August 2025
The global pharmaceutical spray drying market size accounted for USD 2.38 billion in 2024 and is predicted to increase from USD 2.56 billion in 2025 to approximately USD 4.99 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of 7.68% from 2025 to 2034. Rising adoption of spray drying in biopharma companies, rising prevalence of poorly water-soluble drugs, demand for high-quality products, and technological advancements are driving the growth of the market.
The benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) based spray drying in the pharmaceutical industry, including enhanced stability, bioavailability, and scalability, make it an important tool for pharmaceutical manufacturers. By including new technologies, manufacturers can improve their formulations and deliver innovative solutions to patients worldwide. AI transforms many pharmaceutical aspects. AI assistance to the pharmaceutical industries helps to enhance the life cycle of the product.
In the pharmaceutical industry, AI-based spray drying also includes the benefits of more productivity and quality. Drying through a dryer allows for speeding up the process, allowing greater flexibility and an increase in productivity. In a few hours, it is possible to dry various tons of product, a process that can take many days with the traditional methods.
The U.S. pharmaceutical spray drying market size was exhibited at USD 619.75 million in 2024 and is projected to be worth around USD 1,336.82 million by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 7.99% from 2025 to 2034.
North America held a significant share of 37.20% in the global pharmaceutical spray drying market and is forecast to have a share of 33.00% in 2034. North America is investing in research and development (R&D) of pharmaceutical research leads to the development of new drugs and biologics, technological advancement, and stringent regulations are driving the growth of the global pharmaceutical spray drying market.
Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow with the highest CAGR of 10.20% in the market during the forecast period of 2025-2034. Affordable solutions, manufacturers looking for high-performance and affordable dryers, and the rapid expansion of pharmaceutical manufacturing in countries like China and India are contributing to the growth of the global pharmaceutical spray drying market in the Asia Pacific region.
Spray drying in the pharmaceutical industry is the process of converting a solution, suspension, or emulsion into a dried powder in a single step by passing an automated spray through a high-temperature gaseous medium. The spray dryer is a type of industrial machinery used to turn liquids into powders or granules. This whole thing is done in a single step. Spray drying an API with a polymer can create a stable, amorphous dispersion, which enhances the dissolution rate and thus, the bioavailability. It also helps to increase bioavailability to create nanoparticles isolated in larger composite particles, then recovering them through spray drying.
Increasing use of spray drying in biopharma companies to ensure consistent delivery and complex molecules, rising prevalence of poorly water-soluble drugs, growing chronic diseases, demand for high-quality products, and technological advancement are driving the growth of the global pharmaceutical spray drying market.
Report Coverage | Details |
Market Size by 2034 | USD 4.99 Billion |
Market Size in 2025 | USD 2.56 Billion |
Market Size in 2024 | USD 2.38 Billion |
Market Growth Rate from 2025 to 2034 | CAGR of 7.68% |
Dominating Region | North America |
Fastest Growing Region | Asia Pacific |
Base Year | 2024 |
Forecast Period | 2025 to 2034 |
Segments Covered | Product Type, Drug Type, Formulation Type, Application Type, Operation Mode, Scale of Operation, End-User, Technique/Technology Used, and Region |
Regions Covered | North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa |
Rising pharmaceutical production
Pharmaceutical manufacturing plays an important role in the ongoing fight against disease. Effective cleaning processes ensure the quality, efficacy, and safety of all products made. The benefits of medicines are helpful to use, like relieving pain, curing infections, or lowering blood pressure. The risks of drugs refer to the potential for something unexpected or unwanted to occur when they are used. The benefits of pharmaceutical companies play an important role in the healthcare sector, like job creation, export revenue, affordable medicines, and contribution to GDP.
Strict regulatory standards
Strict regulatory standards' disadvantages include slowed competitiveness, negative effect on small businesses, and regulating activities within an economy or a region can be costly due to the processes involved, and imposing regulatory controls and checks can be time-consuming since plenty of controls may be needed. Some disadvantages of a regulated market are asymmetric information, regulatory recapture, and the second best. Non-compliance may lead to disruptions in operations, loss of clientele, financial penalties, and even regional lockouts.
Increasing investment in R&D
Research and development (R&D) can help our business or ideas become more attractive to investors and other companies looking to expand. R&D can lead to innovations in business. This may be in terms of new products and services, improved processes, and new ways to interact with customers. These advancements can lead to lower costs and greater profits. Increased investment benefits include tax benefits, better option than saving accounts, growth potential, market performance, combine passion with financial growth, diversify your portfolio, plan for retirement, provide regular income, and grow our wealth.
The spray-dried formulations segment held the largest share of the market at around 61.50% in 2024. Spray-drying offers a slow method of drying by exposing substances to only a short burst of extreme temperature, then providing a cooling effect via the evaporation process. Spray drying is a method of forming a dry powder from a liquid or slurry by rapidly drying with a hot gas. This is the preferred method of drying various thermally sensitive materials like foods and pharmaceuticals, or materials that may need extremely consistent, fine particles size.
