Global Lyophilization/Freeze Drying Equipment Market - 2024-2031

Report Overview

The Global Lyophilization/Freeze Drying Equipment Market reached US$ 6.36 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach US$ 12.06 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 8.6% during the forecast period 2024-2031.

Freeze drying or lyophilization equipment removes water or other solvents from the sample, allowing the ice to change directly from a solid to a vapor without passing through a liquid phase. Lyophilization is achieved in various volumes, from small at-home (to freeze-dry foods) freeze dryers to large, production-scale equipment. Laboratory freeze dryers are generally used for research in biological and environmental disciplines and in developing multiple advanced medicines.

Lyophilization/Freeze Drying Equipment Market Dynamics

The growth of the global lyophilization/freeze drying equipment market is driven by technological advancements, increasing demand for lyophilized products and preserved food and rising research and development activities in life sciences.

An increasing advantage of freeze drying process drives the market growth

The increasing number of research and development activities in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries drives the market. As per the article published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics in November 2021, Parenteral biopharmaceuticals are marketed as liquid or solid products manufactured by various fill finish technologies. With about 34 % of biopharmaceuticals marketed as freeze-dried products in the European market, dehydration via freeze-drying is the gold standard for manufacturing solid biopharmaceuticals. Several advantages of Freeze-drying have been recognized. Freeze-drying allows improved shelf-life of heat-sensitive and labile biopharmaceuticals and reduces the requirement for a cold chain. Chemical decomposition is reduced at very low temperatures during the process, with low residual moisture content (RMC) post-processing, keeping the product stable.

In July 2022, NJM launched Dara coolavacuum freeze-drying equipment, suitable for research and development laboratory and commercial fill-finish packaging lines. This equipment is designed with Scada software for FDA 21 CFR part 11 compliance to meet FDA GAMP5 and GMP regulations. Also, In 2020, Coolvavuum became part of the Dara Pharma Group, and Dara has become a global manufacturer capable of offering turn-key solutions for freeze-dried injectable drugs.

The drawbacks related to freeze drying process will hamper the growth of the market

However, several drawbacks are associated with the conventional freeze-drying process. Processing times could vary from days to weeks, with high capital costs and energy consumption leading to reduced efficiency in the overall process. Also, a static process increases the risk of rejection of the entire batch in case of process failure. A batch process is limited to processing small volumes of unit doses, increasing the requirement for many vials. Human intervention during the process can increase the risk of contamination despite current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). In addition, concerns related to heat and mass transfer and scaling up the process, which depend on the dryer design, container closure, load condition and product formulation.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

Vaccines and PCR diagnostic kits for COVID-19 are crucial for fighting the pandemic. One of the largest challenges associated with their storage, transport and use is the requirement for refrigeration or freezing of the material. Lyophilization, or freeze-drying, recreates a key role to play in developing pharmaceutical compounds that are both uniform and reliable. According to Hudson Valley Lyomac organization, freeze-drying stabilizes medicines and allows the industrial production of powders for tableting or encapsulating. Pharmaceutical customers utilize freeze-drying to create products with long shelf life, including vaccines or other injected medications. COVID-19 exclusively increases the demand for lyophilization products and increases the demand for freeze-drying equipment worldwide.

Recently, batch freeze-drying is a modern drying technology for the most biopharmaceutical products. Multiple alternative drying technologies have increasingly offered promising prospects for manufacturing solid biopharmaceuticals without compromising biopharmaceutical products' safety, quality and efficacy. These potential drying technologies are significant to the biopharmaceutical industry as they will not only reduce time, energy consumption and associated costs with the manufacturing of life-saving drugs but also help mitigate any risks with the supply of drugs during Covid-19.

Lyophilization/Freeze Drying Equipment Market Segmentation Analysis

The research segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period (2024-2031)

The research segment accounts for the largest market share. In recent years, biopharmaceuticals have been a breakthrough in enhancing the quality of lives of patients with various autoimmune, cancers, and genetic disorders. With the rising demand for biopharmaceuticals, the need to reduce manufacturing costs is essential without compromising product safety, quality, and efficacy. Freeze-drying is used in the manufacturing of solid biopharmaceuticals.

