Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market expected to reach USD 10.102 billion by 2030

Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market Trends & Forecast

According to a research study published by Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence (KSI), the thin film drug manufacturing market will expand from USD 7.391 billion in 2025 to USD 10.102 billion in 2030 at a CAGR of 6.45% during the forecast period.

The pharma sector is increasingly eyeing thin-film drug manufacturing. Thin films are thin sheets that contain one or more APIs and are meant for oral, sublingual, buccal, or even transdermal use. Their rapid disintegration and dissolution make them not only thin tablets but a much softer and convenient alternative to tablets and capsules as a whole.

The market is driven by advances in drug formulation technologies and an increase in the demand for non-invasive drug delivery methods. Pain management, neurological and respiratory diseases, thin-film drug delivery systems, thin films, therapeutic applications.

Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market Report Highlights

• The oral thin films segment is estimated to hold a dominant market share by 2030 in the product type segment. The segment is increasing due to growing utilization in diverse therapeutic applications. Additionally, the cost-effectiveness in the process of manufacturing, with regulatory approval on the use of oral thin films, also promotes its demand in the coming years. Further, the ability of this to rapidly absorb drugs and solvent casting makes it an ideal option for patients of both ages, i.e., children and the elderly, who go through swallowing issues.
• The schizophrenia segment is the fastest-growing segment in the disease type of global thin film drug manufacturing market, due to its rise in prevalence of causes related to people suffering from schizophrenia. In addition, this disease leads to patients having challenges in swallowing, this leading to requires a thin film drug to speed up the time of absorption for these patients.
• The retail pharmacy is the dominating segment in the thin film manufacturing market in the distribution channel during the forecasted period. This is due to the ease of access to the retail pharmacy by consumers, along with the increased availability of the generic thin-film products. Additionally, the benefit of ease of availability boosts the consumer reach to this segment, in turn promoting the market expansion.
• North America is estimated to hold a significant share of the market on account of the robust pharmaceutical infrastructure and the presence of major market players. Additionally, the growing advancement and research and development, along with the requirement for clarity of regulatory bodies like the FDA guidance, also boost the market in the region. The high disease burden across the region, especially neurological issues, along with strong health insurance provision, is contributing to regional market expansion.

Report Coverage:

Report Metric	Details
Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market Size in 2025	US$7.391 billion
Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market Size in 2030	US$10.102 billion
Growth Rate	CAGR of 6.45%
Drivers	Growing Prevalence of Chronic and Neurological Diseases Increase in aging population and Dysphagia Issues
Restraints	Presence of Alternative Dosage Forms Costly and Complex Manufacturing
Segmentation	Product Type Disease Type Distribution Channel Geography
List of Major Companies in the Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market	Roche Nova Thin Film Pharmaceuticals LLC ARx, LLC. LN LABORATORIES Nissha Co., Ltd.

Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market Growth Drivers and Restraints

Growth Drivers:

• Growing Prevalence of Chronic and Neurological Diseases: The rise in incidence of chronic and neurological conditions such as migraines, cancer, schizophrenia, diabetes, and opioid dependency leads to the need for non-invasive and efficient delivery solutions, which could provide a fast onset followed by better bioavailability. This promotes the requirement for thin film drug, also promoted with the rise in population who are prone to chronic ailments due to a shift in lifestyle.
• Increase in aging population and Dysphagia Issues: The growth in the global aging population, as per the World Health Organization (WHO) data, the people aged 60 and more is predicted to account for 1.4 billion in 2030 and rise to 2.1 billion by 2050. This is further promoted with them developing swallowing issues, which is Dysphagia, which leads to demand for a thin-film drug. It works in decreasing the issue related to choking among geriatric patients and increasing the patients’ drug compliance.

Restraints:

• Presence of Alternative Dosage Forms: The thin film drug has substantial competition from its alternative drugs like injectables, traditional pills, and orally disintegrating drugs, which could hamper its adoption as they already have a significant place in the market.
• Costly and Complex Manufacturing: The manufacturing process for the production of these thin film drugs involves material complexity along with issues of scalability and requirement for high equipment cost, which could collectively be costly and hinder the market growth.

Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market Key Development

• Strategic Partnership: In August 2025, Nualtis announced a partnership with OrthoNu for the development of OTC oral thin film for application in orthodontic care product manufacturing. They aim to design a product that can be formulated in both forms as FDA-approved OTC drug and as a dietary supplement.

Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market Segmentation

Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence has segmented the thin film drug manufacturing market based on product type, disease type, distribution channel, and region:

Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market, By Product Type

• Oral Thin Films
• Transdermal Thin Films
• Others

Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market, By Disease Type

• Schizophrenia
• Migraine
• Opioid Dependence
• Others

Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market, By Distribution Channel

• Hospitals
• Retail Pharmacy
• Others

Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market, By Region

• North America
  • USA
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• South America
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Others
• Europe
  • UK
  • Germany
  • France
  • Italy
  • Others
• Middle East and Africa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Israel
  • Others
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Indonesia
  • Thailand
  • Others

Thin Film Drug Manufacturing Market Key Players

• Pfizer
• Novartis
• ZIM LABORATORIES LIMITED
• IntelGenx Corp.
• AbbVie Inc.
• Roche
• Nova Thin Film Pharmaceuticals LLC
• ARx, LLC.
• LN LABORATORIES
• Nissha Co., Ltd.