Global Anti-viral Drug Market Size, Share, Opportunities, COVID-19 Impact, And Trends By Application Type (Herpes Antiviral Drugs, Hepatitis Antiviral Drugs, HIV Antiviral Drugs, Influenza Antiviral Drugs, Other Antiviral Drugs), By Mechanism Of Action (Nucleotide Polymerase Inhibitors, Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors, Protease Inhibitors, Others), By Distribution Channel (Online, Offline), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2022 To 2027

Global Anti-Viral Drug Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 14.08% to reach US$162.150 billion by 2027, from US$64.480 billion in 2020.

Anti-viral drugs are used for treating influenza. When a flu illness is just getting started, anti-viral medications can help reduce fever and flu symptoms such as cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. The global anti-viral drug market is increasing due to the increasing prevalence of influenza across various countries around the world.

The growing geriatric population and increasing government initiatives are also the driving factors for anti-viral drugs.

According to the World Bank data, from 7.49% of the total population in the world in 2009 to 8.87% of the total world population in 2018 is due to the increasing number of people aged 65 and above. The increase in people aged 65 and above is due to improved health facilities around the world and people living a better lifestyle that includes better food quality and other facilities required for living. The improvement in medication and drugs is also a factor for the geriatric population. This is further increasing the demand for anti-viral drugs.

The increasing influenza prevalence around the world is the second major reason for the increasing demand for anti-viral drugs around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), North America saw a rise in influenza activity with the majority of people infected with influenza A viruses; at least 80 percent of influenza patients hospitalized were related to influenza A viruses. The growing number of influenza cases in the United States is increasing the requirement for an anti-viral drug in the country.

The growing adoption of vaccines around the world to provide better health services and prevent the spread of flu around the world, which can cause pandemics, is prompting governments to step up their efforts to educate the public about the importance of vaccines.  This will reduce the growth of anti-viral drugs. This is a major restricting factor for the anti-viral drug market. The market for anti-viral drugs is also restricted by the high cost incurred in the development of drugs, which is increasing their prices, making them difficult for people to afford. This is further leading to the growth of alternatives like naturopathy and homeopathy, which will further restrain the anti-viral drug market.

The global anti-viral drug market is segmented by application type, mechanism of action, and geography. On the basis of application type, the global anti-viral drug market is segmented by herpes anti-viral drugs, hepatitis anti-viral drugs, HIV anti-viral drugs, influenza antiviral drugs, and other anti-viral drugs. The global anti-viral drug market segmentation based on the mechanism of action is done by nucleotide polymerase inhibitors, reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, and others.

Influenza Antiviral Drugs are highly used worldwide.

The increasing prevalence of influenza around the world is increasing the demand for anti-viral drugs across the world. The USA government's Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimated the number of influenza cases in the country to range between 15.4 million and 17.8 million in 2019, with an increase in deaths than usual. The anti-viral drug is used to cure different types of diseases like influenza, herpes, hepatitis, HIV, and others. The increased use of anti-viral drugs is due to the increasing transmission of these diseases among people. According to UNAIDS data, 37 million people were living with HIV in 2017. The increasing prevalence of HIV among people is driving the market for HIV anti-viral drugs.

By geography, North America has a significant share of the market.

Regionally, the global anti-viral drug market is classified into North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. Due to heavy research and development carried on by pharmaceutical companies, North America is expected to have a significant market share in the anti-viral drug market due to the presence of large pharmaceutical companies and the early adoption of advanced medicines in the region. The increasing prevalence of influenza and HIV in the North American region is a major factor in the increasing use of anti-viral drugs.

The Asia Pacific region is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the anti-viral drug market. It is due to an increasing number of people diagnosed with influenza and HIV in the region. This is increasing the consumption of anti-viral drugs in countries like India and China. The increasing presence of pharmaceutical companies in the Asia Pacific region is further boosting the market for anti-viral drugs. The easy availability of OTC (over-the-counter) anti-viral drugs in Asia Pacific countries is also contributing to the market growth of the region's anti-viral drug market during the forecast period.

Key Developments

January 2022: Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd. received EUA (Emergency Use Authorisation) approval from the Drug Controller of India for the launch of an investigational oral anti-viral drug, Molnupiravir. The drug was subsequently launched under the brand name Lizuviura in the country. The oral anti-viral can effectively inhibit the replication of RNA-based viruses like SARS-CoV-2.

December 2021: Cipla Limited received EUA approval from DCGI to launch Molupiravir in India to treat COVID. The drug was launched under the brand name Cipmolnu.

In April 2020: Orgenesis, a German biotech firm, announced its intention to acquire US-based anti-viral therapeutics firm Tamir Biotechnology for about $16.8 million. This acquisition also comprised the latter's comprehensive anti-viral platform, ranpirnase. The duo aims to integrate the ranprinase with the Bioxome technology for optimized payload delivery to the target cells.

March 2020: - The WHO announced that Gilead's drug Remdesivir is showing signs that the drug may be able to help treat the novel Coronavirus. 

COVID-19 Insights

COVID-19 had a positive impact on the anti-viral drug market. The emergence of the virus and its exponential surge across the globe has caused multiple pharma firms to invest in the research and development of anti-viral drugs against SARS-CoV-2. Owing to the emergency, several pharmacological bodies in multiple nations gave emergency approval for anti-viral drugs to tackle the situation. Several pharma production facilities also rapidly upscaled the production of repurposed anti-viral drugs.

Global Anti-viral Drug Market Scope:

Segmentation

• By Application Type
  • Herpes Antiviral Drugs
  • Hepatitis Antiviral Drugs
  • HIV Antiviral Drugs
  • Influenza Antiviral Drugs
  • Other Anti-viral Drugs
• By Mechanism of Action
  • Nucleotide Polymerase Inhibitors
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
  • Protease Inhibitors
  • Others
• By Distribution Channel
  • Online
  • Offline
• By Geography
  • North America
    • USA
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • France
    • United Kingdom
    • Spain
    • Italy
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Israel
    • UAE
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Taiwan
    • Thailand
    • Others