Small Molecule Innovator CDMO Market Growth & Trends

The global small molecule innovator CDMO market size is expected to reach USD 74.9 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2022 to 2030. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted market growth. During this crisis, CDMOs are playing an important role in meeting the needs of pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies, and other end users. These have been working diligently towards the development of small-molecule drugs against SARS-CoV-2 since the end of 2019.

COVID-19 has caused a significant impact on the API CDMO market where China was a key performing country in contract manufacturing of APIs. In China, due to a strict government-imposed lockdown, 44 firms became non-operational and several governments chose to boycott APIs manufactured in China. To combat this shortage, several countries have started manufacturing their own APIs. COVID-19 has changed supply chains but has also boosted the API CDMO market. With the growing demand for outsourcing by pharma companies, CDMOs are now focusing more on continuous bioprocessing and process intensification.

Small molecules continue to play an important role in the development of new treatments globally. Specialty medicines are increasingly driving the global pharmaceutical industry, particularly in developed markets with small-molecule applications accounting for over half of specialty sales. However, the main drivers of this market are increasing pharmaceutical R&D investment, growing demand, and the rising incidence of cancer and age-related disorders.

Small Molecule Innovator CDMO Market Report Highlights

  • By product, the small molecule API segment is anticipated to register the fastest growth rate over the forecast period. This growth can primarily be attributed to the high approval rate of NME small molecules during covid
  • The oncology therapeutic area segment dominated the market with a revenue share of over 40.0% in 2021 and is anticipated to register the fastest growth rate over the forecast period. Overall, the small molecule oncology pipeline is growing with 38% of small molecule therapeutic candidates in preclinical development
  • The clinical stage type segment dominated the market with a revenue share of over 50.0% in 2021. CDMOs offer specialized expertise, time-saving, and cost-efficiency, which is expected to augment the segment growth over the forecast period
  • Asia Pacific is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR over the forecast period due to significantly cheaper manufacturing costs than North America and Europe and the presence of favorable laws