments, mergers, and collaborations.
◉U.S.: FDA-regulated excipient approval; rising demand for generic and OTC drugs; 1–3% prescriptions for compounded drugs.
◉Canada: Government support of USD 80 million over five years to strengthen critical drug manufacturing.
Latin America
◉Growth Factors: Rising demand for pharmaceuticals and R&D; development of novel drug delivery systems.
◉Mexico: 2025 decree encourages pharmaceutical investment.
◉Brazil: ANVISA oversees excipient approval; 68 new oncologic drugs approved from 2008–2023.
Market Dynamics
Drivers
New Product Launches:
◉Rising approvals for novel APIs and generic drugs increase excipient demand.
◉Chronic disorder prevalence requires advanced drug delivery systems.
Technological Advancements:
◉Co-processed multifunctional excipients improve efficiency.
◉3D printing allows personalized formulations.
Restraints
Supply Chain Disruption:
◉Sourcing challenges affect excipient quality and drug availability.
◉Regulatory complexity across regions may delay excipient delivery.
Opportunities
Innovation in Excipients:
◉Development of multifunctional and complex excipients opens new avenues.
◉AI-assisted R&D reduces formulation errors and speeds up innovation.
Top Companies in the Pharmaceutical Excipients Market
1. Ashland, Inc.
◉Overview: Ashland, Inc. is a global specialty chemicals company that supplies excipients for pharmaceutical applications. The company has a strong research and development focus and a well-established global supply chain, allowing it to deliver innovative excipient solutions worldwide.
Products:
◉Polymers for controlled release and coatings.
◉Binders for tablet cohesion.
◉Film-forming agents for stability and taste masking.
Strengths:
◉Global presence ensures consistent delivery across markets.
◉Expertise in specialty excipients for advanced drug delivery systems.
◉Strong R&D pipeline driving novel excipient development.
2. Clariant Health Care
◉Overview: Clariant Health Care is recognized for high-performing pharmaceutical excipients, catering to both biologics and generic drugs. It emphasizes innovation and compliance with global quality standards.
Products:
◉Excipients for oral solid dosage forms.
◉Functional additives for stability and solubility enhancement.
◉Coating agents and polymers.
Strengths:
◉Expertise in biologics formulations, a growing market segment.
◉Global manufacturing capabilities with local production, e.g., India operations at Bonthapally.
◉Focus on product innovation with regulatory compliance for GMP standards.
3. DFE Pharma
◉Overview: DFE Pharma is a leading producer of excipients specifically for oral solid dosage forms, providing high-quality, functional excipients for tablets and capsules.
Products:
◉Lactose-based excipients.
◉Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC).
◉Starch derivatives (e.g., sodium starch glycolate, pregelatinized starch).
Strengths:
◉Deep specialization in tablet and capsule excipients.
◉Functional excipients ensure improved tablet cohesion, disintegration, and compressibility.
◉Reputation for consistency and reliability in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
4. DuPont
◉Overview: DuPont is a global science and innovation company, offering functional excipients and polymers to pharmaceutical manufacturers. The company leverages decades of material science expertise.
Products:
◉Innovative polymers for controlled release.
◉Functional excipients for film coating and tablet formulation.
◉Specialty compounds for stability and solubility enhancement.
Strengths:
◉Strong global presence, enabling multinational supply.
◉Advanced R&D capabilities for novel excipients and delivery systems.
◉Focus on sustainable and efficient excipient production.
5. Evonik
◉Overview: Evonik is a leading specialty chemicals company providing polymeric, coating, and binder excipients for pharmaceutical applications. It emphasizes sustainability and innovation.
Products:
◉Specialty polymers for oral, topical, and parenteral formulations.
◉Coating agents to control release and improve stability.
◉Functional binders for tablets and capsules.
Strengths:
◉Strong innovation pipeline with sustainable excipient solutions.
◉Global presence ensures compliance with regional regulatory standards.
◉Expertise in advanced drug delivery and polymer-based formulations.
6. GELITA
◉Overview: GELITA specializes in gelatin-based excipients, offering solutions for pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and 3D bioprinting.
Products:
◉Medical-grade gelatin for capsules.
◉Collagen peptides for vaccine stabilization.
◉Gelatin excipients for 3D printing and tissue engineering.
Strengths:
◉Unique focus on biologics and 3D bioprinting applications.
◉High-quality excipients suitable for sterile and injectable formulations.
◉Strong reputation for controlled endotoxin levels, critical in vaccines.
7. Ingredion
◉Overview: Ingredion is a major supplier of carbohydrate-based excipients, particularly focused on enhancing solubility and taste masking in pharmaceutical formulations.
Products:
◉Dextrose, fructose, and maize-based excipients.
◉Ethanol and citric acid powders.
◉Functional sugars for tablets and syrups.
Strengths:
◉Expertise in taste-masking and palatability improvement.
◉Extensive product portfolio for oral solid and liquid formulations.
◉Reliable supply of high-quality carbohydrate excipients.
8. Lubrizol Corporation
◉Overview: Lubrizol Life Science Health is a leading excipient provider, particularly known for carbomers, polycarbophil, and thermoplastic polyurethanes. Its products are widely used in oral, topical, and bioadhesive applications.
