A Small molecule API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) is a low molecular weight organic compound used to control biological process, with a size on the order of 1 nm. Most of the small molecules can be administered orally and are most likely to be absorbed by the body. Moreover, small molecules have some considerable advantages over large molecules. They can be engineered to deliver a strong therapeutic effect with a small dose, often below 10 mgs and even into micrograms. This class of drugs includes most patented medicines on the market and their generic counterparts. The increasing prevalence of diseases such as cardiovascular and infectious diseases is driving the small molecule API market growth.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the leading cause of death worldwide, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. CVDs are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels and include rheumatic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and other conditions. Thus, with the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, the demand for small molecule API is also increasing. For instance, in February 2021, Regis Technologies completed the expansion of its custom APIs development laboratory facilities in Morton Grove, Illinois to support new API development and manufacturing projects.
One the basis of therapeutic type, the small molecule API market is segmented into urology, dermatology, respiratory disorders, neurology, infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, ophthalmology, metabolic diseases, oncology, and autoimmune diseases. Thus with increasing prevalence of aforementioned diseases, the demand for small molecule API is also increasing. For instance, in April 2021, Lonza planned to invest CHF 200 million (US$ 218.6 million) to construct a new small molecule manufacturing complex in Visp, Switzerland, that will host six levels of manufacturing space. This in turn is expected to augment the small molecule API market growth.
The small molecule API market, in the Asia Pacific, is witnessing robust growth due to strong research and development in API, growing healthcare and pharmaceutical industry, and the increasing adoption of over the counter (OTC) drugs by large patient population. For instance, in December 2020, Piramal Pharma Solutions announced plans to invest US$ 32 million (Rs. 235 crore) to expand its facility in Michigan, US, with additional capacity and new capabilities for development and manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). This in turn is also expected to drive growth of the small molecule API market.
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