Middle East & Africa Pharmacokinetics Services Market Forecast to 2031 - Regional Analysis - by Drug Type, Service Type, Therapeutic Application, and End User

The Middle East & Africa pharmacokinetics services market was valued at US$ 45.97 million in 2023 and is expected to reach US$ 74.32 million by 2031; it is estimated to register a CAGR of 6.2% from 2023 to 2031.

Rising Prevalence of Chronic and Infectious Diseases Bolsters Middle East & Africa Pharmacokinetics Services Market

The growing prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune diseases has been a prime enabler of drug development efforts across the world. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2024 data, ~422 million in the world suffer from diabetes, and these cases are mostly found in middle and low-income countries, causing approximately 1.5 million deaths every year. Pharmaceutical companies are at the forefront of developing drugs to treat various diseases. Pharmacokinetic studies are essential for understanding how these drugs behave in a patient’s body by analyzing the process of absorption, distribution, metabolization, and elimination (ADME) within the human body.

The absorption of a drug into systemic circulation affects the speed and concentration at which a drug may reach the site of action, e.g., plasma. Drug distribution patterns throughout the body varies based on its biochemical properties and body physiology. Metabolism involves the processing of the drug by the body into subsequent compounds. This step is instrumental in converting the drug into water-soluble substances to render them suitable for renal clearance. Metabolism is also important for the conversion of prodrugs, such as codeine, into active metabolites.

Excretion of drugs from the body is mainly governed by kidneys; however, in several cases, drugs may be excreted via the lungs, skin, or gastrointestinal tract. ADME dynamics define the bioavailability of drugs in the body, and the maintenance doses of drugs are calculated based on their clearance times (desired plasma concentration divided by bioavailability). Understanding of clearance allows practitioners to calculate appropriate dosing rates.

Pharmacokinetic studies focus on optimizing drug dose regimens in study subjects to understand the efficacy and safety of a drug. These studies are essential for ensuring the safety of drugs that are developed for long-term treatments, which helps evaluate the suitability and stability of drug formulations in chronic disease management. Hence, the rising burden of chronic and infectious diseases underlines the importance of pharmacokinetic studies to develop safe and effective personalized treatments.

Middle East & Africa Pharmacokinetics Services Market Overview

South Africa accounts for the largest share of the pharmacokinetics services market in the Middle East & Africa. The government of South Africa has started providing investment incentives, taking measures to protect intellectual property (IP) rights, simplifying tax rules, and levying better regulatory policies to attract foreign investments to ultimately nurture the clinical trial landscape in the country. In 2019, a total of ~US$ 62.67 million (ZAR 1 billion) was invested in upcoming and ongoing trials. During 2016-2021, ~US$ 0.18 billion (ZAR 2.95 billion) was spent by innovative multinational pharmaceutical companies operating in South Africa to support clinical research activities focused on addressing the unmet medical needs of the country.

South Africa is the most economically developed country on the African continent, and it has established better regulatory standards for clinical trials. Lower costs of clinical research operations and a minor risk of litigation make South Africa an attractive option for foreign companies outsourcing their clinical research operations. Moreover, the number of trials has been increasing due to high recruitment rates and an improved regulatory environment in the country. South Africa receives substantial sponsorships from innovative pharmaceutical companies for conducting clinical research, with no signs of slowing down. Thus, the progressing clinical research industry bolsters the growth of the pharmacokinetics services market in the country.

Middle East & Africa Pharmacokinetics Services Market Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (US$ Million)

Middle East & Africa Pharmacokinetics Services Market Segmentation

The Middle East & Africa pharmacokinetics services market is categorized into drug type, service type, therapeutic application, end user, and country.

Based on drug type, the Middle East & Africa pharmacokinetics services market is segmented small molecule, large molecule, and vaccines. The small molecule segment held the largest market share in 2023.

In terms of service type, the Middle East & Africa pharmacokinetics services market is categorized into pre-clinical ADME and human studies, PK/PD analysis and reporting, dosing simulations, risk analysis, and others. The pre-clinical ADME and human studies segment held the largest market share in 2023.

By therapeutic application, the Middle East & Africa pharmacokinetics services market is segmented into oncology, infectious diseases, neurological disorders, autoimmune diseases, gynaecological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory disorders, and others. The oncology segment held the largest market share in 2023.

By end user, the Middle East & Africa pharmacokinetics services market is segmented into pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research organization, and others. The contract research organization segment held the largest market share in 2023.

By country, the Middle East & Africa pharmacokinetics services market is segmented into South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the Rest of Middle East & Africa. South Africa dominated the Middle East & Africa pharmacokinetics services market share in 2023.

Charles River Laboratories International Inc; Eurofins Scientific SE; Certara Inc.; Parexel International Corp; Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.; Allucent; PACIFIC BIOLABS; and SGS SA are among the leading companies operating in the Middle East & Africa pharmacokinetics services market.