The 2025 Global Drug Delivery System Trends Report
This report offers detailed market analysis and thought leadership insights on how to address strategic questions, arming pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers, CDMOs, and investors with actionable intelligence to stay competitive in this dynamic and fast-growing sector.
The 2025 Global Drug Delivery System Trends Report
This report offers detailed market analysis and thought leadership insights on how to address strategic questions, arming pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers, CDMOs, and investors with actionable intelligence to stay competitive in this dynamic and fast-growing sector.
This report released in partnership with:
This report released in partnership with:
Inside the Report
Executive Summary
The drug delivery systems (DDS) market is undergoing a structural transformation, driven by the rapid expansion of biologics, intensified competition in GLP-1s and biosimilars, and the growing demand for patient-centric and sustainable solutions. Devices are no longer viewed simply as delivery tools; they are becoming platforms for differentiation, real-world evidence generation, and healthcare system efficiency.
- Digitalization, Sustainability, and Patient Centricity
DDS providers are embedding digital features and co-developing devices with patients to improve adherence tracking, generate real-world evidence, and enhance usability in diabetes, GLP-1 therapies, and rare chronic diseases. Sustainability is becoming a critical priority, with reusable injectors, eco-packaging, and greener manufacturing aligned with PPWR 2035 and ESG commitments now essential in pharmaceutical partnerships and procurement decisions. - Large-Volume Subcutaneous Delivery Gains Momentum
Growing demand is driven by biologics market growth of 14% in 2024, reaching $474 billion. Approximately 15% of clinical-stage biologics fall into this large-volume subcutaneous category, with nearly half requiring 2–5 mL delivery volumes. - Platform Autoinjectors Replace Custom Development
Pharmaceutical companies increasingly favor pre-validated, off-the-shelf autoinjector platforms to reduce costs, accelerate time to market, and lower regulatory risk. These platforms dominate GLP-1 therapies – 80% of pipeline programs use injectable delivery – and biosimilars, while custom autoinjectors remain relevant for complex biologics. - CDMO Integration Strengthens DDS Value Chain
Biopharma companies partner with contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) to receive end-to-end drug-device continuum support that enhances efficiency, scalability, and speed to market. CDMOs are investing heavily to expand capabilities upstream in design, automation, digital manufacturing, and downstream in drug product development and fill-finish.
Executive Summary
The drug delivery systems (DDS) market is undergoing a structural transformation, driven by the rapid expansion of biologics, intensified competition in GLP-1s and biosimilars, and the growing demand for patient-centric and sustainable solutions. Devices are no longer viewed simply as delivery tools; they are becoming platforms for differentiation, real-world evidence generation, and healthcare system efficiency.
- Digitalization, Sustainability, and Patient Centricity
DDS providers are embedding digital features and co-developing devices with patients to improve adherence tracking, generate real-world evidence, and enhance usability in diabetes, GLP-1 therapies, and rare chronic diseases. Sustainability is becoming a critical priority, with reusable injectors, eco-packaging, and greener manufacturing aligned with PPWR 2035 and ESG commitments now essential in pharmaceutical partnerships and procurement decisions. - Large-Volume Subcutaneous Delivery Gains Momentum
Growing demand is driven by biologics market growth of 14% in 2024, reaching $474 billion. Approximately 15% of clinical-stage biologics fall into this large-volume subcutaneous category, with nearly half requiring 2–5 mL delivery volumes. - Platform Autoinjectors Replace Custom Development
Pharmaceutical companies increasingly favor pre-validated, off-the-shelf autoinjector platforms to reduce costs, accelerate time to market, and lower regulatory risk. These platforms dominate GLP-1 therapies – 80% of pipeline programs use injectable delivery – and biosimilars, while custom autoinjectors remain relevant for complex biologics. - CDMO Integration Strengthens DDS Value Chain
Biopharma companies partner with contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) to receive end-to-end drug-device continuum support that enhances efficiency, scalability, and speed to market. CDMOs are investing heavily to expand capabilities upstream in design, automation, digital manufacturing, and downstream in drug product development and fill-finish.
The global healthcare landscape is undergoing a significant transformation driven by the rising burden of chronic disease, changing care delivery models, and movement towards value-based healthcare. These changes are causing shifts in the demand for DDS solutions.
ARTICLE – 4 MIN. READ
Pharma and biotech companies now expect CDMOs to support broader strategic priorities, creating a new set of requirements for DDS players that emphasizes usability, connectivity, flexibility, scalability, and the ability to deliver measurable clinical and economic value.
ARTICLE – 3 MIN. READ
The global healthcare landscape is undergoing a significant transformation driven by the rising burden of chronic disease, changing care delivery models, and movement towards value-based healthcare. These changes are causing shifts in the demand for DDS solutions.
