Global pharmaceutical glass tubing market is expected to reach US$ 11.2 Bn by 2030, from US$ 8.3 Bn in 2023, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period. Pharmaceutical glass tubing is used for manufacturing of primary pharmaceutical packaging products such as vials, ampoules, cartridges, and pre-fillable syringes. Rising demand for injectable pharmaceutical formulations and biologics is driving the growth of the global pharmaceutical glass tubing market. Key drivers include growing biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical industries, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, increasing  aging population, and stringent regulatory guidelines for packaging of pharmaceutical formulations.

Global pharmaceutical glass tubing market is segmented by product type, end user, distribution channel, manufacturing process and region. By product type, the vials segment is estimated to account for the largest share of over 40% in 2023. The high use of glass vials for packing injectable drugs is contributing to the large share of this segment.

Global Pharmaceutical Glass Tubing Market- Drivers

• Rising Demand for Injectable Pharmaceuticals: Rising demand for injectable pharmaceuticals and biologics is a major driver for the global pharmaceutical glass tubing market. Injectables like vaccines, insulin, and monoclonal antibodies require high quality packaging to ensure stability and efficacy. Glass is inert and impermeable, providing excellent protection for sensitive injectables. Key therapeutic areas boosting injectables growth include autoimmune disorders, diabetes, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases. The expanding biologics pipeline and increasing chronic conditions globally can boost demand for pharmaceutical glass tubing. For instance, on September 06, 2023, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an essential medicines providing company, announced that it had received Abbreviated New Drug Application (“ANDA”) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for calcium gluconate in sodium chloride injection, 1000 mg/50 mL and 2000 mg/100 mL.
• Growth of Biopharmaceutical Industry: The rapid growth of the global biopharmaceutical industry is boosting demand for pharmaceutical glass tubing. Biologics and biosimilars typically require glass packaging. Key growth factors include rising chronic diseases, technology advances, increased R&D spending, and new drug approvals. Furthermore, a lot of biologics are losing their patents, which is why biosimilars and generics are starting to As biopharma production rises globally, pharmaceutical glass tubing utilization will increase for vials, syringes, and cartridges.
• Stringent Regulations for Pharmaceutical Packaging: Stringent regulatory requirements for pharmaceutical packaging are expected to boost the adoption of glass tubing. Regulatory agencies like the U.S. FDA and EU EMA mandate high quality standards for drug packaging materials to ensure stability and sterility. Glass vials and ampoules provide superior protection against oxygen and moisture as compared to plastics. Tubing made from borosilicate glass conforms to pharmacopeia standards globally. Regulatory emphasis on quality and safety in pharmaceutical packaging will continue to favor glass over other materials.
• Growth in Generics and Small Molecule Drugs: The steady growth of the global generics market and continued importance of small molecule drugs can boost demand for pharmaceutical glass tubing. Small molecule drugs account for about 90% of the pharma market currently. Many of these are manufactured in liquid injectable formulations using glass vials and ampoules. The generics market is projected to reach nearly US$ 500 billion by 2026, led by patent expiries of blockbuster drugs. Generic injectables are expected to witness high growth. Therefore, rising generics coupled with sustained small molecule demand will drive glass tubing adoption.

Global Pharmaceutical Glass Tubing Market- Opportunities

• Increasing Use in Biologics and Vaccines: The rapidly expanding biologics and vaccine markets present significant opportunities for pharmaceutical glass tubing suppliers. Biologics are predominantly packaged in glass as it maintains stability and sterility. The growth of biologics and vaccines will create substantial demand for borosilicate glass tubing for vials, syringes and cartridges. For instance, in March 2021, the European Medicines Agency stated that a new manufacturing site in Germany had been approved for the production of AstraZeneca’s, a multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company,’ COVID-19 vaccine active substance which shows an increase in vaccine manufacturing capacity and supply.
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Tubing: Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is vital for pharmaceutical R&D and quality control. The growing adoption of NMR presents opportunities for borosilicate NMR tubing. Glass remains the preferred material for NMR tubes due to its chemical resistance and transparency to NMR frequencies. Companies are developing specialized borosilicate glass compositions tailored to NMR instruments. For instance, precision NMR tubes that can spin at very high rates. Rising pharmaceutical R&D and stringent quality testing needs will lead to increased usage of high-quality NMR glass tubing.
• Recyclable and Hybrid Glass Tubing: The development of recyclable and hybrid glass tubing solutions presents attractive prospects in the sustainable packaging space. Companies are commercializing recycled glass tubing made using post-consumer cullet as raw material. Hybrid tubing integrates glass with recyclable plastic for improved performance. Favorable environmental regulations are also encouraging the use of recycled and hybrid glass. These solutions align with pharmaceutical goals of eco-friendly packaging. Recyclable and hybrid glass tubing could gain wider adoption in future based on proven reliability and cost-competitiveness.

