Given the growing preferences for target-specific therapies, pharmaceutical companies continue to develop cell therapies that have the potential to target particular disease indications. Cell therapies are a unique treatment approach where healthy cells from the donor or patient are injected into the patient to replace non-function or diseased cells. It is worth highlighting that cell therapies are currently used to treat a wide range of genetic and rare diseases such as cancer, dementia, arthritis, and difficult-to-treat diseases. Over 30 cell and gene therapies have received approval from the FDA, and various cell therapies are in the clinical trial stages of drug development. Cell therapies undoubtedly have gained significant attention, which can be attributed to the huge potential of these therapies in treating a wide array of diseases.
However, for successful results in cell therapies, it is essential to deliver viable doses of cell therapies to the patient safely and in a timely manner. It is also necessary to maintain the integrity and stability of the cell therapies at particular temperatures during transportation or supply chain. Further, cell therapies are required to pass through various stringent regulatory guidelines to maintain quality standards during packaging. Packaging of cell therapies is complex, and owing to the challenges in packaging, several therapy developers have shifted towards outsourcing the packaging to service providers. Driven by the increasing demand for cell therapies, the cell therapy packaging market is estimated to witness steady growth in the upcoming years. In this context, let’s read about the growing opportunities in the cell therapy packaging market that drive growth in the field.
Cell Therapy Packaging Market Landscape
The current cell therapy packaging market features the presence of more than 30 cell therapy packaging service providers. Overall, the market is concentrated on small, mid-sized, and very large companies. Of these firms, 35% of the companies have been established in the market post-2001, representing the presence of various well-established cell therapy packaging services providers. It is worth highlighting here that cell therapy packaging market players have developed more than 60 cell therapy packaging products for the successful delivery of these therapies.
Out of these, 48% of the packaging products used for cell therapy delivery are vials, followed by 28% shipping containers. Notably, 67% of the packaging products utilize plastic as the primary fabrication material. The majority of the plastic containers used for packaging cell therapies are made with polypropylene and ethylene vinyl acetate. Some of the notable examples of packaging bags made with ethylene vinyl acetate as a fabrication material are BIOEAZE™ EVA Bags (Macopharma), EVA BAGS-BIOCELL® (Technoflex), and SAFE2 STEMCHOICE® Freezing Bags (Advatis).
Global Cell Therapy Packaging Market Size
According to the recently published report of Roots Analysis, the global cell therapy packaging market size is anticipated to be worth USD 361 million in 2024. Owing to the rising demand for cell therapy packaging material, the market is projected to expand at a higher CAGR value of 11.8% from 2024-2035. The growth is primarily attributed to the rising prevalence of novel cell-based therapies and the growing pipeline of therapeutic drugs.
Top Growth Opportunities in the Cell Therapy Packaging Market
Currently, the cell therapy packaging market is growing rapidly owing to the emerging opportunities in the field. Some of the growth opportunities that are driving the market are listed below:
▪ Increasing Trend of Outsourcing Operations
Given the complexities of packaging and handling cell-based therapeutic products, key industrial players focus on outsourcing packaging services. The contract cell therapy packaging services providers have the expertise and resources to adequately and securely package cell and gene therapy adequately and securely. Furthermore, outsourcing also helps to overcome the difficulties associated with the regulatory guidelines issued by the FDA for cell therapy packaging products. It is worth noting here that several pharmaceutical companies enter into strategic alliances to expand their existing capabilities and enhance their portfolio. With increasing outsourcing trends, the cell therapy packaging market is anticipated to grow in the upcoming years.
▪ Collaborations and Partnerships Between Leading Companies
The cell therapy packaging market is also driven by the increasing partnerships between industrial stakeholders. The primary goal of the collaboration is to enhance the service portfolio and develop advanced packaging solutions that meet the growing requirement for cell therapy packaging products and services. Most agreements signed between industrial leaders were platform integration / technology and acquisitions / mergers. Additionally, a wide array of partnerships has been signed with the aim of cell therapy logistics. Examples of the top partnerships include, in November 2023, NIPPON EXPRESS and Cryoport, inked an agreement to strengthen their CDMO expertise in this field for temperature-controlled supply chain services.
Leading Companies in the Cell Therapy Packaging Market
With increasing demand for target therapies for treating diseases, there is a surge in the requirement for packaging products for cell and gene therapies that facilitate safe transportation. Considering the ongoing requirement, several key players in this domain have shown keen interest in delivering cell therapy packaging products and services. Some notable examples of the key players who are currently active in the cell therapy packaging market include:
⬝ Almac
⬝ Catalent Biologics
⬝ Cryoport Systems
⬝ Saint-Gobain
⬝ Thermo Fisher Scientific
⬝ West Pharmaceuticals
⬝ Yourway
Key Developments in the Cell Therapy Packaging Market
It is worth highlighting here that the cell therapy packaging market is witnessing several developments and collaborations between key players. The partnership aims to enhance the production of innovative packaging solutions that will have the potential to maintain cell therapy viability and quality and prevent spoilage. Examples of the key developments that have taken place in this domain are listed below:
▪ In October 2023, Cryoport and Be The Match Biotherapies entered into a strategic partnership for the expansion of capabilities of IntegriCell™ ( a form of bioprocessing, cryopreservation, and distribution solutions for the cell therapy market).
▪ In July 2023, Charles River Laboratories launched its lentiviral vector packaging plasmid (a perfect solution for the challenges related to plasmid sourcing in cell and gene-based therapies).
Concluding Remarks
In conclusion, the cell therapy packaging market holds a promising future owing to the ongoing opportunities and innovations to meet future demands. Cell therapies are target-specific drugs that are capable of treating rare diseases. Each cell therapy has been developed with enormous efforts and considerable investment. Hence, it must be stored precisely at ultra-low temperatures to maintain viability and safely transported to the destination. As the demand for novel packaging solutions increases, the cell therapy packaging market will grow substantially in the upcoming years.
About Roots Analysis
Roots Analysis is a global leader in the pharma / biotech market research. Having worked with over 750 clients worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, academia, venture capitalists, and strategic investors for more than a decade, we offer a highly analytical / data-driven perspective to a network of over 450,000 senior industry stakeholders looking for credible market insights. All reports provided by us are structured in a way that enables the reader to develop a thorough perspective on the given subject. Apart from writing reports on identified areas, we provide bespoke research / consulting services dedicated to serving our clients in the best possible way.
