Market Demand
- Overall Growth Trend: The global capsule shell market is showing a growth trend, and it is expected to have an annual compound growth rate (CAGR) of about 5% from 2023 to 2030. The demand for empty capsules for Chinese medicine is also increasing, from 444.12 billion tablets to 501.99 billion tablets from 2017 to 2021, and is estimated to reach about 527.66 billion tablets in 2023.
Driving Factors
- Disease Factors: The increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases has led to a continuous increase in demand for drugs, thereby driving the demand for drug capsule shells.
- Industry Factors: The expansion of the pharmaceutical industry and the demand for more convenient drug delivery methods have led to the continuous development of the drug capsule shell market.
- Consumption Factors: The growing demand for health products, dietary supplements, etc., which are also usually capsule shells, has further expanded market demand.
- Technical Factors: The rise of personalized medicine has made the importance of capsule shells as a drug delivery system increasingly prominent.
Market Segmentation
- Product Type: Hard gelatin capsules occupy an important position in the capsule shell market. In addition, as consumers pay more attention to vegetarianism and environmental protection, the demand for plant-based capsules (such as hypromellose capsules, pullulan capsules, etc.) is also increasing.
- Application Field: Pharmaceuticals are the main application field of capsule shells. In addition, the demand for capsule shells in the health care products industry is also growing.
Market Supply
- Production Growth: China's production of pharmaceutical hollow capsules shows an upward trend, from 481.5 billion to 645.5 billion in 2017-2022, and is estimated to reach about 527.66 billion in 2023.
- Enterprise Distribution: The main manufacturers in the global capsule shell market include Erawat Pharma, Sunil Healthcare, Natural Capsules, Capsugel and Catalent. China's pharmaceutical hollow capsule manufacturers are mainly concentrated in the mid- and low-end markets.
- Raw Material Supply: Gelatin is the main raw material for capsule shells, and its quality and supply are crucial to the production of capsule shells. In recent years, with the development of the gelatin industry, the output of China's gelatin industry has increased, reaching 106,900 tons in 2023, up 3.59% year-on-year, providing strong support for the production of hollow pharmaceutical capsules.
- Technological innovation: The continuous advancement of capsule shell production technology enables companies to produce more durable, efficient and sustainable capsule shells. For example, the application of 3D printing technology is expected to achieve personalized customization of capsules.
Development trend
- Sustainable development: With the increase in environmental awareness, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly inclined to use plant-based, biodegradable capsule shell materials to reduce dependence on animal gelatin and reduce carbon footprint.
- Technological innovation: In addition to 3D printing technology, the development of innovative products such as enteric-coated capsules has also brought new growth points to the market.
- Customized demand: Pharmaceutical companies have an increasing demand for customized capsule shells, including personalized design in terms of color, size, release characteristics, etc. to meet the needs of specific drug formulations.