PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1949664
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1949664
A hydrogel-based drug delivery system consists of a network of hydrophilic polymers that can absorb and retain large amounts of water while maintaining a gel-like structure. This system enables controlled and sustained drug release at targeted sites within the body, improving drug stability, bioavailability, and patient compliance through precise dosing and reduced side effects.
The main types of hydrogels used in hydrogel-based drug delivery systems are natural hydrogels, synthetic hydrogels, and hybrid hydrogels. Natural hydrogels are water-absorbing materials derived from natural polymers that mimic living tissue, supporting biocompatible, controlled drug delivery and tissue healing. These hydrogels can carry various types of drugs, including small molecules, large molecules, peptides, and proteins, and are administered through multiple routes, such as topical, injectable, oral, transdermal, and ocular. They are applied in areas including cardiology, oncology, immunology, pain management, and more, serving end users such as hospitals, clinics, research institutes, and others.
Tariffs have impacted the hydrogel-based drug delivery system market by increasing the cost of imported polymers, excipients, and specialized equipment used in hydrogel synthesis and formulation. Segments like synthetic and hybrid hydrogels are most affected, particularly in Asia-Pacific and North American regions that rely heavily on imports. While tariffs have increased production costs and slowed supply chains, they have also encouraged domestic manufacturing, innovation in polymer blends, and development of cost-effective hydrogel solutions.
The hydrogel based drug delivery system market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides hydrogel based drug delivery system market statistics, including hydrogel based drug delivery system industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a hydrogel based drug delivery system market share, detailed hydrogel based drug delivery system market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the hydrogel based drug delivery system industry. This hydrogel based drug delivery system market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.
The hydrogel based drug delivery system market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $7.56 billion in 2025 to $8.36 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to limited hydrogel formulations, reliance on natural hydrogels, low adoption in clinical settings, lack of large molecule delivery systems, growing demand for sustained release therapies.
The hydrogel based drug delivery system market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $12.35 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.2%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to development of synthetic and hybrid hydrogels, increasing focus on oncology and cardiology applications, expansion of injectable and ocular delivery routes, rising adoption of personalized hydrogel therapies, growing investment in research institutes and hospitals. Major trends in the forecast period include rising adoption of injectable and topical hydrogel drug delivery systems, increasing use of hydrogels for targeted oncology and cardiology therapies, development of hybrid hydrogels for enhanced drug release profiles, expansion of research on peptides, proteins, and large molecule delivery, growth in personalized medicine and patient-specific drug formulations.
The increasing number of burn cases is expected to drive the expansion of the hydrogel-based drug delivery system market in the future. Burns occur when the skin or deeper tissues are damaged by heat, chemicals, electricity, or radiation. The rise in such cases is largely due to household accidents involving hot liquids or cooking equipment, highlighting the importance of greater safety awareness in everyday activities. Hydrogel-based drug delivery systems aid burn recovery by creating a moist, protective environment that speeds up healing, reduces pain, and delivers medications in a controlled, sustained manner to support tissue repair and prevent infection. For example, in October 2023, the International Burn Injury Database (iBID), a US-based organization, reported that in the first half of 2023, burns and scalds among children rose by 45% compared to the same period in 2022, while incidents among adults and the elderly from hot water bottles increased by 19%. As a result, the growing prevalence of burn cases is fueling demand for hydrogel-based drug delivery systems.
Key companies in the hydrogel-based drug delivery market are focusing on advanced innovations such as injectable hydrogels to improve targeted delivery and enable controlled, sustained drug release. Injectable hydrogels are soft, water-rich materials administered minimally invasively, allowing drugs to be released directly at the target site with enhanced effectiveness and fewer side effects. For instance, in October 2024, UPM Biomedicals Oy, a biotechnology company based in Finland, introduced Fibgel, the world's first injectable nanocellulose hydrogel designed for permanent implantable medical devices. Made from renewable Finnish birch wood cellulose and water, Fibgel provides a safe, sustainable, and animal-free alternative to synthetic and animal-derived hydrogels. It offers tunable mechanical properties and strong biocompatibility, enabling controlled drug release at the target site. Its shear-thinning nature allows easy injection through minimally invasive procedures, improving patient comfort and speeding recovery.
In May 2025, AmacaThera Inc., a Canadian biotechnology company specializing in sustained-release hydrogel technologies, partnered with Merck Animal Health USA LLC to advance hydrogel-based drug delivery in veterinary medicine. Through this collaboration, Merck Animal Health USA LLC seeks to expand its veterinary portfolio by utilizing AmacaThera's hydrogel platform to develop long-acting, sustained-release formulations that enhance animal health and welfare, providing veterinarians and pet owners with more effective and convenient treatment options. Merck Animal Health USA LLC is a US-based animal healthcare company.
Major companies operating in the hydrogel based drug delivery system market are Johnson & Johnson, Merck KGaA, UPM Biomedicals Oy, The Lubrizol Corporation, Ashland Global Holdings Inc., B. Braun Melsungen AG, Ocular Therapeutix Inc., Primex ehf, Heppe Medical Chitosan GmbH, BioCat GmbH, Micropore Technologies Limited, Akina Inc., KitoZyme SA
North America was the largest region in the hydrogel-based drug delivery system market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the hydrogel based drug delivery system market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.
The countries covered in the hydrogel based drug delivery system market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.
The hydrogel-based drug delivery system market consists of sales of periodontal hydrogels, hydrogel-based microneedle patches, hydrogel-coated drug-eluting stents, hydrogel-based tissue adhesive systems, and hydrogel-encapsulated cell or gene delivery systems. Values in this market are 'factory gate' values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.
The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).
The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.
Hydrogel Based Drug Delivery System Market Global Report 2026 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.
This report focuses hydrogel based drug delivery system market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for hydrogel based drug delivery system ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The hydrogel based drug delivery system market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, total addressable market (TAM), market attractiveness score (MAS), competitive landscape, market shares, company scoring matrix, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.
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