China Pharmaceutical Packaging - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2024 - 2029)

The China Pharmaceutical Packaging Market size is estimated at USD 19.52 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 27.10 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 6.78% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

The growth of the Chinese pharmaceutical sector creates business opportunities for the country's pharmaceutical packaging companies. China's pharmaceutical packaging firms are encouraged to develop research and development teams to explore innovative, environmentally friendly, safe, functional, and sustainable packaging materials and products.

Key Highlights

• The Chinese government's policies to advance the transformation of the country's medicine industry are expected to promote the development of the pharmaceutical packaging sector. China is actively upgrading its pharmaceutical packaging facilities and materials and diversifying its pharmaceutical products, bringing new opportunities to pharmaceutical packaging firms.
• The Chinese pharmaceutical industry operates within a framework of stringent regulatory standards enforced by authorities such as the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) and the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). These standards encompass various aspects of packaging design, material composition, labeling requirements, and safety protocols. Compliance with these standards is non-negotiable and requires meticulous attention to detail in packaging practices.
• Nanotechnology enables the development of nanostructured materials that can enhance the stability of drugs by protecting them from environmental factors such as light, moisture, and oxygen. This leads to increased shelf-life and efficacy of pharmaceutical products. Nanotechnology enables the development of smart packaging solutions that can monitor the condition of the drug and provide real-time feedback on factors such as temperature, humidity, and exposure to light. This helps ensure the quality and efficacy of pharmaceutical products throughout their lifecycle.
• In the pharmaceutical packaging market, raw materials such as bottles, vials, blister packs, and labels are essential for manufacturing packaging materials. Suppliers of raw materials wield significant bargaining power, especially when they hold a dominant position in the market or when the raw material is scarce. They can leverage this power to increase prices or impose unfavorable terms on pharmaceutical packaging manufacturers. This, in turn, can lead to higher production costs for packaging materials.
• Plastic packaging has emerged as a formidable player in the packaging industry due to its advantageous properties, such as lightweight, high durability, versatility, and cost-effectiveness. It has widespread application in various industries, including medicine, healthcare, and other sectors requiring packaging support. The development of material packaging in China has a rich history and has matured into a well-established industrial chain. In this chain, the upstream sector comprises raw material suppliers responsible for providing synthetic resins and plastic additives for manufacturing plastic packaging materials.

China Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Trends

Berlin Leads in Total Warehousing Take-up

• The Chinese pharmaceutical glass ampoules and vials market is expected to expand as China has established a standard framework for the pharmaceutical industry. The country is increasingly focusing on the stability of pharmaceutical packaging materials during drug storage and the safety of the packaging when used. Pharmaceutical companies increasingly use glass packaging because of its durability, non-reactivity, transparency, eco-friendliness, and versatility. Additionally, glass vials are in high demand due to increasing investment and R&D in healthcare systems and rising drug spending.
• Notably, the demand for vials and ampoules has grown due to the demand for medications and vaccinations related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the past few years. Manufacturers of pharmaceutical and parenteral packaging have greatly boosted their capacity for production. Millions of vials and ampoules are produced monthly by manufacturers operating at full capacity.
• According to CNN, as of March 2023, approximately 13 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered globally, with Mainland China accounting for almost 3.491 billion of this total.
• Glass vials and ampoules are becoming more widely used in developed countries. As a result of COVID-19, the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors are growing in emerging nations, which presents the potential for the Chinese market. Additionally, players operating in the region focus on increasing their production capacity.
• Similarly, the demand for vials and ampoules among end users of pharmaceutical and life sciences is increasing. The market continues to favor these end users for demand variation, so players are concentrating on launching new products.
• In October 2023, the glass pioneer SCHOTT introduced next-generation type I Borosilicate glass tubing. This new product and its associated services will support three key trends in the pharma industry: the development of complex pharmaceuticals, sustainability, and digitalization. Pharmaceutical converters use the company’s glass tubing to produce high-quality vials, ampoules, syringes, or cartridges to store simple and complex drugs. In particular, the company sees an increasing demand for biopharmaceutical products in the future, where packaging and materials will need to meet more stringent requirements and regulations.

Fashion and Apparel Segment to Lead in Revenue

• Folding cartons constitute the most popular type of secondary packaging product. These cartons are versatile and can be used in many ways. Folding cartons offer several advantages, including flexibility, rigidity, and easy and cost-effective flat-pack shipping and storage. The folding box packaging ensures the safety of pharmaceutical products by protecting them from external factors like light, moisture, and contamination. This protection helps preserve the potency and integrity of the medications. Implementing radio-frequency identification (RFID) smart labeling technology to prevent product replication in the pharmaceutical industry will also contribute to market expansion.
• The demand for printed pharmaceutical cartons is rising due to the industry's stiff competition. In addition to providing ample space for regulatory information and brand advertising, these cartons also offer more room than small bottles, vials, and containers. The latest printed pharmaceutical packaging market innovation incorporates tamper-evident and child-proof features. These features are achieved through advanced material technology and design, further driving the demand for pharmaceutical printed cartons.
• The problem of inadequate medication adherence is prevalent, leading to an increase in chronic disease complications and healthcare expenditures. Packaging interventions such as pillboxes and blister packs have been widely recommended to address this issue, leading to a growing market for such products.
• Pillboxes are reusable multi-compartment containers designed to hold medications to be consumed at specific times. Unlike blister packs, they do not require professional action and can be filled by patients, informal caregivers, or healthcare providers. Multiple healthcare providers recommend using blister packs, pillboxes, and folding cartons as secondary packaging with medication information for the aging with multiple chronic diseases.
• The Chinese pharmaceutical market is still one of the most important in terms of growth prospects and market size. The expansion of insurance coverage, the aging population, the growing middle class with higher healthcare needs, and chronic diseases are the main reasons for this growth.
• According to the International Diabetes Federation, the forecasted prevalence of diabetes among adults in China will be 12.5 % by 2045. Blister packaging is the most common type of pharmaceutical packaging used in China. Major pharmaceutical companies use sturdy and versatile folding carton packaging to protect the blister. Therefore, with the growth of pharmaceutical blister packaging, there would be a consequent growth in demand for folding cartons.

China Pharmaceutical Packaging Industry Overview

The Chinese pharmaceutical packaging market is highly fragmented due to global players and small and medium-sized enterprises. Some of the major players in the market are Gerresheimer Shuangfeng Pharmaceutical Glass (Danyang) Co. Ltd (Gerresheimer AG), West Pharmaceutical Services Inc., Taishan Xinhua Pharmaceutical Packaging Co. Ltd, Ningbo Zhengli Pharmaceutical Packaging, and Amcor Group GMBH. Market players are adopting strategies such as partnerships and acquisitions to enhance their product offerings and gain sustainable competitive advantage.

• November 2023 - Amcor, a renowned global provider of sustainable packaging solutions, launched its latest advancement in Medical Laminates solutions. This innovative offering facilitates the creation of fully recyclable, all-film packaging within the polyethylene recycling stream. By significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the final package, this new solution meets the performance standards essential for medical device applications while supporting medical companies in advancing their sustainability objectives without compromising patient safety.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

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