Pharma and biotech companies now expect CDMOs to support broader strategic priorities, creating a new set of requirements for DDS players that emphasizes usability, connectivity, flexibility, scalability, and the ability to deliver measurable clinical and economic value.
ARTICLE – 4 MIN. READ
ARTICLE – 3 MIN. READ
DDS Market Trends
Companies should consider a variety of trends within the DDS market, especially with the powerful forces shaping the demand for DDS today. These trends share common goals: flexibility in how care is delivered, relief of the burden on the healthcare system, and, vitally, an improved patient experience that leads to better compliance and retention.
Driven by rising expectations from patients, payers, regulators, and pharmaceutical companies, today’s DDS must go beyond drug administration. Smart DDS technologies like connected autoinjectors are gaining traction for their ability to monitor treatment adherence, improve dosing precision, and enhance overall safety.
Pharma companies are under growing pressure to embed sustainable practices, and manufacturers are developing reusable formats that help cut waste. These efforts respond not only to sustainability goals but also to evolving regulations and payer demands that increasingly favor low-waste, recyclable, and reusable solutions.
Multiple forces are pushing DDS toward greater patient centricity, making devices more intuitive, clinically relevant, and empowering. Sustained engagement requires not only embedding these devices within broader digital health ecosystems but also designing them around the needs of their end users: patients and caregivers.
ARTICLE – 4 MIN. READ
ARTICLE – 4 MIN. READ
ARTICLE – 4 MIN. READ
Driven by rising expectations from patients, payers, regulators, and pharmaceutical companies, today’s DDS must go beyond drug administration. Smart DDS technologies like connected autoinjectors are gaining traction for their ability to monitor treatment adherence, improve dosing precision, and enhance overall safety.
ARTICLE – 4 MIN. READ
Pharma companies are under growing pressure to embed sustainable practices, and manufacturers are developing reusable formats that help cut waste. These efforts respond not only to sustainability goals but also to evolving regulations and payer demands that increasingly favor low-waste, recyclable, and reusable solutions.
ARTICLE – 4 MIN. READ
Multiple forces are pushing DDS toward greater patient centricity, making devices more intuitive, clinically relevant, and empowering. Sustained engagement requires not only embedding these devices within broader digital health ecosystems but also designing them around the needs of their end users: patients and caregivers.
ARTICLE – 4 MIN. READ
LVSC delivery models enable treatment in outpatient or home settings, reducing strain on healthcare systems while offering patients convenience and autonomy. Despite a few challenges, this evolution reflects an industry shift, with pharma companies strategically adopting delivery systems that combine higher-volume capacity with ease of use.
Pharma companies are increasingly prioritizing platform-based autoinjectors over bespoke devices, driven by the growing need for speed, scalability, and cost efficiency. As biologic and biosimilar pipelines expand and competition intensifies, standardized platform solutions provide a faster, more predictable, and lower-risk path to market.
SC delivery models enable treatment in outpatient or home settings, reducing strain on healthcare systems while offering patients convenience and autonomy. Despite a few challenges, this evolution reflects an industry shift , with pharma companies strategically adopting delivery systems that combine higher-volume capacity with ease of use.
ARTICLE – 4 MIN. READ
Pharma companies are increasingly prioritizing platform-based autoinjectors over bespoke devices, driven by the growing need for speed, scalability, and cost efficiency. As biologic and biosimilar pipelines expand and competition intensifies, standardized platform solutions provide a faster, more predictable, and lower-risk path to market.
ARTICLE – 4 MIN. READ
Pressures to reduce manufacturing costs, accelerate time-to-market, and improve productivity are reshaping the DDS value chain. CDMOs are pursuing upstream and downstream integration in response, positioning themselves as strategic partners that enable efficiency, innovation, and competitive differentiation.
ARTICLE – 8 MIN. READ
Outlook
The DDS sector is undergoing a fundamental shift, shaped by the rapid growth of biologics, intensified competition across therapeutic areas and drug classes such as metabolic diseases (GLP-1 therapies) and biosimilars, and rising demands for patient-centric, sustainable solutions. DDS are no longer secondary to therapy; they are becoming core enablers of differentiation, market access, and adherence.
Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly turning to platform-based autoinjectors to accelerate time-to-market, manage costs, and reduce technical risk, while still seeking bespoke solutions for complex biologics requiring specialized delivery. CDMOs are evolving from tactical suppliers into strategic end-to-end partners at the same time, pursuing upstream and downstream integration to cover the full drug–device value chain. This shift enables earlier lifecycle engagement, tighter regulatory alignment, and more resilient supply chains, while offering pharma greater agility and scalability.
The winners in DDS will be those players that combine scalable platforms with flexibility, embed digital and sustainable principles into design and manufacturing, and operate as integrated partners to pharma and biotech. DDS leaders will play a decisive role in how effectively next-generation therapies reach patients and sustain competitive advantage in a fast-moving market by aligning innovation with speed, cost efficiency, and patient usability.
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