Products:
◉Carbomers for gel formulations and controlled-release systems.
◉Polycarbophil for adhesion and drug delivery enhancement.
◉Thermoplastic polyurethanes for medical applications.
Strengths:
◉Leader in topical and oral bioadhesive formulations.
◉Strong R&D for polymers and advanced excipients.
◉Global manufacturing ensures quality and supply reliability.
9. MEGGLE Pharma
◉Overview: MEGGLE Pharma produces functional excipients with strong focus on oral and topical formulations. It emphasizes logistics and global delivery.
Products:
◉Functional powders and binders for tablets.
◉Coating agents for oral dosage forms.
◉Specialty excipients for topicals.
Strengths:
◉Robust logistics network, ensuring global availability.
◉High consistency and quality in excipient production.
◉Expertise in multifunctional excipients for innovative formulations.
10. Roquette
◉Overview: Roquette specializes in lipid-based excipients, especially for softgel capsule formulations. It serves pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries globally.
Products:
◉Lipid excipients for softgel encapsulation.
◉Hydroxypropyl pea starch premix for plasticizer-free formulations.
◉Functional excipients for oral, topical, and parenteral forms.
Strengths:
◉Innovation in softgel and lipid-based formulations.
◉Strong focus on customizable, plasticizer-free excipients.
◉Reliable supply chain and global customer support.
Latest Announcements
◉MEGGLE & Brenntag Specialties: Collaboration to ensure consistent delivery of excipients via reliable logistics networks.
◉Clariant Health Care: Launched 8 new excipients for biologics and generics at CPHI India 2024.
◉Univar Solutions & SD Head USA LLC: Exclusive partnership for North American distribution of cellulose ethers and plant-based capsules.
Recent Developments
◉GELITA (January 2025): Launch of Endotoxin Controlled Excipients (ECE), including medical-grade gelatin and collagen peptides for vaccines, medical devices, and 3D bioprinting.
◉Roquette (May 2024): Launched LYCAGEL Flex hydroxypropyl pea starch premix, a plasticizer-free excipient for softgel capsules, allowing customizable formulations.
Segments Covered
By Product
1. Polymers
◉Market Position: Dominant product segment in 2024.
◉Functions: Polymers are versatile excipients that enhance the bioavailability, solubility, swellability, viscosity, and biodegradability of drug formulations.
Applications:
◉Act as film formers in coatings to protect APIs from moisture, light, and gastric conditions.
◉Serve as matrix-forming agents in controlled-release oral formulations.
◉Enhance tablet compressibility and structural integrity during manufacturing.
◉Enable targeted drug delivery, especially for hydrophobic APIs.
◉Examples: Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), Ethyl cellulose, Polyethylene glycol (PEG), Polyvinyl alcohol, Croscarmellose sodium.
◉Significance: Polymers’ chemical flexibility allows modification for customized drug release profiles, making them indispensable in modern pharmaceutical formulations.
2. Alcohols
◉Market Position: Fastest-growing product segment.
Functions:
◉Preservatives: Protect against microbial contamination in liquid formulations.
◉Solubilizers: Improve solubility of poorly water-soluble APIs, especially in oral and parenteral formulations.
◉Taste-masking agents: Mask bitter taste in oral liquids and chewables.
◉Examples: Ethanol, Isopropyl alcohol, Benzyl alcohol.
Applications:
◉Used in liposomal formulations and other lipid-aqueous drug delivery systems.
◉Support stability in syrups, suspensions, and injectables.
◉Significance: Increasing demand for personalized and lipid-based formulations drives growth of alcohol excipients globally.
3. Sugar-Based Excipients
◉Market Position: Widely used in oral dosage forms.
Functions:
◉Palatability enhancement: Masks bitterness of APIs, increasing patient compliance.
◉Formulation stability: Stabilizes proteins and peptides in solid and semi-solid formulations.
◉Examples: Lactose, Sucrose, Dextrose, Fructose.
Applications:
◉Tablets: Used as fillers and diluents to achieve desired tablet weight and size.
◉Oral solutions and syrups: Improve taste and solubility of APIs.
◉Significance: Essential in pediatric and geriatric formulations due to improved acceptability and ease of administration.
4. Minerals
◉Market Position: Important fillers and stabilizers.
Functions:
◉Provide mechanical strength to solid dosage forms.
◉Act as buffering agents to stabilize pH-sensitive APIs.
◉Enhance flow properties during tablet and capsule manufacturing.
◉Examples: Calcium phosphate, Calcium carbonate, Silicon dioxide, Titanium dioxide.
Applications:
◉Calcium phosphate is widely used in oral tablets for controlled release.
◉Silicon dioxide prevents caking and aggregation in powdered formulations.
◉Significance: Minerals are critical for ensuring dose uniformity and robustness of tablets and capsules.
5. Gelatin
◉Market Position: Specialty excipient for capsules, vaccines, and 3D bioprinting.
Functions:
◉Provides capsule shell formation for soft and hard gel capsules.
◉Stabilizes proteins and peptides in vaccine formulations.
