The Global Hydrogel-Based Drug Delivery System Market size accounted for USD 6,415 Mn in 2021 and is estimated to reach USD 12,357 Mn by 2030, with a CAGR of 7.6% from 2022 to 2030.

Hydrogels have a variety of unique properties in terms of porosity, mechanics, interfacial dynamics, and biological responses, making them ideal for a variety of applications. The hydrogels' versatility and diversity extend beyond targeted drug delivery to wound dressings, contact lenses, and tissue engineering, to name a few applications. One key application is drug delivery systems. Hydrogels are made up of 90% water and are extremely porous to allow for drug delivery and controlled release. Hydrogel delivery systems have been used in clinical trials and can improve therapeutic drug delivery outcomes. Hydrogels can control the spatial and temporal withdrawal of a variety of therapeutic agents, such as small-molecule drugs, macro-molecular drugs, and cells. Because of their versatile controllable degradability, physical properties, and ability to protect labile drugs from degradation, hydrogels provide as a framework on which numerous physiochemical reactions with the encapsulated drugs arise to control drug release.

Hydrogel-based Drug Delivery System Market Dynamics

Market Growth Drivers:

• High drug loading capacity
• Easiness of manufacture and self-application quality
• Rise in demand for controlled release of drug delivery systems

Market Restraint:

• High cost of hydrogel
• Compatibility issues with a small number of medicines

Market Opportunities:

• Increasing approval of new hydrogel-based products
• Surging R&D activities related to drug delivery systems

Report Coverage

The surging adoption of supramolecular hydrogels is one of the current trends in the hydrogel-based drug delivery system market. Supramolecular hydrogels are made up of non-covalent intermolecular interactions that hold two or more molecular entities together. The non-covalent cross-linking of these hydrogels is a very appealing feature because it avoids the issues of limited drug loading potential and drug administration for use only as implantable, which would be the only option with a covalently cross-linked network. Thus, the high drug loading capacity of hydrogel is fueling the industry demand in drug delivery applications.

Rising demand for controlled release of drug delivery has created a buzz for hydrogel in the industry. Systemic toxicity and repeated dosing are two issues that plague traditional drug delivery methods. Hydrogels provide convenient drug delivery vehicles that minimize these drawbacks while maximizing the drug's therapeutic benefits. Hydrogels emerge as very efficient drug delivery systems due to their intricately controllable physical properties that grant enormous, controlled drug release characteristics and the benefits they offer for instable drug protection from degradation.

However, the high cost of hydrogels and compatibility issues with a smaller number of medicines are some of the aspects that are creating hurdles for market growth. On the other hand, significant research & development activities, as well as technological advancements related to drug delivery systems, are some of the future opportunities that are boosting the hydrogel-based drug delivery system market revenue. Hydrogel modifications have made significant progress in terms of improving shape memory and reversibility after prolonged stress. The construction of supramolecular hydrogels with tunable mechanical properties and multi-shape memory effects, for example, advances the thermal responsiveness behavior of hydrogels.

Hydrogel-Based Drug Delivery System Market Segmentation

Polymer origin, delivery route, and geography are all used to segment the worldwide hydrogel-based drug delivery system market.

Market by Polymer Origin

• Natural
• Hybrid
• Synthetic

On the basis of polymer origin, the natural segment achieved maximum hydrogel-based drug delivery system market share in 2021. Natural polymers have been studied extensively in medical fields such as tissue engineering and drug delivery. This is attributable to the fact that they are biodegradable and do not cause inflammation in the body. Natural polymers have also been demonstrated to be conducive to cell growth and have a close resemblance to the tissue matrix in tissue engineering. Some of the polymers used in the manufacturing of natural hydrogel include proteins such as gelatin, collagen, and lysosome; and polysaccharides such as hyaluronic acid, chitosan, and alginate. However, the synthetic segment is expected to achieve the fastest growth rate throughout the coming years.

Market by Delivery Route

• Subcutaneous
• Oral Cavity
• Ocular
• Topical
• Others

In 2021, ocular delivery generated the maximum revenue in the delivery route segment, due to their primary application in contact lenses. Furthermore, the delivery of ocular drugs is fraught with difficulties. These are caused by the cornea, conjunctiva, blinking reflex, and nasolacrimal drainage system, among other tissue barriers and defense mechanisms found in the eye. As a result, many traditional ophthalmic preparations, such as eye drops, have low bioavailability profiles, are quickly removed from the administration site, and thus deliver drugs ineffectively. Hydrogels have been studied as a delivery system that may be able to address some of these issues. These have been developed as stand-alone systems or in combination with other technologies like nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the subcutaneous segment is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR throughout the forecast timeframe from 2022 to 2030.

Hydrogel-Based Drug Delivery System Market Regional Overview