Global Opioids Market Size (2024 - 2029)

Opioids Market Analysis

The Global Opioids Market size is estimated at USD 23.94 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 28.78 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 3.75% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic showed many negative effects across the medical spectrum, which include a decrease in face-to-face appointments and an increase in telehealth visits. The COVID-19 pandemic also resulted in a period of isolation to maintain sufficient capacity in hospitals and to reduce the spread of the virus. Chronic pain was one of the hardest-hit fields from the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving many patients overburdened with their chronic pain and their ongoing treatment delayed. For instance, according to a research article by Rajendra K Sahoo et a., published in the Indian Journal of Anesthesia 2020, the study results found that 63.16% of pain physicians had a fear of spreading or contracting the disease to patients' family members, 26.79% had impaired sleep, 1.43% physicians were feeling depressed, and 8.14% had feelings of anxiety. Also, opioid use at high doses and for long periods of time can impair immune system function, complicating the course of COVID-19 disease. In various stages of the COVID-19, potential suppression of parts of the immune response may be important in prevention, clinical support, and therapeutic use of medications.

Some of the other major factors driving the market growth include the increasing prevalence of diseases that cause chronic pain, such as cancer, arthritis, lower back pain, fibromyalgia and postsurgical pain, inclination toward extended-release formulations from the immediate release of opioids, and the rising focus on the abuse-deterrent formulation (ADF) by generic manufacturers.

Opioids are considered as most effective drugs for the management of pain. Moreover, their use in the management of chronic pain is considered to be standard practice in most parts of the world. Due to an increase in the burden of medical ailments, the Opioids market is expected to grow over the forecast period.

Furthermore, opioids play a key role in post-operative settings to provide adequate analgesia. As per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention October 2021 estimates, about 1 in 4 United States adults (23.7%) or about 58.5 million people have doctor-diagnosed arthritis and this is expected to reach 78 million by 2045. Opioid therapy is the mainstay of orthopedic treatment of patients with moderate to severe pain, and this helps to drives the overall growth of the market. However, factors such as the advent and legalization of cannabis as an alternative to opioids and prescription drug abuse are expected to impede market growth over the forecast period.

Opioids Industry Segmentation

As per the scope of the report, opioids are a class of drugs that act on the nervous system to reduce pain. They are primarily used for pain relief and for anesthesia. The global opioids market is segmented by product type (codeine, fentanyl, morphine, meperidine, methadone, and other product types), receptor binding (strong agonist and mild to moderate agonist), application (pain management (cancer pain, neuropathic pain, osteoarthritis pain, and other pain management), cold and cough, diarrhea, and other applications), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle-East and Africa, and South America). The market report also covers the estimated market sizes and trends for 17 different countries across major regions, globally. The report offers the value (in USD million) for the above segments.