◉Acts as a bioprinting material in emerging pharmaceutical 3D printing applications.
Applications:
◉Soft gel capsules: Encapsulation of oils, vitamins, and nutraceuticals.
◉Medical devices and scaffolds: Supports tissue engineering and drug delivery systems.
◉Significance: Gelatin excipients enable advanced delivery systems, including controlled release and biologics stabilization.
By Formulation
1. Oral
◉Market Position: Largest segment globally.
◉Forms: Tablets, capsules, syrups, chewables, effervescent formulations.
Advantages:
◉Cost-effective and easy to administer.
◉High patient compliance across age groups.
◉Scalable for large-scale production.
◉Role of Excipients: Ensure tablet integrity, solubility, disintegration, and taste masking.
◉Significance: Oral formulations dominate the pharmaceutical market, with over 84% of best-selling drugs delivered orally.
2. Topical
◉Market Position: Rapidly growing due to localized applications.
◉Forms: Creams, gels, ointments, lotions, patches.
Advantages:
◉Targeted drug delivery for localized conditions such as burns, dermatological diseases, or pain management.
◉Reduced systemic side effects.
◉Non-invasive and easy to apply.
Role of Excipients:
◉Stabilize emulsions, improve spreadability, enhance skin penetration, and control drug release.
◉Significance: Growth driven by increasing skin disorders and injuries, as well as preference for non-oral therapies.
3. Parenteral & Others
◉Market Position: Niche but critical segment.
◉Forms: Injectable solutions, suspensions, infusions.
Advantages:
◉Direct delivery to systemic circulation ensures rapid onset.
◉Suitable for drugs with poor oral bioavailability.
Role of Excipients:
◉Solubilizers and stabilizers maintain API integrity and prevent aggregation or precipitation.
◉Control viscosity for safe injection and optimal absorption.
◉Significance: Critical in biologics, vaccines, and hospital-administered therapies where stability and sterility are paramount.
By Function
1. Binders
◉Market Position: Largest functional segment in 2024.
◉Function: Improve cohesion and plasticity of powder mixtures; reduce tablet breakage.
◉Common Examples: Povidone, Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), Starch, Gelatin, PEG.
◉Applications: Tablets and granules where structural integrity is essential.
◉Significance: Fundamental for tablet compressibility and manufacturing efficiency.
2. Coating Agents
◉Market Position: Fastest-growing functional segment.
◉Function: Protect formulations from environmental factors, mask unpleasant taste, and control drug release.
◉Common Examples: Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), Ethyl cellulose, Polyvinyl alcohol, Methacrylic acid copolymers.
◉Applications: Tablet coatings, sustained-release oral formulations, gastro-resistant films.
◉Significance: Coatings improve stability, patient compliance, and therapeutic efficacy.
3. Other Functional Excipients
◉Fillers & Diluents: Provide bulk, maintain dose uniformity, and improve powder flow.
◉Disintegrants: Facilitate rapid breakup of tablets in the GI tract for improved bioavailability.
◉Flavoring Agents & Sweeteners: Improve palatability in oral liquids and chewables.
◉Lubricants & Glidants: Reduce friction in tablet punches; improve flow during manufacturing.
◉Preservatives: Extend shelf-life by preventing microbial contamination.
Top 5 FAQs
1 What is the current size of the pharmaceutical excipients market?
◉The market was USD 10.41 billion in 2024, projected to reach USD 15.49 billion by 2034 at a CAGR of 4.06%.
2 Which product segment dominates the market?
◉Polymers dominate due to their solubility, swellability, viscosity, and biodegradability functions.
3 Which region leads the global excipients market?
◉Europe dominated with 38% market share in 2024, driven by advanced R&D and regulatory support.
4 How is AI impacting the excipients market?
◉AI optimizes formulations, predicts excipient properties, aids in personalized medicines, reduces side effects, and designs novel excipients for advanced delivery systems.
5 Who are the top players in the market?
◉Leading companies include Ashland, Clariant Health Care, DFE Pharma, DuPont, Evonik, GELITA, Ingredion, Lubrizol, MEGGLE Pharma, Roquette.
Access our exclusive, data-rich dashboard dedicated to the pharmaceutical sector – built specifically for decision-makers, strategists, and industry leaders. The dashboard features comprehensive statistical data, segment-wise market breakdowns, regional performance shares, detailed company profiles, annual updates, and much more. From market sizing to competitive intelligence, this powerful tool is one-stop solution to your gateway.
Access the Dashboard: https://www.towardshealthcare.com/access-dashboard
Immediate Delivery Available | Buy This Premium Research @ https://www.towardshealthcare.com/price/5535
Become a valued research partner with us – https://www.towardshealthcare.com/schedule-meeting
You can place an order or ask any questions, please feel free to contact us at sales@towardshealthcare.com
Powering Healthcare Leaders with Real-Time Insights: https://www.towardshealthcare.com/healthcare-intelligence-platform
Europe Region – +44 778 256 0738
North America Region – +1 8044 4193 44
APAC Region: +91 9356 9282 04
Web: https://www.towardshealthcare.com
Find us on social platforms: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Medium | Pinterest