Pneumonia Therapeutics Market

Market Overview

Pneumonia is a prevalent form of an acute respiratory infection that affects the alveoli of the lungs. Fungi, bacteria cause the disease, or viruses mediated infection. When an individual has pneumonia, the clinical manifestations can be as severe as painful breathing and oxygen deficiency due to limited intake for the patients; the alveolar sacs are filled with pus and fluid and chest pain, dry cough, and fever. In some instances, the disease can be as severe as fatal for patients.

The global pneumonia therapeutics market size was valued at USD 19.33 billion in 2022. It is projected to reach USD 37.69 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 7.7% during the forecast period (2023–2031).

Market Dynamics

The Growing Prevalence of Pneumonia is Driving the Therapeutics Market

The growing prevalence of pneumonia has been a significant driver of the pneumonia therapeutics market. Pneumonia is the biggest cause of mortality owing to an infectious disease in children worldwide. For instance, according to reports from the World Health Organization, pneumonia can be held accountable for 808 694 deaths under the age of 5 in 2017, which corresponds to 15% of all children's deaths within the age bracket. Further, as per the American thoracic society, in the U.S., pneumonia can be held responsible for the most common cause of hospital admissions other than pregnancy. Statistically, it can be estimated that about 1 million adults in the U.S. seek medical care due to pneumonia annually, and a further, 50,000 die from it. Thus, owing to such high prevalence, there is a massive demand for appropriate therapeutics in the market. This is boosting the global market significantly.

Additionally, as per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mortality due to pneumonia is astonishingly high at 14.7 deaths reported per 100,000 population. Thus, this increases the demand for therapeutic products from the market as due to high mortality, the management of diseases becomes significantly essential. These factors influence market growth directly.

Increasing Funding for New Product Development to Address Disease Management Drives Market Growth

The high severity of pneumonia, coupled with high demand from the market, has boosted the R&D of new therapeutics and vaccines for addressing pneumonia. Further, this has resulted in propelling market growth projectile. For instance, at present, different companies operating in the pneumonia therapeutics market, which includes market giants like Merck, Pfizer, and GSK, are channelizing huge capital and putting enormous efforts in such R&D activities. This is further supported by successful clinical trials and regulatory approvals from concerned authorities. For instance, in February 2020, the U.S. FDA accepted a supplemental new drug application for Recarbrio to treat adults with ventilator-associated and hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia. Thus, the introduction of such new drug molecules and support and approval from regulatory bodies augment market growth over the forecast period.

Moreover, a consistent increase in funding opportunities in research for the development of new products is anticipated to broaden the growth scope over the coming years. For instance, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the funding bodies that aim to address neonatal pneumococcal disease and promote the development of new vaccines.

Regional Analysis

North American Regional Market Dominates Globally

The North American global market dominates the global market in terms of revenue. This market dominance can be reasoned with several factors. The global incidence of pneumonia is a primary factor that fuels market growth; however, certain factors explicitly boost the regional market. Additionally, rising awareness amongst people in the region regarding the various therapeutic options available for pneumonia also adds significant advantages to the market.

Further, significant players in the region such as Pfizer, Mylan, GSK provide a home-state advantage to the region. These players are constantly into the R&D of new therapeutics and vaccines to address the rising pneumonia cases. These cumulatively boost the market to attain dominance.

APAC Market to Witness Flourishing Growth During Forecast Period

The Asia Pacific market is expected to witness steady growth during the forecast period. This is primarily due to the burden of pneumonia in regional countries. For instance, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates an incidence rate of 0.37 cases of clinical pneumonia per child per year.

Further, WHO suggests that India can be accounted for 36% of all cases in the WHO Southeast Asia region. This has surged the demand for therapeutics in the market. Further, other factors in developing countries such as India, China, and Japan, such as improved diagnosis rate, rapidly aging populations, high levels of pollution, and continuous government pressure to address disease management, significantly boost the regional market.

Segmental Analysis

Therapeutic Drugs Account for the Largest Revenue Share

The therapeutic drugs have majorly opted means of treatment for pneumonia infection. Therapeutic drugs include penicillin, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, amoxicillin, vancomycin, and clavulanic acid. For instance, penicillin is a very widely used antibiotic to treat pneumonia caused by Pneumococcal pneumonia infection. Moreover, antibacterial drugs such as Macrolide, Quinolones are also used prevalently. Further, according to the American Thoracic Society 2019, viral pneumonia is one of the major causes of infants' hospitalization in the world. Thus, the rising prevalence of viral pneumonia drives the demand for antiviral therapeutics drugs. However, the drugs segment is anticipated to keep its large market share owing to an estimated steady growth during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the growing generic drugs industry that is contributing to the market. Further, recent patent exposures of branded drugs and the cost-effectiveness of generics are major factors that add to the market's advantage. 

However, owing to the wide use of antibiotics, significant drug resistance has been recognized lately. Thus, therapeutic drugs such as penicillin are still in use but have minimal application. This has fueled the growth of the vaccine segment. Further, growing awareness amongst people due to government and market players' continuous efforts has also boosted the segment growth. For instance, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommends annual vaccination of every individual with the pneumonia vaccine to measure disease management.

Booming E-commerce boosts the Online Pharmacies Segment within Various Distribution Channels

The online pharmacy segment is expected to witness a boost during the forecast period. This is owing to the recent boom in the e-commerce business across the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, online pharmacies' significant advantages have also played a major beneficial role in the segmental market. For example, online pharmacies offer products at a reasonable and cheaper price than offline stores, the unavailability of products is not an issue in the online medium, and very less additional cost are significant benefits of the segment.

Additionally, online pharmacies offer accessibility to people with limited mobility at a very affordable price and often provide doorstep delivery within a short time span. These factors cumulatively promote the online pharmacy segment of the pneumonia therapeutics market during the forecast timeframe.

Recent Developments

• In June 2019, Merck& Co. were awarded the U.S. FDA approval for their Zerbaxa drug which can be used for the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia and hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia.