Polymer Microspheres Market - Forecast(2024 - 2030)

Polymer Microspheres Market Overview

Polymer Microspheres Market size is forecast to reach $1.5 billion by 2026, after growing at a CAGR of 8.9% over the forecast period 2021-2026. The microspheres are used in various industrials applications due to their expandable property also polymer microspheres are used as synthetic materials in the pharmaceutical industry. The polymer microsphere provides a drug concentration in blood and prolongs the therapeutic effects. These are also used as embolization therapy treatment, which use to block the flow of blood to an abnormal area of tissue. This therapy is used to treat some diseases like liver cancer, kidney cancer, and neuroendocrine tumors. Polymer microspheres are classified into two types; natural and synthetic, which are used for drug delivery, wherein a drug can be encapsulated form. Microspheres are used to control a drug release rate, which helps to eliminate the inconvenience of repeated injections. On the other hand, an expandable polymer microsphere is extremely lightweight and zero volatile organic compounds; hence it is used as a bulking agent for various industrial applications. Furthermore, the demands of polymer microspheres will be continuously increased in near future.

Impact of COVID-19

However, during the year 2020, major sectors saw a steady decline in growth owing to the decrease in transportation during the lockdown pandemic. But due to COVID-19, the medical sector saw growth during the pandemic. The rise in consumer awareness about the importance of polymer microspheres in embolization treatment therapy, drug delivery, and gene delivery is encouraging a positive trend towards using the polymer microspheres.

Report Coverage

The report: “Polymer Microspheres Market – Forecast (2021-2026)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Polymer Microspheres Industry.

By Material: Polyethylene, Polystyrene, Polypropylene, and others
By Type: Biodegradable polymeric microspheres (Natural Polymers) and Synthetic polymeric microspheres
By Application: Pharmaceutical {Drug Delivery (Oral drug delivery, Nasal drug delivery, Buccal drug delivery, Vaginal drug delivery, Others), Gene Delivery, Monoclonal Antibodies, Others}, Cosmetic & Personal Care (Skin Care, Hair Care, Others), Paints and Coatings, Plastic Industry, Electronics (Monitors, LED, Smart Phones, Others Electronic Gadgets), and Others
By Geography: North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico), Europe (UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands, Russia, Belgium, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia & New Zealand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Rest of Asia Pacific), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Rest of South America), and RoW (Middle East and Africa) 

Key Takeaways

• North America dominates the polymer microspheres market, owing to increasing demand from the cosmetic and personal care industry and pharmaceutical industry due to the increasing elderly population in the region.
• Polymer microspheres are used as a bulking agent in soft tissue and embolization therapy. This therapy is used to stop bleeding to a tumor and allow the blocked blood vessel to cut off blood flow an affected area.
• Polymer microspheres are used as synthetic materials in the medical industry like drug delivery vehicles and embolic particles, also it is used to safe and biocompatible in other clinical applications, which boosts the demand for polymer microspheres in near future.

Figure: North America Polymer Microspheres Market, 2021-2026 (US$ Billion)

Polymer Microspheres Market Segment Analysis – By Material

Polystyrene material type segment held a significant share in the polymer microspheres market in 2020 as it is widely used in diagnostics and coated with recognition molecules like antibodies. Due to its clarity and ease of sterilization, polystyrene is used for a wide range of medical applications, including tissue culture trays, test tubes, Petri dishes, diagnostic components, housings for test kits, and medical devices. Polystyrene microspheres are typically used in biomedical applications due to their ability to facilitate procedures such as cell sorting and immune precipitation. Proteins and ligands absorb onto polystyrene readily and permanently, which makes polystyrene microspheres suitable for medical research and biological laboratory experiments.

Polymer Microspheres Market Segment Analysis – By Type

Synthetic polymeric microspheres product type segment held a significant share in the polymer microspheres market in 2020. The synthetic polymeric microsphere is widely used in clinical applications as a bulking agent, fillers, embolic particles, and drug delivery vehicles. They serve diverse roles that range from bulking agents to drug delivery depots. Hence, the number of medical applications for synthetic biomaterials continues to expand. In addition, microspheres provide constant and prolonged therapeutic effects and help to reduce the dosing frequency and thereby improve patient compliance. Microspheres provide better drug utilization, which improves bioavailability and reduces the incidence of adverse effects; it helps to increase the demand for polymer microspheres.

