Vaccine Packaging Market Size, Volume and Development Insights

Vaccine Packaging Market Size and Regional Growth Rate

The global vaccine packaging market size is estimated to reach USD 3.27 billion by 2033, up from USD 1.83 billion in 2023, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.14% from 2024 to 2033.

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The vaccine packaging market is set to expand substantially over the forecast timeline. Innovations in vaccine packaging may have an effect on user acceptance and adoption as well as the supply chain. The benefits of these innovative package designs for public health are evident in their simplicity in use, increased safety, and improved logistics of supply and uptake that creates new chances for vaccination. Furthermore, there appears to be strong user acceptance at the national level. Stakeholders worldwide are interested in two packaging innovations currently that are the dual-chamber delivery devices and the compact pre-filled auto-disable devices (CPADs).

The rising incidence of infectious diseases, such as influenza, measles and COVID-19 along with the growing global immunization programs is expected to augment the growth of the vaccine packaging market during the forecast period. Furthermore, the advancements in biotechnology as well as the expansion of the cold chain logistics sector driven by the need to transport temperature-sensitive vaccines safely are also anticipated to augment the growth of the market.

Additionally, the rising investments in healthcare infrastructure and the shift toward single-dose vaccines is increasing the demand for unit-dose packaging formats is also projected to contribute to the growth of the market in the years to come. The global packaging industry size is estimated to grow from USD 1.20 trillion in 2022 to reach an estimated USD 1.58 trillion by 2032, growing at a 3.16% CAGR between 2023 and 2032.

Key Trends and Findings

• Single-dose vaccines are becoming increasingly popular due to their convenience and lower risk of contamination. This has resulted in a surge in demand for unit-dose packaging formats such as vials and ampoules, which improve vaccination delivery efficiency and safety.
• With the growth of mRNA vaccines, particularly for COVID-19, ultra-cold chain packaging has become an important trend. When compared to conventional vaccination methods, which require large amounts of viruses to be cultured and may require between five and ten years to develop, vaccines based on mRNA can be created quickly. These vaccines must be stored at extremely low temperatures, requiring the development of packaging options capable of maintaining these temperatures during transport and storage.
• Several pharmaceutical corporations are already using traceability and authentication systems. For instance, Johnson & Johnson utilizes vials with traceability features and security seals on vaccination packaging. Glass manufacturer Corning is preventing counterfeiting by adding black-light verification to vials. In addition to these authentication methods, a vaccine vial monitor (VVM) is now commonly affixed to vaccination vials.
• Most of the companies are currently focusing on creating packaging that is suitable for various vaccinations.
• For instance, West Pharmaceutical Services continues to be working collaboratively with their partners in the vaccine production industry to rethink packaging and create vials that are multi-vaccine compatible.
• Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a fastest CAGR of 8.29% during the forecast period owing to the increasing government investments in healthcare, expanding vaccine production capacities and a rising focus on immunization programs.
• Europe held largest market share of 37.75% in 2023. This is due to the presence of stringent regulations and a well-established pharmaceutical industry as well as the strong R&D investments.

Market Drivers

Expanding Vaccine Production Capacities

The expansion of vaccine production capacities is expected to fuel the growth of the vaccine packaging market within the estimated timeframe. This is owing to the rise of infectious diseases, pandemics like COVID-19 and the need for routine immunization programs. Thus, pharmaceutical companies and governments are rapidly increasing their vaccine production capacity.

For instance,

• In April 2024, In accordance with the recent mpox outbreak in Africa and the possibility of it spreading across other economies, Bavarian Nordic revealed strategies to improve the manufacturing of its vaccine, Jynneos. As per the company, it has the potential to manufacture up to ten million doses before the end of 2025 and can already supply up to two million extra vaccine doses before the end of 2024. To guarantee the "constant equitable access" to Jynneos, Bavarian Nordic is collaborating with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• In January 2024, to promote quicker, flexible as well as more equitable reactions to the upcoming epidemics of the public health diseases, the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. (SII) is joining the rapidly growing CEPI network of vaccine makers in the Global South. SII's addition to the CEPI production network will have a major impact on vaccine manufacturing initiatives in Global South regions, bringing the world in a better position to meet the 100 Days Mission, which requires developing innovative vaccines against identified or unknown infectious diseases in three months of a global epidemic threat being identified. With an investment of up to $30 million, CEPI plans to strengthen SII's capacity to quickly supply experimental vaccines in the event of an epidemic or pandemic, building on the company's demonstrated history of fast responding to infectious disease outbreaks.

