Drug Discovery Global Market Report - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts 2023-2030

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), infectious diseases, diabetes, and kidney-related complications are widespread worldwide. According to the WHO data, 17.9m people died from CVDs in 2019. CVDs are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for about 32% of all deaths worldwide. CVDs remain the leading cause of death and disability and remain extremely complex, costly, and burdensome. Thus, the growing burden of various diseases among all age groups and their global prevalence is driving the demand for drug development and the drug market.

In diagnosis, generative AI will allow to identify conditions faster, earlier, and more accurately. The analysis of healthcare’s huge data sets can guide truly personalized care - moving from reporting on populations to giving physicians actionable insights for individuals. AI-based systems help to review and analyze medical histories and patient records. And the data sets they generate will be processed to identify patterns that help predict and reduce serious health issues, particularly through earlier intervention.

Generative AI can more rapidly explore hypotheses, examine alternatives, and play out scenarios, resulting in more and better products, faster and more effectively. It can help to build models to predict which patients may have better outcomes with one therapy versus another, or tailor treatment to a patient’s personal anatomy, disease, and characteristics. And it will continue to advance conducting clinical studies - from pre-trial planning, to participant identifi cation and management, to trial surveillance - helping to increase diversity in clinical trials, which will improve outcomes and increase health equity.

Market Players: The global AI market includes Agilent Technologies, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Merck & Co, Novartis, Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer, Takeda, etc.

Geographical Distribution

North America:

• The United States dominates the drug discovery market in North America, with a large number of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic research institutions, and government agencies actively involved in drug discovery and development.
• Major biotech hubs such as Boston/Cambridge, San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego are key centers for innovation and collaboration in drug discovery.
• The presence of robust research infrastructure, a skilled workforce, favorable regulatory environment, and significant investment in research and development (R&D) contribute to the region's leadership in drug discovery.

Europe:

• Europe is another significant player in the global drug discovery market, with countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, and France being prominent hubs for pharmaceutical research and development.
• The region boasts a strong pharmaceutical industry, renowned academic institutions, and supportive government initiatives fostering innovation and collaboration in drug discovery.
• Emerging biotech clusters in cities like London, Cambridge (UK), Berlin, and Basel contribute to the region's vibrant drug discovery ecosystem.

Asia-Pacific:

• The Asia-Pacific region, particularly countries like China, Japan, and South Korea, is increasingly becoming a hotspot for drug discovery and development.
• China's growing biopharmaceutical industry, government investments in research infrastructure, and a large pool of skilled scientists are driving innovation in drug discovery.
• Japan has a strong pharmaceutical industry and is known for its expertise in drug discovery, particularly in areas such as small molecule drugs and regenerative medicine.
• Singapore and South Korea are emerging as attractive destinations for drug discovery research, supported by government incentives and investments in biotechnology.

Latin America:

• Latin America has a growing pharmaceutical industry and is becoming an increasingly important player in the drug discovery market.
• Countries like Brazil and Mexico have established pharmaceutical sectors and academic research institutions engaged in drug discovery activities.
• The region offers opportunities for clinical research, particularly in diseases prevalent in the region, and collaborations with international pharmaceutical companies.

Middle East and Africa (MEA):

• MEA region is gradually emerging as a destination for drug discovery research and development, with countries like Israel, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) leading the way.
• Israel, known for its innovation ecosystem, has a thriving biotechnology sector engaged in drug discovery and development.
• South Africa has a growing pharmaceutical industry and conducts clinical research, particularly in diseases like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

Challenges:

