Opioids Market Size, Share, and Industry Analysis, By Drug Class (Short Acting and Long Acting), By Route of Administration (Oral, Parenteral, Transdermal, and Others), By Application (Pain Relief, Cough Suppression, and Others), By Distribution Channels (Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies & Drug Stores, and Online Pharmacies), and Regional Forecast, 2025-2032

Opioids are a class of drugs that includes both natural and synthetic substances derived from opium poppy plants or synthesized to mimic the effects of natural opiates. They act on the nervous system to relieve pain. Some common opioids include morphine, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and others. The need for opioids arises from their ability to provide effective pain relief, especially in cases where other medications are ineffective. In pharmaceutical usage, opioids are primarily prescribed to manage moderate to severe pain, such as post-operative pain, cancer-related pain, or pain due to injuries. They are also used in the treatment of severe diarrhea and cough suppression.

Additionally, the increasing prevalence of pain associated with chronic diseases leads to the increasing prescription of opioid drugs by healthcare professionals, contributing to the growing need for opioids.

• For instance, according to the data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in April 2023, in 2021, an estimated 51.6 million U.S. adults experienced chronic pain and 17.1 million adults experienced high-impact chronic pain. Such situations lead to an increase in physician’s prescriptions for opioids, thereby driving market growth.


• According to the data published by the National Health Statistics Reports in August 2021, the National Health Interview Survey in 2019 reported that 22.1% of U.S. adults with chronic pain used prescription opioids within three months.

Although effective in alleviating pain, opioids carry a variety of potential side effects. These include drowsiness, constipation, nausea, respiratory depression, itching, tolerance, dependence, and addiction. However, to address the issues, prominent players are launching new opioid formulations to treat opioid use disorders, fueling the growth of the opioid market.

• For instance, in May 2023, Braeburn Inc. announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of BRIXADI (buprenorphine) extended-release injection used to treat opioid use disorder. Such regulatory approvals and the launch of new formulations to decrease the side effects associated with the drug escalate the growth of the market.

Moreover, an increase in research and development activities for developing new advanced formulations of drug propels the growth of the market.

Key Insights

The report covers the following key insights:

• Advancements in the Opioids Formulations


• New Product Launches/Approvals – By Key Players


• Key Industry Developments (Mergers, Acquisitions, Partnerships, and Others)


• Impact of COVID-19 on the Market

Segmentation

Analysis by Drug Class

Based on duration of action, the opioids market is segmented into short-acting and long-acting opioids.

The short-acting opioids segment accounted for a dominant share of the global opioids market in 2023.

The dominance is credited to the immediate relief from breakthrough pain, flexible dosing, and reduced risk of accumulation compared to long-acting opioids.

Moreover, short-acting opioids are required for immediate pain relief from post-surgical pain and an increasing number of surgeries in hospitals leads to more prescriptions for short-acting, immediate-release formulations of opioids.

• For instance, according to data published by the 2022 American Joint Replacement Registry Annual Report, 2.3 million procedures and 2.6 million hip and knee arthroplasty procedures were performed between 2012-2020 and 2012-2021. An increase of 9.7% was observed in the hip and knee arthroplasty procedures. Thus, the increasing number of surgeries leads to a rise in the adoption of short-acting opioids, leading to the segment growth during the forecast period.

Furthermore, an increase in the prevalence of pain related to chronic diseases worldwide leads to escalating the growth of the market.

Regional Analysis

North America held a dominant share of the opioids market in 2023 and is expected to maintain its dominant position over the forecast period. The region has significantly high rates of opioid prescribing for pain management, contributing to the large market size. Furthermore, the dominance of this region is attributed to factors such as the aging population and an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, resulting in higher rates of chronic pain conditions and subsequently driving the increased adoption of opioids for pain management.

• For instance, in February 2024, according to data published by the National Cancer Institute, around 20.0% - 50.0% of patients with cancer suffer from pain, and approximately 80.0% of patients who have advanced-stage cancer suffer from moderate to severe pain. Such a high prevalence of patients with pain associated with chronic disease propels the growth of the segment in the global market.

Additionally, the region has a well-developed healthcare infrastructure that enables widespread access to opioid medication, with several major pharmaceutical companies of the region contributing to the region’s dominance in the global opioid market.

Key Players Covered

The report includes the profiles of key players such as Purdue Pharma L.P., Mallinckrodt, Grünenthal, Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC., Fresenius Kabi AG, Pfizer Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals (Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc).

Key Industry Developments

• In July 2023, Fresenius Kabi AG launched prefilled syringes of Fentanyl Citrate Injection, USP with 100 mcg per 2 mL, branded as Simplist. This development aims to assist healthcare professionals in safely administering the drug, minimizing dosing errors, and reducing drug wastage.

• In November 2022, Grünenthal joined forces with Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. to create an extensive collection of medicines spanning six therapeutic fields, featuring a total of 13 brands. The majority of the revenue is generated by medications specifically designed for pain management.

In September 2019, Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited launched a generic oxycodone hydrochloride hydrate formulation in the form of extended-release tablets for the treatment of cancer pain in Japan.