Demand for synthesised drugs to drive growth of global drug intermediates market

Drug intermediates are used as raw materials during the manufacture of bulk drugs. These intermediates can also be referred to as the material produced at the time of synthesis of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). However, the API must undergo additional molecular processing or changes before becoming a final product.

Drug intermediates are generally hygienically formulated. Superior grade raw materials are used for their production and these are applied in both the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Companies operating in the pharmaceutical industry can make use of these drug intermediates for the purposes of R&D.

There are several types of intermediates used in pharma such as bulk drug intermediates, veterinary drug intermediates and pharmaceutical intermediates.

In recent years, the global drug intermediates market has been witnessing a promising growth, driven by the growing demand from different end-use application industries.

Market segmentation

The global market for drug intermediates is segmented in terms of type of intermediates, end user application industry and geography. There are two main types of drug intermediates called advanced intermediate and APIs. APIs, as aforementioned, are used as intermediate raw material for the production of therapeutic drugs. These are active ingredients that are later converted into different forms such as suspensions, capsules, tablets and other formulations. Therefore, the API itself acts as a drug.

On the other hand, advanced ingredients are the advanced form of drug intermediates. There are several different types of advance intermediates such as imatinib intermediates, Capecitabine intermediates, pemetrexed intermediates, lenalidomide intermediates, gemcitabine intermediates, afatinib intermediates, nilotinib intermediates, temozolomide intermediates, pazopanib intermediates and ibrutinib intermediates.

Increasing focus on R&D activities to help market growth

In terms of end user, the global market for drug intermediates can be split into chemical industry, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. There are several different forms of drug intermediates available such as premium quality intermediates, high quality intermediates and moderate quality intermediates. The premium and high-quality intermediates are mainly used for R&D activities.

There have been increasing requirements for drug intermediates in the international market because of the rapid developments and advancements happening in the life sciences and biotechnology fields. In addition to this, there has been a growing adoption and rising applications of drug intermediates in the field of research and clinical studies. Companies operating in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors along with research institutes are now increasingly focusing on R&D activities relating to drug creation and development. They are also paying special attention to creating new techniques and methods along with equipment for the synthesis of drug intermediates. In the future, this will offer manufacturers the flexibility to provide high levels of customisation in synthesised drugs. Moreover, it has helped in increasing the scope of its broad ranging applications and has thus helped in the overall development of the global drug intermediates market.

Asia Pacific to dominate the global market

In terms of geographical classification, the global drug intermediates market has been segmented into five key regions. These regional segments are North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Latin America and Europe. Currently, the global market is being led by the regional segment of Asia Pacific. The growth of the regional market is mainly attributed to developments and advancements in the field of life sciences and biotechnology. Moreover, increased levels of spending and backing provided by the emerging nations such as India and China for carrying out new research studies and drug synthesis processes has also helped the overall development of the Asia Pacific market.

Some of the prominent brands in the global drug intermediate market include Ami Lifesciences, Accrete Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd, A.B. Enterprises, Ramdev Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., Clearsynth, Aarti Drugs Ltd., Synpure Labs and Karvy Therapeutics Pvt. Ltd, among others.

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