• High Failure Rates: Drug discovery and development entail high failure rates, with a majority of drug candidates failing to progress beyond preclinical and clinical trials. This results in significant financial losses for pharmaceutical companies and delays in bringing new therapies to market.
• Complexity of Diseases: Many diseases, especially complex and multifactorial conditions like cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and autoimmune diseases, pose significant challenges to drug discovery due to their heterogeneous nature and poorly understood underlying mechanisms.
• Increasing Regulatory Scrutiny: Regulatory requirements for drug approval are becoming more stringent, particularly regarding safety and efficacy considerations. Meeting regulatory standards adds complexity and costs to the drug development process.
• Rising R&D Costs: The cost of researching and developing a new drug continues to escalate, driven by factors such as increasing clinical trial expenses, complexity of target identification and validation, and investment in advanced technologies.
• Drug Resistance: The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens and cancer cells poses a significant challenge to drug discovery efforts. Addressing drug resistance requires innovative approaches and a deeper understanding of resistance mechanisms.
• Intellectual Property Issues: Intellectual property (IP) challenges, including patent expirations, patent disputes, and generic competition, can impact the profitability of drug discovery projects and deter investment in innovative therapies.

Opportunities:

• Advancements in Technology: Rapid advancements in technologies such as high-throughput screening, computational biology, artificial intelligence (AI), and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing offer new opportunities for accelerating the drug discovery process, identifying novel drug targets, and optimizing lead compounds.
• Personalized Medicine: The shift towards personalized medicine and precision therapeutics presents opportunities for targeted drug discovery approaches tailored to individual patient characteristics, genetics, and disease subtypes.
• Collaborative Research Models: Collaborative research models involving partnerships between pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, government agencies, and biotechnology startups facilitate knowledge sharing, resource pooling, and access to diverse expertise, accelerating drug discovery efforts.
• Biologics and Gene Therapies: The growing focus on biologics, gene therapies, and cell-based therapies opens up new avenues for drug discovery, offering innovative treatment modalities with the potential for enhanced efficacy and reduced side effects.
• Repurposing Existing Drugs: Drug repurposing or repositioning involves identifying new therapeutic uses for existing drugs. This approach offers cost and time-saving advantages by leveraging existing safety and pharmacokinetic data, accelerating the path to clinical translation.
• Global Market Expansion: The global drug discovery market presents opportunities for expansion into emerging markets, including Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East, driven by factors such as rising healthcare spending, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, and improving regulatory frameworks.

Overall, while the drug discovery market faces significant challenges, there are also ample opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and the development of breakthrough therapies to address unmet medical needs and improve patient outcomes. Success in drug discovery requires a combination of scientific expertise, technological innovation, strategic partnerships, and adaptive approaches to navigate the complexities of the drug development process.

Market News

In February 2024, AstraZeneca announced that it is investing $300m in a state-of-the-art facility in Rockville, Maryland to establish life-saving cell therapy platforms for critical cancer trials and future commercial supply.

In 2023, as Abbott’s production of infant formula increased in the U.S., Abbott made progress toward recovering market share in this business. In the fourth quarter of 2023, Abbott returned to having the market-leading position in the U.S., as measured on a volume basis.

During the third quarter of 2023, Agilent Technologies made the decision to exit the Resolution Bioscience business within diagnostics and genomics segment and recorded a long-lived asset impairment charge of $270m. In the fourth quarter of 2023, Agilent Technologies received an unsolicited offer and entered into an agreement to divest the Resolution Bioscience business for $50m.

Market Players:

• Abbott Laboratories, Inc.
• Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• AstraZeneca, PLC
• Bayer AG
• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
• Celera Corp.
• Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.
• Eli Lilly and Company
• Evotec SE
• F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG
• Gyros Protein Technologies AB
• Incyte Corp.
• Merck & Co. Inc.
• Novartis
• Perkinelmer, Inc.
• Pfizer Inc.
• Shimadzu Corp.
• Takeda Pharmaceuticals
• Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Methodology

Information from company websites, official reports, promotional materials and press releases, as well as authoritative industry reports and market databases have been used for this extensive research. The list of key market players was compiled in such a way as to provide key information about their products and innovations with a special focus on financial performance, investments and M&A activity. The key challenges faced by the market players have been identified along with the market trends.