Freeze dryers provide the advantages such as With freeze drying. Delicate, unstable or heat-sensitive drugs and biologicals can be dried at low temperatures without damaging their physical structure. Freeze-dried products can be reconstituted quickly and easily, which is particularly valuable in the case of emergency vaccines and antibodies, which need to be administered as quickly as possible.

As per the article published in Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews in August 2022, if the liquid stability of a specific biological compound is not desirable, the development of a freeze-dried or frozen product will be the most likely scenario to be followed by formulators. For instance, developing freeze-dried live virus vaccines (LVV).

In addition, the market players are designing freeze dryers for research purposes. For instance, VertMarkets Inc. provides trusted, freeze-drying solutions designed to meet the increasing demands of R&D facilities in industry and academia with a comprehensive equipment range.

Lyophilization/Freeze Drying Equipment Market Geographical Share

Asia Pacific region holds the largest market share of the global lyophilization/freeze drying equipment market

The Asia Pacific dominates the lyophilization/freeze-drying equipment market and is expected to show a similar trend over the forecast period. The market's growth can be attributed to increasing investment in research and development in biotech industries, increasing demand for freeze-dried products, technological advancement, and key players in the Asia Pacific region.

The rising funding for research in biotechnological industries drives the market. For instance, in July 2022, MaxHealth Biotechnology reigned supreme in the Asia-Pacific region's private biotech investment sphere with a $74 million Series B round. The organization will utilize this funding to expand the development of vaccines for infectious diseases, including pandemic influenza, seasonal influenza, rabies and coronavirus.

In addition, the food sector is dominating in the region. The demand for ready-to-use food drives the market for freeze-drying equipment in the Asia Pacific region. For instance, in June 2021, Coca-Cola Japan launched freeze-dried barley tea, coffee cubes, and green tea for instant brews. Freeze drying helps concentrate the original aroma and flavor of tea leaves and coffee beans into the cube for a flavorful brew perfect for packing for excursions or only enjoying at residence with less washing.

Lyophilization/Freeze Drying Equipment Market Competitive Landscape

The lyophilization/freeze-drying equipment market is a moderately competitive presence of local and global companies. Some of the key players which are contributing to the growth of the market are Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Millrock Technology Inc., SP Scientific, Zirbus Technology GmbH, Azbil Telstar SL, LTE Scientific, Biopharma Process Systems Ltd., GEA Group, Martin Christ GmbH, and Cuddon Freeze Dry, among others. The major players are adopting several growth strategies, such as product launches, acquisitions, and collaborations, contributing to the growth of the global lyophilization/freeze-drying equipment market.

For instance,

In March 2020, Telstar developed a novel laboratory freeze dryer, LyoQuest Arctic operating with natural gases, particularly designed for research and development laboratories. It is a bench-top, environmentally friendly lab freeze-dryer. Unlike conventional freeze dryers operating HFC cooling gases, the Lyoquest Arctic decreases the GWP impact more than 1,000-fold.

Millrock Technology, Inc.

Overview:

Millrock Technology is an innovator in advanced freeze-dryer technology for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, and life science applications. It offers a pharmaceutical quality (c-GMP) freeze dryer or a production freeze dryer for the life sciences. Each production freeze dryer is custom designed and manufactured to meet the user's specific application and is cost-effective.

Product Portfolio:

QuantaS Steam Sterilizable Production Freeze Dryer: The QuantaS Steam Sterilizable Production Freeze Dryer supplies cGMP pharmaceutical freeze dryers with 21CFR part 11 and steam sterilization (SIP) for requesting applications in bio-pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical applications.

The global lyophilization/freeze drying equipment market report would provide access to approximately 40+ market data tables, 45+ figures, and in the range of 200 (approximate) pages.