Polymer Microspheres Market Segment Analysis – By Application

Pharmaceutical segment dominated the polymer microspheres market in 2020 and is growing at a CAGR of 9.2% during the forecast period, due to use as fillers for soft tissue like to treat lipoatrophy in AIDS, patients and treat acne scars. Polymer microspheres are used to augment the efficiency for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and vocal cord augmentation. These particles are used in embolization therapies which can be applied to the development of solid tumors by blocking the feeding artery. Polymer microspheres are working like an anti-cancer which helps to release cancer drugs in high concentrations locally inside the tumor. Thus, due to the rising demand for polymers microspheres as drug-delivery depots for strictly controlled drug delivery is expected to grow the market of polymer microspheres.

Polymer Microspheres Market Segment Analysis – By Geography

North America dominated the polymer microspheres market size with 30% in 2020, due to rising investment in the pharmaceutical sector. In the United States, R&D investments of pharmaceutical companies have grown consistently over the past 15 years. According International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) the United States' share of the global pharmaceuticals market will increase 43.72% in 2023. The pharma industry in the U.S. will reach US$ 685.45 billion by 2023. On the other hand, polymer microspheres are used in electronic equipment including LCD screens and monitors, and mobile phone screens. According to the International Trade Center, total telephone sets were exported 28.1 million in 2020 in the United States, which increases the consumer electronic market in the region, in turn, augmenting the growth of the polymer microspheres market.

Polymer Microspheres Market Drivers

Increasing Demand from Pharmaceutical Industry

A huge demand of polymer microspheres in biotechnological research and medical sector, especially drug delivery system, is boosting the polymer microspheres industry. Synthetic polymeric microspheres used as bulking agents, embolic or drug-delivery particles. Also, polymer microspores are used for embolization therapies that purposefully occlude blood vessels. These are improving therapeutic efficiency. Microspheres are used as bulking agent to induce tissue regeneration, while improving the efficiency of the therapy. In addition, microspheres are used in gene therapy with DNA plasmids and also delivery of insulin. These are helping to deliver vaccine for treatment of diseases like hepatitis, influenza, pertussis, ricin toxoid, diphtheria, birth control. Hence, because of all the factors the demand of polymer microspheres in pharmaceutical sector will be rapidly increase. According to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), India’s domestic pharmaceutical market is expected to reach US$ 65 billion by 2024 and ~US$ 120-130 billion by 2030. Hence, such factors are estimated to grow the market size.

Increasing Concern towards Cosmetic & Personal Care Industry

Microspheres are used in the cosmetic industry because of their size (10 microns to 1,000 microns in diameters). Polymer microspheres are required in cosmetic surgeries, including head procedures and breast procedures. Polymer microspheres are used to hide wrinkles and give color, which rising concern about look and beauty. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation, India's beauty, cosmetic and grooming market is expected to reach US$ 20 billion by 2025. Thus, increasing concern about-face wrinkles and investment in surgeries is estimated to boost the polymer microspheres market.

Polymer Microspheres Market Challenges

Ban on Oil based Polymers in Cosmetic & Personal Care Products

Polymers are used in cosmetics and personal care products in liquid or other form. Plastic micro particles (microbead) are tiny spheres of polyethylene or polypropylene added as abrasives to personal care products like face scrubs, shower gels and toothpaste. These plastic micro particles are made from polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and specially designed for the cosmetics sector, which are not recycled. In 2016, the government of USA announced to bring in a law (Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015) banning the use of oil-based polymers like polypropylene and polyethylene in body care products. This decision was recently followed by other countries, which hampering the growth of the polymer microspheres market.

Polymer Microspheres Market Landscape

Technology launches, acquisitions and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the Polymer Microspheres market. Major players in the Polymer Microspheres Market are;

1. Akzonobel
2. Kish Company
3. Luminex Corporation
4. Matsumoto Yushi Seiyaku Co. Ltd
5. Merck KGaA
6. Momentive
7. Nouryon, PolyMicrospheres
8. Polysciences, PQ Corporation
9. Sekisui Plastics
10. ThermoFisher Scientific and more. 

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