Global Pharmaceutical Glass Tubing Market- Restraints

• High Costs than Alternate Packaging: The high cost of pharmaceutical glass tubing compared to plastic and other materials may restrain market growth. Glass tubes are around 5 to 10 times more expensive than plastic variants. This prompts some generic injectable and biosimilar manufacturers to opt for cheaper alternatives like COP, PP and PE. Manufacturing processes for glass like Danner and Vello are also capital intensive. However, for critical and premium drugs, benefits of glass outweigh costs. Regulatory concerns with certain plastics also limit adoption as substitutes in primary packaging.
• Preference for All-Plastic Prefilled Syringes: Rising popularity of disposable all-plastic prefilled syringes may hamper the uptake of glass syringe tubing and cartridges. Plastic PFS possess advantages like reduced breakage, easier transportation, pre-attached safety systems and auto-disable mechanisms. Many biologics and vaccines are increasingly switching from glass to COP or COP/cyclic olefin polymer plastic syringes. Key players are expanding plastic PFS capabilities. However, glass remains gold standard for oxygen-sensitive drugs. Borosilicate glass tubing also dominates most regulated market applications currently.
• Limitations of Glass Properties: Certain inherent limitations of glass as a packaging material can restrain global pharmaceutical glass tubing market growth. These include fragility, heavy weight, scratches formation and potential delamination. Glass delamination caused by interaction of drugs with the container surface results in particulate contamination. Glass transport and processing also carries risks of breakage and product loss. Several pharmaceutical and biotech companies maintain a preference for plastic packaging where stability permits owing to benefits such as lighter weight and reduced breakage.

• Growing Adoption of High-speed Tubing Processes: Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly adopting high-speed glass tubing manufacturing technologies to boost productivity and efficiency. New automated processes like Danner flow-out and Vello vertical draw enable rapid, high-volume tubing production with shorter lead times. High-speed processes yield superior dimensional consistency and surface quality. Schott, Nipro, Stevanato, Corning and other market players now offer high-speed pharmaceutical glass tubing production capabilities. The shift from manual gathering to automated processes will continue, given advantages of speed, yield and customization.
• Rising Demand for Ready-to-Fill Vials and Syringes: There is a growing trend towards ready-to-fill pharmaceutical glass vials and syringes with integrated tubing. Ready-to-fill containers are washed, sterilized and siliconized by tubing OEMs prior to delivery. This allows faster filling and assembly for drug companies. Demand is surging from biopharma firms launching sensitive large molecule drugs. Leading tubing players like Schott, Corning and Stevanato are expanding ready-to-fill vials/syringes capacity. Pre-treated containers reduce particle contamination and protein aggregation during filling.
• Increasing Adoption of Plastic-Glass Hybrid Tubing: Hybrid tubing that combines glass with plastic like COP or COC is gaining adoption in pharmaceutical packaging. Hybrids leverage the barrier properties of glass and flexibility of plastics. Drugs with higher lipid content and oxygen sensitivity are ideal candidates for hybrids. Added benefits include reduced breakage risk and improved patient safety with plastic tips. SCHOTT, Nipro and West offer integrated glass-plastic syringe or vial tubing for prefilled applications. Hybrid tubing provides superior protection for sensitive drugs and vaccines as compared to all-plastic systems.
• Growing Use of Vision Inspection Systems: Pharmaceutical glass tubing manufacturers are increasingly utilizing automated vision inspection systems to ensure superior quality. Vision systems perform precise dimensional, visual and defect checks for intricacies like thickness variation and subtle flaws. Systems can inspect up to 600 tubes/min enabling 100% quality control. Players such as SCHOTT use sophisticated camera-based vision coupled with machine learning to detect defects. Strict regulatory standards for pharmaceutical packaging continue to drive the adoption of automated vision inspection across the manufacturing process.

Global Pharmaceutical Glass Tubing Market- Regional Insights

• North America is expected to be the largest market for pharmaceutical glass tubing during the forecast period, accounting for over 33.5% of the market share in 2023. The growth of the market in North America is attributed to the well-established healthcare sector, presence of leading glass tubing manufacturers, and high adoption of injectable pharmaceutical drugs in the region.
• Europe is expected to be the second-largest market for pharmaceutical glass tubing t, accounting for over 28.2% of the market share in 2023. The growth of the market in is attributed to the rising biopharmaceutical industry, increasing production of generics, and government support for the pharmaceutical industry in the region.
• Asia Pacific market is expected to be the fastest-growing market for pharmaceutical glass tubing, with a market share of over 22.6% during the forecast period. The growth of the market in Asia Pacific is attributed to the expanding pharmaceutical manufacturing in developing countries, increasing investments in the biotechnology sector, and rapid urbanization in the region.

 Figure 1. Global Pharmaceutical Glass Tubing Market Share (%), By Region, 2023

Major players operating in the global pharmaceutical glass tubing market include Schott AG, Nipro Pharma Corporation, Corning Incorporated, NEG Glass, PreCision  Glass & Packaging, Shandong Pharmaceutical Glass Co., Ltd., Borosil Glass Works Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Richland Glass, Haldyn Glass Ltd., Duran Group GmbH, Epax Systems, Linuo Group Glass Products Co., Ltd., JSG Pharma, Fushan Technology, NAFEMS, Saverglass Group, Bormioli Rocco S.p.A., SGD S.A., Qorpak, Division of Berlin Packaging.