Narcotic Drugs Market Report 2025

This report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market’s historic and forecast market growth by geography.

The narcotic drugs market size has grown steadily in recent years. It will grow from $14.26 billion in 2024 to $14.85 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.1%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing medical need, growing public health concerns, increasing access to healthcare, rising prevalence of chronic pain, government initiatives to improve pain management.

The narcotic drugs market size is expected to see steady growth in the next few years. It will grow to $17.79 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to growing demand for generic narcotic drugs, growing pharmaceutical industry, growing demand for minimally invasive surgeries, increased use of narcotic drugs in palliative care. Major trends in the forecast period include pharmaceutical innovation, telemedicine and remote monitoring, development of non-opioid alternatives, use of artificial intelligence (AI) in drug discovery and development.

The growth of the narcotic drug market is anticipated to be driven by the increasing incidence of chronic diseases. Chronic diseases are defined as illnesses lasting three months or more that can worsen over time. Narcotic drugs play a crucial role in managing these conditions, offering relief for patients suffering from cancer, chronic pain syndrome, terminal illnesses, and severe arthritis. For example, in June 2024, the National Health Service, a UK-based government agency, reported that in 2023, over half a million (549,000) additional individuals in England were identified as being at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This brought the total number of people with non-diabetic hyperglycemia, or pre-diabetes, registered with a GP to 3,615,330, marking a significant increase from 3,065,825 in 2022, which is nearly a 20% rise. Consequently, the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases is driving the growth of the narcotic drug market.

The growth of the narcotic drugs market is expected to be significantly influenced by the rising use of opioids as prescription medications. Opioids are a class of drugs that encompass both legal prescriptions and illegal substances, known for inducing feelings of euphoria, relaxation, and sedation. Their increasing use in prescription medicine is a key driver of narcotic drug consumption, as opioids are valued for their powerful pain-relieving and sedative effects, particularly when other pain management methods prove inadequate. For example, in May 2024, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, a government agency in Australia, reported that on a specific day in 2023, there were 53,272 individuals undergoing pharmacotherapy for opioid dependence in Australia (excluding Western Australia), translating to a rate of 22 clients per 10,000 people. Thus, the growing use of opioids as prescription medications is propelling the growth of the narcotic drugs market.

Prominent companies within the narcotic drug market are placing a growing emphasis on product development and innovation to offer dependable products to their customers and bolster their positions in the market. As an example, in May 2023, Indivior PLC, a pharmaceutical company headquartered in the United States, introduced OPVEE (nalmefene) nasal spray. This product serves as an opioid overdose rescue medication designed for use with natural and synthetic opioids, including substances like fentanyl. It is recommended for immediate use in the treatment of known or suspected opioid overdoses in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 and older, particularly in cases involving respiratory and central nervous system depression. This development underscores the company's commitment to addressing critical medical needs and enhancing the safety of individuals at risk of opioid overdose.

In March 2023, Indivior PLC, a pharmaceutical company based in the United States, completed its acquisition of Opiant Pharmaceuticals Inc. for a total of $145 million. This strategic acquisition is intended to bolster Indivior PLC's portfolio in the field of addiction treatment and science. It is noteworthy that this acquisition includes OPNT003, an investigational opioid overdose treatment, which is seen as a crucial addition to address the ongoing opioid overdose crisis in the United States, particularly involving potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Opiant Pharmaceuticals Inc., a pharmaceutical company headquartered in the United States, specializes in the manufacturing of narcotic drugs. This acquisition reflects Indivior PLC's commitment to expanding its offerings in the fight against opioid overdoses and substance use disorders.

Major companies operating in the narcotic drugs market are Pfizer Inc., Johnson and Johnson Limited, AbbVie Inc., Novartis AG, AstraZeneca PLC, Sanofi S.A., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Viatris Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Purdue Pharma LP, Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC, Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Lupin Ltd., Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Alvogen Inc., Indivior Inc., Impax Laboratories Inc., Collegium Pharmaceutical Inc., Lannett Co Inc., Par Pharmaceutical Inc., West-Ward Pharmaceuticals Corp.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the narcotic drugs market in 2024. The regions covered in the narcotic drug report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. The countries covered in the narcotic drug market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, and Spain.

The narcotic drug market consists of sales of ketobemidone, pethidine, tolidine, and trimeperidine. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

A narcotic drug is a class of substances that affect the central nervous system, inducing effects like drowsiness, pain relief, euphoria, and sometimes hallucinations. These drugs are commonly derived from the opium poppy plant but can also be synthesized.

The key types of narcotic drugs include opium, heroin, codeine, oxycodone, and others. Opium is a bitter, brownish, addictive substance derived from the dried latex of immature seed capsules of the opium poppy. These narcotics come from various sources, which can be natural, semi-synthetic, or synthetic, and are used for a range of purposes, including pain management, cough suppression, diarrhea treatment, asthma relief, and more. They are distributed through a variety of channels, including hospital pharmacies, online pharmacies, and retail pharmacies, and are utilized by diverse end-users, such as hospitals, homecare services, specialty clinics, and others.

The narcotic drugs market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides narcotic drugs market statistics, including narcotic drugs industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a narcotic drugs market share, detailed narcotic drugs market segments, market trends and opportunities and any further data you may need to thrive in the narcotic drugs industry. This narcotic drug market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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