These expansions are not just aimed to fulfill urgent demands, but also to prepare for possible future pandemics and epidemics. As manufacturing capacity increases, so does the demand for efficient, dependable and scalable packaging. The increase in production, particularly in developing countries, is likely to drive the demand for high-volume packaging materials such as vials, prefilled syringes and ampoules.

Market Restraints

Supply Chain Instabilities

The disruptions in the global supply chain for raw materials like glass, plastics and polymers is expected to limit the growth of the market during the forecast period. Geopolitical issues such as the war in Israel, the US-China rivalry, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and elections, had a substantial impact on the global supply chain, particularly on the essential raw materials used by numerous industry verticals. Sharp price increase and the production delays across industries are being caused by constraints on the supplies of certain raw materials, mainly polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and monoethylene (MEG). These chemicals are utilized to make plastics that are found in almost every type of the product such as equipment and packaging.

Moreover, global epidemics and the possibility of new variations increasing could result in labor shortages and border closures that worsen interruptions to the packaging material supply chain. All of these factors focus on the complicated connection that exists among geopolitical stability and the seamless functioning of international supply networks in the packaging industry.

Furthermore, the daily operations of plastics manufacturing firms as well as other organizations outside the sector have been directly impacted by these issues with the raw material supply chain. This material is utilized for manufacturing a multitude of products considered essential for health and wellbeing such as gloves, syringes and medical equipment. This industry is directly and severely impacted by the disruption in the supply chain today. Additionally, the lack of resin has led to an increase in the resin costs globally. Pharmaceutical companies sometimes bear the burden of these higher costs, which may restrict their capacity to mass-produce packaging for vaccines. Consequently, the market's capacity to grow is limited by the general instability of the supply chain, especially in regions with inadequate infrastructure.

Market Opportunities

Advancements in Vaccine Technologies

The developments and advancements in the vaccine technologies are anticipated to augment the growth of the vaccine packaging market in the near future. The landscape of vaccine production has changed due to the emergence of novel immunization techniques as viral vector and mRNA vaccines. A recent advancement incorporates the successful application of mRNA as a protective vaccination. The addition of 5' Kozak and cap sequences, 3' poly-A sequences, codon optimization, altered nucleosides to increase mRNA stability and reduce detection by innate immune cell receptors, intradermal injection to minimize the RNA degradation and the production of thermostable mRNA are some of the methods that can increase the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines.

Some of the recent developments in the new vaccines include

• In July 2024, a new initiative was launched with the goal of accelerating research and development and making human avian influenza (H5N1) messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine candidates more accessible to manufacturers in low- and middle-income nations. This initiative will be led by the Argentine producer Sinergium Biotech, which will make use of the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) mRNA Technology Transfer Programme and the World Health Organization (WHO).
• In June 2024, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received an amended Emergency Use Authorization for Novavax, Inc.'s revised JN.1 COVID-19 vaccine (NVX-CoV2705) for use in people 12 years of age and older. The proposal complies with the World Health Organization's (WHO), European Medicines Agency's (EMA), and U.S. FDA's guidelines to focus on the JN.1 lineage. The JN.1 vaccine from Novavax has shown broad cross-neutralizing antibodies against a variety of variant strains, such as KP.2 and KP.3, suggesting that it may be able to defend against forward drift variations.
• In May 2024, Moderna, Inc. declared that mRESVIA (mRNA-1345), an mRNA respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to defend against lower respiratory tract sickness in the adults sixty years of age and above that is brought on by RSV infection. The approval, which becomes Moderna's second approved mRNA product, was given under the category of breakthrough therapy. The RSV vaccine that comes in a pre-filled syringe which is intended to be as simple to use as possible, saving vaccinators time and lowering the possibility of administrative errors is mRESVIA.

The packaging sector is likely to gain from the growing complexity of vaccines as they continue to develop, creating a higher need for specialized, cutting-edge, and dependable packaging options. This trend presents substantial opportunities for packaging companies to innovate and provide value-added solutions for the next generation of vaccines.

Key Segment Analysis

Material Segment Analysis Preview

The glass segment captured largest market share in 2023. This is due to its unmatched properties that make it the preferred material for vaccine packaging. As it is inert, borosilicate glass is the most common material utilized for packaging vaccines. The ability of this unique glass to withstand chemicals as well as, in particular, heat from the outside is essential for preserving the vaccine. The vaccination within the glass bottles is therefore kept as durable and optimally protected as possible due to the glass only minimally expands in response to variations in the outside temperature.

