US aseptic packaging demand to reach US$6.4bn in 2020
Growth will be driven by advances in processing, as well as the ability of products in aseptic packaging to be distributed and stored at ambient temperatures
Demand for aseptic packaging in the US is projected to rise 6.8% per year to US$6.4bn in 2020, with unit demand reaching $68.5bn on annual gains of 3.7%.
Growth will be driven by advances in processing, as well as the ability of products in aseptic packaging to be distributed and stored at ambient temperatures.
Demand gains will also be based on drug sterility requirements. The increased availability of biotechnology based injectable drugs necessitates aseptic filling and packaging because such drugs tend to be heat-sensitive, making the high temperatures used in terminal sterilisation processes unfeasible.
Competition from well-established hot fill and retort processing operations and relatively high equipment costs will moderate growth, although machinery costs have come down in recent years.
Pharmaceuticals comprised the largest market for aseptic packaging in 2015, accounting for 61% of total demand. Until 2020, growth will be aided by opportunities with heat-sensitive, advanced injectable and infusion therapies, and trends toward the self-administration of injectable drugs for chronic conditions.
‘Prefillable syringes will experience the fastest gains among all aseptic packaging product types, reflecting continued life science innovations that will broaden the range of potential drugs adaptable to prefillable syringes,’ notes analyst Esther Palevsky.
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