Bulk Drug Intermediates – A Market Review
Bulk drug intermediates are the drugs used as raw elements for the making of bulk drugs, or they can refer to a material generated during synthesis of an API that must endure further molecular change or processing before it matures as an API. Drug intermediates are hygienically formed using high-grade raw materials and they are utilized in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. Pharmaceutical companies apply drugs intermediates for research and development purposes. Pharmaceutical intermediates, veterinary drug intermediates, and bulk drug intermediates are various kinds of drug intermediates. The global drug intermediate market is expected to grow at a tremendous rate owing to increasing research and development activity globally.
The market of drug intermediates is distributed on the basis of type of intermediate, end user, and by region. On the basis of type of intermediate, the market is distributed into two main types:
API intermediate: API or active pharmaceutical ingredient intermediates is the raw elements or raw drugs responsible for therapeutic response. They are the active components which are later converted into various forms such as tablets, capsules, suspensions etc. API functions as a drug itself.
Advanced intermediate: Advanced intermediates are superior forms of drug intermediates.
Advanced intermediate drugs are used to conduct drug interaction activity which formed in new chemical products.
Basic formation of bulk drug substances may employ three major kinds of processes: fermentation, organic chemical synthesis, plus biological and natural extraction (Theodore and McGuinn 1992). These manufacturing operations may be discrete batch, constant or a combination of these processes. Antibiotics, steroids and vitamins are generated by fermentation, whereas many new drug substances are generated by organic synthesis. Historically, most drug substances were obtained from natural sources such as plants, animals, fungi and other organisms. Natural medicines are pharmacologically diverse and difficult to manufacture commercially because of their complex chemistry and limited potency.
On the basis of data of end user, the global drug intermediate market is distributed into Pharmaceutical industry, Biotechnology industry, and Chemical industry.
Drug intermediates are available in numerous forms like moderate quality intermediates,high quality intermediates, also premium quality intermediates. The large and premium quality drug intermediates are used extensively for research purposes. There has been an ever-increasing global request for quality drug intermediates due to the fast-growing biotechnology and life sciences divisions, along with soaring adoption and expanding application in research fields. Pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies, accompanied with research companies are increasing focus toward R&D in drug discovery and development.\
By geography, the market for drug intermediates is distributed into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East as well as Africa. Asia Pacific drives the drug intermediate business owing to growing pharmaceutical and life sciences industry in the region particularly in emerging markets in countries such as India and China. Europe is the second best market for drug intermediates due to development and expansion of more efficient and advanced technologies. The Asia Pacific drug intermediate market is also expected to expand at a growing rate owing to escalating healthcare spending, adoption of modern lifestyle, and growth in research and development.
The growing competition in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry for outsourcing of drug intermediates and manufacturing of drug intermediates is anticipated to heighten the growth of the global drug intermediate business.