Further, the packaging used for vaccines needs to be resilient to both the risks associated with international shipping and extremely high temperatures. As a result, glass is the material most frequently used to make vaccine vials since it is strong and can withstand high temperatures. Certain vaccine makers are likely to stick with the current packaging type, even though better packaging is still needed as COVID-19 vaccines require different storage conditions than regular glass vials.

Type Segment Analysis Preview

The vials segment held the largest market share in 2023. Glass vials are preferred for their ability to preserve the stability as well as effectiveness of the vaccines over long periods. Globally, over fifty billion glass vials are made and sold for a variety of uses. SCHOTT, having 20 authorized glasses and factories worldwide, is one of the biggest producers of pharmaceutical packaging units. SCHOTT vials were utilized by three of the four vaccine studies that are undergoing the clinical testing for their vaccination campaigns. It generates approximately eleven billion glass vials annually in total.

Major participants in the pharmaceutical glass vial industry such as SCHOTT, Gerresheimer, Stevanto group, Corning and DWK Life Sciences have expanded their production capacity and quality in response to the continuous demand. Furthermore, vials also comply with the strict regulatory requirements for pharmaceutical packaging, providing the safety required for large-scale vaccination campaigns.

Regional Insights

Europe held the largest market share of 37.75% in the world in 2023. This is due to the well-established and highly advanced healthcare system that supports large-scale vaccine production and distribution across the region. Furthermore, the presence of the most stringent regulatory requirements for vaccine packaging, governed by agencies like the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as well as the expansion of vaccine production capacities is also expected to contribute to the regional growth of the market.

For instance,

• The EU expanded its support for Rwandan vaccine production as the country's first mRNA plant officially opened. As part of the Team Europe Initiative on production and access to vaccines, medications, and health technology in Africa (MAV+), the European Union expanded its Global Gateway investments in the nation. A financial agreement of €40 million was signed by President Paul Kagame and President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission, strengthening Rwanda's ecosystem for producing health products and advancing African healthcare from within. Also, the high vaccination rates, supported by strong government-led immunization programs are further expected to support regional growth of the market in the years to come.

Asia Pacific is likely to grow at fastest CAGR of 8.29% during the forecast period. This is owing to the increasing vaccine production in economies like China and India. As per the data by the Invest India, India has emerged as a dominant force in vaccines for diseases such as measles, Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG), and Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DPT).

For instance,

• Almost 90% of the world's market for the measles vaccination comes from India. India now holds a dominant position in the market, providing 65–70% of the vaccines required by the World Health Organization (WHO). Currently, Telangana's life sciences ecosystem provides about 33% of the vaccines supplied in India, which meets about 60% of the world's vaccine demand. Biologicals and formulations (which include vaccines) make for 77.5% of India's exports of medicines. Additionally, the growing healthcare infrastructure is also anticipated to promote the growth of the market in the region in the years to come.

Recent Developments by Market Companies

• January, 2024: SCHOTT Pharma announced the launch of new glass vials intended for deep-cold medicine storage. EVERIC® freeze vials can tolerate the -80°C storage temperatures required for vaccinations, gene therapy, and mRNA medications. New vials with strength-optimized design lowers breaking risk avoid losing life-saving drugs and expensive downtime.
• February, 2023: West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. expanded its partnership with Corning Incorporated to include exclusive distribution rights for Corning Valor® Glass vials. The company additionally unveiled its initial offering, West Ready Pack™ with Corning Valor® RTU Vials making use of SG EZ-fill® technology.

Vaccine Packaging Market Companies

Some of the key players in vaccine packaging market Schott AG, Gerresheimer AG, Stevanato Group, SGD Pharma, Nipro Corporation, Corning Incorporated, West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., AptarGroup, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), and Catalent, Inc., among others.

Vaccine Packaging Market Segments

By Material

• Plastics
• Glass
• Others

By Type

• Glass Vials
• Prefillable Syringes
• Vial Closures
• Secondary Vaccine Packaging
• Others

By End-Use

• Diagnostic Centers
• Clinical Research Organization
• Others

By Region

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • U.K.
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • South-East Asia
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Rest of Latin America
• Middle East & Africa
  • GCC Countries
  • South Africa
  • Rest of Middle East & Africa