Pharmaceutical Filtration Market

Market Overview

The global pharmaceutical filtration market size was valued at USD 6.43 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 9.31 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period (2023–2031).

Pharmaceutical filtration refers to the separation process by which unwanted particles, including solid impurities and undissolved powders, are removed from the processed materials, further reducing micro-organisms. Filtration is one of the essential processes adopted in the pharmaceutical sector. It maintains the product's sterility and checks contamination in the processed solution. In addition, during the manufacturing process of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), the pharmaceutical filters are utilized in several manufacturing stages.

Pharmaceutical filtration is widely used for various applications such as final product processing, raw material filtration, cell separation, air purification, and water purification. Pharmaceutical filtration plays a vital role in maintaining product quality, meeting regulatory requirements, and ensuring patient safety. By preventing contamination, preserving product stability, and achieving the desired efficacy of pharmaceutical products, filtration processes contribute significantly to producing safe and effective medications.

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Rising Production of Biologics and Large Molecules

Biologics are genetically engineered proteins composed of nucleic acids, sugars, and even cells and tissues. They help in the treatment of debilitating and life-threatening diseases. According to Tufts University, in the U.S., the biologics pipeline products have increased from 355 products in 2001 to 907 in 2012. Some biologics, such as monoclonal antibodies, are under development or launched in the market. Monoclonal antibodies are prominent therapeutic agents; many companies have multiple monoclonal antibodies in their development pipeline. The filtration technique is important in recovering different biologics and large molecule products. It is used to purify molecules with minimal process alterations. Thus, the rise in the production of biologics and large molecules globally is expected to drive the demand for pharmaceutical filtration products, thereby boosting market growth.

Expansion of the Biopharmaceutical Industry

The introduction of novel biologics, vaccines, and proteins that require sterility and zero risk of contamination has further necessitated the use of advanced pharmaceutical filters. Biopharmaceutical manufacturing and marketing is growing globally, especially in developing countries with the rise in biologics usage. Moreover, currently, a large number of pharmaceuticals entering the market are biopharmaceuticals; around 40% pharma market and overall pharmaceutical pipelines are now developing and manufacturing biopharmaceutical drugs globally. Similarly, the biopharmaceutical industry in emerging economies such as China and India focuses on biosimilar versions of Western products for the domestic market.

Furthermore, the expansion of the biopharmaceutical industry can be attributed to advancements in biotechnology, the demand for targeted therapies, the focus on treating complex diseases, supportive regulatory environments, and advancements in manufacturing technologies. The industry's growth has brought forth a new era of innovative and personalized treatments, offering hope for patients and driving significant advancements in healthcare.

Market Restraint

Poor Demand in Underdeveloped Countries

Lack of financial resources, poor income, a lesser number of pharmaceutical companies, and lack of advanced manufacturing systems hamper the pharmaceutical filtration market growth in underdeveloped countries such as Asia and Africa. Furthermore, inadequate support by government agencies for the adoption of advanced filtration products in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry and a lack of trained professionals impede the pharmaceutical filtration market growth in underdeveloped countries such as Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and Guinea.

The poor demand for pharmaceutical filtration in underdeveloped countries reflects the challenges and limitations in healthcare infrastructure, economic constraints, and regulatory factors. Addressing these issues and promoting development and investment in these regions can help improve the demand and uptake of pharmaceutical filtration technologies.

Market Opportunities

Growth Opportunities in Emerging Markets

The pharmaceutical filtration market is expected to witness growth opportunities in untapped, emerging markets. These markets, including countries like China, India, Brazil, and others, have been experiencing rapid growth in their pharmaceutical industries. Several factors contribute to the growth prospects in these regions. Firstly, emerging markets are investing in improving their healthcare infrastructure, including establishing advanced manufacturing systems and expanding pharmaceutical production facilities. This infrastructure development creates a conducive environment for the growth of the pharmaceutical filtration market.

Secondly, there is a growing demand for pharmaceutical products in emerging markets due to increasing population, rising incidence of chronic diseases, and improving access to healthcare services. As a result, the pharmaceutical industry in these regions is expanding, leading to a higher demand for filtration products to ensure the safety, quality, and efficacy of pharmaceutical products.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global pharmaceutical filtration market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America pharmaceutical filtration market is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 3.5% over the 2023-2031. The North American industry has witnessed a significant rise and is expected to continue expanding in the coming years. Several factors contribute to the region's dominant market share. One key driver is the development of technologically advanced pharmaceutical filtration products. The pharmaceutical industry in North America is leading the way in innovation, investing in research and development to enhance filtration techniques and products. This focus on technological advancements allows for improved filtration efficiency, higher product quality, and increased productivity in pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. Adopting filtration products in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry has also contributed to the market's growth. Stringent regulations and quality standards imposed by regulatory authorities require effective filtration systems to ensure the safety and purity of pharmaceutical products. The industry's increasing awareness of the importance of filtration in maintaining product quality and meeting regulatory requirements has driven the demand for advanced filtration solutions.

