Medical Rubber Stopper Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Surface Treatment (Siliconize, Teflon-coated, Uncoated Stoppers), By Application (Laboratory, Diagnostic), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Medical Rubber Stopper Market Trends

The global medical rubber stopper market size was estimated at USD 1,684.05 million in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5% from 2023 to 2030. The growing end-use industries, such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology, are expected to drive product demand over the forecast period. Moreover, the increasing focus on drug safety and efficacy is leading to more stringent regulations and standards for pharmaceutical packaging, which, in turn, is expected to stimulate market growth. The aging population and increasing childbirth rate worldwide are significant demographic trends that have a direct impact on the demand for stoppers in various industries, particularly healthcare, pharmaceutical, and infant care.

This outlook directly leads to a higher demand for stoppers as pharmaceutical companies are seeking reliable packaging solutions to maintain the efficacy and safety of their products, such as vials, ampoules, and prefilled syringes. According to the Eurostat, in 2022, over 21.1% of the EU population was aged 65 years and above. Moreover, the average age of people in the EU was higher, reaching 44.4 years. This means that 50% of the EU's population was older than 44.4 years. The geriatric population is more susceptible to age-related diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. These diseases require specialized injectable treatments including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and neurodegenerative disease medications. Therefore, the aging demographic is expected to boost the demand for injectable medicine.

This, in turn, is anticipated to trigger the market growth over the forecast period. Furthermore, the global vaccination drive, accelerated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, Ebola virus outbreak, and yellow fever outbreaks, led to the production of billions of vaccine doses. Several vaccine doses, including those developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and others, were developed and distributed to control the spread of the virus. For instance, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, in the U.S., 270,227,181 people received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, representing 81.4% of its population. Currently, there have been 984,444,295 doses distributed, with 676,728,782 doses administered.

Each of these doses requires secure sealing with stoppers to preserve their potency and effectiveness. This outlook is anticipated to boost vaccine production, and simultaneously bolster the product demand over the forecast period. Moreover, the biotechnology sector heavily emphasizes developing and manufacturing innovative vaccines, including mRNA vaccines. These cutting-edge vaccines often require specialized stoppers for their storage and administration. The mRNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, require ultra-low temperature storage to maintain their stability. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, for example, needs to be stored at around -70°C (-94°F). Specialized stoppers play a crucial role in sealing vials and containers used for storing these vaccines at such low temperatures.

Surface Treatment Insights

Based on surface treatment, the market is segmented into siliconized, Teflon-coated, and uncoated stoppers. The Teflon-coated segment accounted for the largest revenue share of over 64.0% in 2022. Teflon-coated stoppers are biocompatible and prevent reacting with or leaching harmful substances into the contents of vials, syringes, and ampoules, ensuring the safety of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Hence, its biocompatibility is expected to increase product demand over the forecast period.

Siliconized stoppers have a smooth and lubricated surface due to the silicone coating. This reduces friction during the insertion or removal of the stopper from a vial or ampoule, making it easier for pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to handle and assemble their products. In addition, the enhanced sealing properties of siliconized stoppers contribute to a longer shelf life for pharmaceutical products, which is expected to increase the demand for siliconized stoppers over the forecast period.

Application Insights

Based on application, the market is segmented into laboratory, diagnostic, human injectable, and animal injectable. The animal injectable segment accounted for the largest share of over 33.0% in 2022. This positive outlook is due to the growing veterinary pharmaceutical industry, rising pet ownership, and livestock farming & agriculture. Moreover, outbreaks of diseases affecting animals, such as canine distemper in dogs, feline panleukopenia in cats, and avian influenza in poultry, led to mass vaccination campaigns. These campaigns require large quantities of injectable vaccines and, consequently, are expected to drive the product demand in the animal injectable segment.

The human injectable segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period. The prevalence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, is on the rise, increasing the demand for injectable medications for disease management. This, in turn, is expected to boost the demand for medical rubber stoppers over the forecast period. Furthermore, the development and distribution of vaccines, especially during global health crises, such as pandemics, is anticipated to trigger product demand during the forecast period.

Regional Insights

The North America region accounted for the largest revenue share of over 37.0% in 2022. The product demand in the region is driven by the rising use of stoppers in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Moreover, the presence of major vaccine manufacturers, such as Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., and Sanofi, in North America also leads to the dominance of this region in the global market. The Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period owing to the increasing healthcare expenditure and biopharmaceutical growth.

Moreover, several countries in the region, including India and China, are emerging as major hubs for pharmaceutical manufacturing. These countries produce a significant portion of the world's pharmaceuticals, necessitating a substantial demand for secure packaging, which is projected to further spur product demand over the forecast period. Furthermore, the high demand for home-based diagnostics services, knee surgeries, and pharmaceuticals in Australia due to the growing aging population is anticipated to fuel the consumption of injectable medicines and blood sample collection & storage tubes, boosting the product demand.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Major players are undertaking different strategies, such as product launches, mergers, joint ventures, acquisitions, and geographical expansions, to gain higher market shares. For instance, in June 2022, West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., a major player in advanced solutions for injectable drugs, introduced a new product line called 4040 LyoTec Westar Select. This line includes Ready-to-Use (RU) and Ready-to-Sterilize (RS) Lyophilization Stoppers. These are the initial offerings in a series of vial closures created using West's 4040/40 gray elastomer formula. Some of the prominent players operating in the global medical rubber stopper market are:

• AptarGroup, Inc.

• Dätwyler Holding Inc.

• West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

• Hualan NPM

• Hubei Huaqiang High-Tech Co., Ltd.

• Samsung Medical Rubber Co., Ltd.

• Jiangsu Best New Medical Material Co, Ltd.

• Bharat Rubber Works Pvt. Ltd.

• Jiangyin Hongmeng Rubber Plastic Product Co., Ltd.

• SHRIJI Rubber Industries

• Jain Rubbers Pvt. Ltd.

• Universal Medicap Ltd.

• Lonstroff AG

• Bormioli Pharma S.p.A.

• APG Europe

• Sagar Rubber Products Pvt. Ltd.

• Shengzou Rubber & Plastics Co., Ltd.

Medical Rubber Stopper Market Report Scope

Global Medical Rubber Stopper Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at a global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global medical rubber stopper market report based on surface treatment, application, and region:

• Surface Treatment Outlook (Volume, Million Units; Revenue, USD Million 2018 - 2030)

  • Siliconized

  • Teflon-coated

  • Uncoated Stoppers

• Application Outlook (Volume, Million Units; Revenue, USD Million 2018 - 2030)

  • Laboratory

  • Diagnostic

  • Human Injectable

  • Animal Injectable

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Million Units; Revenue, USD Million 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • Italy

    • France

    • Spain

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • South Korea

    • Australia

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa

    • Saudi Arabia