Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Services Outsourcing Market Growth & Trends
The global biotechnology and pharmaceutical services outsourcing market size is expected to reach USD 91.4 billion by 2028 registering a CAGR of 5.2%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The high demand for biologics along with small molecules has led to the expansion of service portfolios of Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs)/Contract Research Organizations (CROs) for biotechnology and pharmaceutical production. Small pharma/biotech companies are facing challenges while performing in-house development, regulatory affairs, product maintenance, product design & development, product testing & validation, and training & education, such as lack of substantial expertise and expensive capability. This, in turn, has created lucrative opportunities for the growth of CMOs & CROs. Contract services are growing and becoming strategic, targeted, and planned. These factors are expected to play a pivotal role in enhancing the share of CMOs/CROs in the overall market.

Growing pricing pressure, regulatory challenges, and patent expiration have led to shrinking margins in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. Contract services offer cost saving to their clients and also help save time utilized in operations and management of a production & research facility. Furthermore, outsourcing services assist in overcoming trade barriers and facilitate the entry of firms into foreign markets. Owing to these advantages, several firms choose to outsource services rather than investing capital in production equipment and hiring skilled labor.

The coronavirus outbreak is having a considerable impact on biotech and pharma third-party service providers as well as clinical trials, resulting in trial delays, suspensions, and terminations. The global crisis has emphasized the need for virtual trials and leveraging on technology & software solutions. Increasing adoption of machine learning-based platforms & Artificial Intelligence (AI), innovative trial designs, and automation in drug manufacturing are projected to transform the CRO and CMO landscape in the coming years. Biopharmaceutical & pharmaceutical investments in novel and innovative therapies, for instance, regenerative medicine, are driving the R&D activity together with drug development services.

The biologics industry has grown substantially in recent years to include novel product types including nanobodies, rDNA, synthetic vaccines, fusion proteins, soluble receptors, immunoconjugates, and immunotherapeutics. Owing to the revolutionization of disease therapy through biologics, this sector has also provided many opportunities to explore hybrid structures that combine biologics with well-defined chemical entities. The significant growth of biologics is expected to drive the demand for outsourcing of biologics development and manufacturing.

Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Services Outsourcing Market Report Highlights

  • The consulting service segment led the market in 2020 and will retain its dominant position throughout the forecast period
  • Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are increasingly opting for consulting services due to factors, such as the increasing number of fraudulent cases and discrepancies in intellectual property rights
  • The pharma end-use segment is expected to lead the market in terms of revenue share as well as CAGR over the forecast period as the pharma companies outsource internal activities at a larger scale due to rising pricing pressure and increasing competition
  • North America was the dominant regional market in 2020 due to the presence of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and the high quality of services offered by the CROs and CMOs in the region
  • However, Asia Pacific is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR over the forecast period owing to improved regulatory frameworks, the high scope for cost savings, availability of cheap labor & skilled personnel, and rapid growth of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry in the region