The spray drying equipment segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate of 9.30% in the market during the forecast period of 2025 to 2034. Spray drying equipment benefits include versatility, quality, being perfect for heat-sensitive materials, innovative concepts, extended shelf life, efficiency, uniform particle size, scalability, rapid drying, and consistency.
The small molecule drugs segment peaked with the largest share of 52.70% in the global pharmaceutical spray drying market in 2024. Small molecule drugs offer many benefits, starting with their high oral availability which allows for convenient self-administration, most often in oral solid dose (OSD) form. Groundbreaking small molecule drugs like penicillin for treating bacterial infections, aspirin for pain relief and inflammation, and statins for managing cholesterol levels have transformed the healthcare landscape and improved patient outcomes worldwide.
The biologics & monoclonal antibodies segment is projected to experience the highest growth rate in the market between 2025 to 2034. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins made in laboratories that act like proteins called antibodies in our bodies. Monoclonal antibody therapy can also benefit the treatment of specific infectious diseases. Biologics can effectively control chronic inflammation and pain, preventing the need for corticosteroids.
The powder segment held the largest share of 46.20% in pharmaceutical spray drying market in 2024. Spray drying is a method of forming a dry powder from a liquid or slurry by rapidly drying with a hot gas. Spray drying, a widely used technique in pharmaceutical manufacturing, involves converting a liquid solution or slurry into a fine, dry powder by rapidly evaporating the solvent using hot gas. This process not only ensures better stability, solubility, and bioavailability of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), but also enables precise particle size control, which is critical for pulmonary and controlled-release applications.
The nanoparticles segment is set to experience the fastest rate of 11.00% market growth from 2025 to 2034. Nanoparticles can be made by altering the method of fabrication. Nanoparticles have been proven to be useful as drug delivery vehicles. Many uses for nanoparticulate drug delivery systems exist, including radiation, AIDS therapy, cancer therapy, and gene therapy. Using nanotechnology, materials can effectively be made more reactive, more durable, lighter, stronger, more sieve-like, or better electrical conductors, among many other traits.
The oral drug delivery segment held the largest share of the market at around 39.40% in 2024. Oral drug delivery is the choicest route for drug administration due to its non-invasive nature. The oral routes present the benefit of avoiding pain and discomfort associated with injections and also reducing contamination. It is the most preferred route of drug delivery due to its benefits like non-invasiveness, patient compliance, and convenience of drug administration.
The pulmonary drug delivery segment is anticipated to grow with the highest CAGR of 10.60% in the market during the studied years. The pulmonary drug delivery system benefits include rapid, efficient, and well-targeted, with few systemic effects.
The batch mode segment registered its dominance over the global pharmaceutical spray drying market with a share of 58.10% in 2024. Batch mode processing benefits include faster business intelligence, lower costs, greater efficiency, offline features, better use of existing computer systems, and improved data quality.
The continuous mode segment is projected to expand rapidly in the market, with a share of 9.70% in the coming years. Continuous operation mode can reduce the time required to load, unload, and clean the reactor. It offers benefits like reduced operation interaction and material storage, and also increased process efficiency through a smaller number of utilities.
The commercial/industrial production segment led the market with a share of 54.80%. Commercial/industrial scale production benefits include large-scale manufacturing or production processes, which involve the creation of goods or products on a massive scale.
The clinical/pilot scale segment is predicted to witness significant growth of 9.20% in the market over the forecast period. Pilot plants help pharmaceutical companies to reduce risks, improve efficiency, and accelerate drug development with practical insights. A pilot plant is a scaled-down version of an industrial production line.
The pharmaceutical companies segment registered its dominance with a global pharmaceutical spray drying market share of 43.60% in 2024. Pharmaceutical companies boost the global economy and also driving medical progress by researching, developing, and bringing new medicines that enhance health and quality of life for patients around the world, the pharmaceutical industry is a key asset to the global economy.
The CDMOs segment will gain a significant share of 9.90% the market over the studied period of 2025 to 2034. The CDMOs benefits include cost savings, quality assurance, access to expertise, risk mitigation, regulatory compliance, focus on core competencies, cost efficiency, speed to market, and scalability.
The two-fluid nozzle spray drying segment enjoyed a prominent position in the market share of 33.90% during 2024. Two-fluid nozzle spray drying transforms spraying by turning liquid into finer particles with high-speed air, improving cleaning and chemical reaction efficiency on surfaces. These nozzles use two fluid streams, one for atomizing and the other for providing the necessary pressure.
The nano spray drying segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate of 11.40% in the market during the forecast period of 2025 to 2034. The benefits of nano spray drying allow the generation allows the generation of smaller particle sizes than conventional spray dryers, which enhances bioavailability and release of bioactive components and drugs.
By Product Type
By Drug Type
By Formulation Type
By Application Type
By Operation Mode
By Scale of Operation
By End-User
By Technique/Technology Used
By Region
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