Europe is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 4.2% over the forecast period. The Europe market is the second major shareholder in the global market, which accounted for 29.12% market share. The growth of the European pharmaceutical filtration market is boosted by the rise in the production of generics and biologics, the high population base, the surge in disposable income, and strict regulations that are implemented by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to validate the filtration process and increase in adoption of pharmaceutical filters. In addition, the market for pharmaceutical filtration in Germany, France, and the UK is anticipated to show a significant rise, owing to the strong presence of market players and the availability of developed healthcare infrastructure with technologically advanced systems. The growth of the European pharmaceutical filtration market is influenced by factors such as the rise in generics and biologics production, a large population base, strict regulatory standards, and developed healthcare infrastructure. These factors create opportunities for pharmaceutical filtration companies and drive regional market expansion.

The Asia-Pacific region is poised to exhibit the fastest growth in the pharmaceutical filtration market during the 2023-2031. There have been significant improvements in healthcare infrastructure in countries across the region. As healthcare systems develop, there is an increased need for advanced pharmaceutical filtration technologies to support producing high-quality pharmaceutical products. The rise in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and biologics also drives the demand for pharmaceutical filtration in Asia-Pacific. In addition, APIs are essential components in manufacturing pharmaceutical drugs, and their production requires efficient filtration processes. The growing production of biologics, complex molecules derived from living organisms, necessitates advanced filtration techniques to ensure product safety and quality.

The LAMEA region is considered an emerging market with significant growth potential in the pharmaceutical filtration industry. Several factors contribute to the lucrative growth opportunities in this region. There has been an increase in the target population in LAMEA, driven by factors such as population growth, urbanization, and improved access to healthcare services. With a larger population, pharmaceutical products have higher demand, including medications, vaccines, and other healthcare solutions. This increased demand leads to a corresponding surge in the need for pharmaceutical filters to ensure the safety and quality of these products.

Segmental Analysis

The global pharmaceutical filtration market is bifurcated into whitening products type, techniques, and applications.

Based on product type, the global market is bifurcated into membrane filters, prefilter and depth filter media, single-use systems, catriage and capsules, filter holders, filtration accessories, and others.

The membrane filters segment dominates the global market and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.9% over the forecast period. A membrane filter is a thin sheet of a semi-permeable membrane that separates substances when a driving force is applied across the membrane. It is the most efficient technique for separating particulates, microorganisms, protein purification, natural organic material, sterilization, virus removal, and water management. Microfiltration membranes are effective for turbid suspended particles and microbial removal, whereas ultrafiltration membranes are used for organics such as micropollutants, disinfection by-product (DBP) precursors, and virus separation.

Various types of membrane filters are available in the market, including MCE (mixed cellulose ester) coated cellulose acetate membrane filters, nylon membrane filters, membrane filters, PVDF membrane filters, PTFE membrane filters, and other membrane filters. Membrane filtration processes perform without heating; therefore, these processes utilize less energy than thermal separation processes such as sublimation, distillation, and crystallization. Therefore, it can be used in the separation of heat-sensitive substances. Some key advantages of membrane filters include increased versatility and efficiency, lower operation costs, and high performance.

Based on techniques, the global market is bifurcated into microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and other techniques.

The microfiltration segment owns the highest market share and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% over the forecast period. Microfiltration is a membrane filtration process with a pore size of approximately 0.1-10 µm, with a molecular weight of not greater than 10 lakh Dalton. It restrains turbidity, colloidal, and microorganism from liquid food and pharmaceutical products. It removes silt, sand, clay, algae, cryptosporidium cysts, giardia lamblia, and other bacterial species. In addition, when it is combined with disinfectant, it can help control the microbial count.

Moreover, it is used during cold sterilization of food and pharmaceutical products, reverse osmosis water microorganism reduction, and water pretreatment for nano-filtration. The advantages of microfiltration are low operating pressure, relatively cheap, low energy consumption compared to nano-filtration osmosis, and few manual actions required during filtration. Microfiltration is vital in ensuring the safety, quality, and purity of liquid food and pharmaceutical products and water treatment processes, making it a valuable filtration technique in various industrial applications.

Based on applications, the market is bifurcated into final product processing, raw material filtration, cell separation, water purification, and air purification.

The final product processing segment dominates the global market and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 5.5% over the forecast period. The final product processing application is categorized as active pharmaceutical ingredient filtration, sterile filtration, protein purification, vaccines and antibody processing, formulation and filling solutions, and viral clearance. At present, final product processing is a major revenue-generating segment among all the applications, owing to the rising number of pharmaceutical industries and regulatory guidelines to maintain clean manufacturing processes and delivery of quality products. Moreover, the rise in the use of biological drug products, the surge in the use of filters in the protein purification process, and technological advancement in the filtration process led to the rise in the adoption of the filtration process in final product processing are a few other elements influencing the expansion of the industry. In addition, the vaccines and antibody processing segment is anticipated to show the highest market growth during the anticipated period due to the strong presence of pipeline monoclonal antibodies, the increase in biopharmaceutical industries, and the commercial availability of monoclonal antibodies.

Recent Developments

• March 2023- Sartorius Stedim Biotech announced the launch of its new Xentaurus XS high-performance tangential flow filtration (HPTFF) system. The system is designed to provide high-quality filtration for various applications, including biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, and cell culture media.
• February 2023- Pall Corporation announced the launch of its new Pallflex 2000 series of dead-end filtration systems. The systems are designed to provide high-performance filtration for various applications, including biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, and cell culture media.