Pharmaceutical Gelatin Market

Global Pharmaceutical Gelatin Market Size

The size of the global pharmaceutical gelatin market was worth USD 1.10 billion in 2024. The global market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2025 to 2033 and be worth USD 1.89 billion by 2033 from USD 1.17 billion in 2025.

Pharmaceutical gelatin is a translucent, brittle, and water-soluble element with a heavy molecular weight and protein-rich source. The gelatin is derived from collagen present in animals such as fish, bovines, and sheep. It is used in the food and beverages industry for gelling, streaming, and foaming properties. This is available in two different forms, known as powder and sheets, and it has unique and versatile characteristics across pharmaceutical applications. Most of the gelatin is derived from animal tissues as it has a huge amount of collagen, and there are different procedures to extract the gelatin. The procedures involved are salting out, alkaline, acid, and enzyme methods. The pharmaceutical gelatins are extremely dynamic and highly utilized in a few biomedical and medical applications. The gelatins mostly come from natural sources as they have a huge demand for usage in several pharma applications like soft and hard gels. The gelatin coating is efficient for advancing the medicine's shelf life by safeguarding it against various environmental changes. The gelatin coating on the tablets, soft gels, and hard gels makes it easy to swallow medicines and doesn't let the medicine odor off.

MARKET DRIVERS

The global pharmaceutical gelatin market is primarily driven by factors such as growing demand for functional and convenience food & beverage products, increasing applications in the pharmaceutical industry, and a rise in the need for clean-label products.  Also, the Unique and functional characteristics of gelatin in pharmaceutical applications and the increase in chronic disease incidence with a growing population worldwide create market growth. In addition, gelatin production in capsule formation in the emerging market influences the global pharmaceutical gelatin market growth. Moreover, the rising flexibility, strength, and consistency of various products, safety, stability, and improved efficacy in hard capsules ,these factors are expected to expand the market growth. Pharmaceutical gelatin offers many technological advantages over non-gelatin excipients like HMPC for hard capsules, and modified starch for softgels is further anticipated to improve the market growth.

MARKET RESTRAINTS

The growth of veganism is the primary restraint in the pharmaceutical gelatin market. Nowadays, veganism is trending in the market. This trend is rising globally, with manufacturers offering non-gelatin capsules or vegetarian capsules from pure plant materials that meet the consumer's demands. Increasing demand for plant-based pharmaceutical products and changes in the product portfolios is expected as the restraints of the pharmaceutical gelatin in the forecast period.  The major challenge is the rise in the prices and the acquisition of the availability of raw materials. The slaughterhouses and meat industries extract most of the gelatin. In most governments, there are strict regulations in handling the raw material by ensuring the prevention of the passage of diseases caused by animal-borne diseases, which is further affecting the supply of export or import in any region at the time. These are the main factors that are challenging the pharmaceutical gelatin market's growth over the forecast period..

REPORT COVERAGE

SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS

By Function Insights

Based on function, thickening agents register a significant growth rate as it has risen in scope due to applications in elixis, syrups, and other liquid forms. The gelatin's utility in lotions and antibiotic creams as a thickening agent is also a driver for the pharmaceutical gelatin market.

The stabilizers segment had a significant market share in 2022, with a dominant share of 246.3 kilotons. This segment's growth is driven by the rising consumption of food products such as pasta, yogurt, ice cream, jams and jellies, and salads. The Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the largest market shareholder of stablers.

By Source Insights

Expectedly, pigskin is accounting for the significant growth in the pharmaceutical gelatin market through the source segment. The gelatin sourced from pig skin is preferred over the other sources at a lower price. A variety of applications in the pharmaceutical industries, biomedical applications, and absorbable hemostats, lower production costs, and shorter manufacturing cycles are expected to drive this segment's market growth.

By Application Insights

Based on the application, soft capsules are accounting for a significant share of the pharmaceutical gelatin market. A soft gel is a soft oral dosage for the medium form of a specialized capsule. This segment growth is gained through patient-friendly dosage forms that are formulated for rapid or slow release and a high degree of reproducibility. Patient-friendly dosage is the advantage of soft capsules due to the capacity of formulation for rapid or slow release. A high degree of reproducibility is the factor responsible for the growth of the pharmaceutical gelatin market through the soft capsules in this segment.

Absorbable hemostats, varieties of the pharmaceutical industry, and biomedical applications, a low production expenditure drives the pharmaceutical gelatin market.     

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

The Global Pharmaceutical Gelatin market was dominated by Europe, closely followed by North America. Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a high CAGR. The European market is expected to be one of the largest shareholding countries in the Pharmaceutical gelatin market, with a 40% global revenue in 2019. The premium quality of collagen used to produce bone and tissue reconstruction patches is estimated to increase the market growth. Consumption of gelatin-based products such as food products, cosmetics, rejuvenation beverages, and pharmaceutical products is influential in the European region's gelatin market.

North America accounted for the largest market share during the previous year and is expected to grow in the coming years. The market expansion is projected to be driven by factors such as an increase in chronic disease, a rise in the geriatric population and availability of advanced healthcare facilities, and encouraging government regulations.

During the forecast period, the Asia Pacific region is expected to rule the pharmaceutical gelatin market by registering the highest CAGR growth rate. In this region, there are abundant availabilities of the bovine and porcine sources of raw material, labor at a reasonable cost, and investments by capital. Many key players in the market are investing in investments in this region. The pharmaceutical gelatin market in the Asia Pacific is projected to increase rapidly during the forecast period. The availability of various sources of raw material in this region, low cost of labor and capital investment, and active participation of market players have been driving the market growth in this region over the years.

Middle East Africa recorded the largest market share of the pharmaceutical gelatin market during the previous year, and it is projected to expand its growth with the influential growing factors. The factors, such as increasing pharmaceutical industries' applications and increasing chronic disease incidence with a growing population, are projected to propel the gelatin market's growth in this region during the forecast period.

KEY MARKET PLAYERS

Some of the top companies leading the global pharmaceutical gelatin market profiled in this report are Rousselot, Nitta Gelatin Inc., Capsugel, Catelent Inc., Norland Products Inc., Tessenderlo Group, Sterling Gelatin, Roxlor LLC, Weishardt, and Gelita AG.

RECENT MARKET DEVELOPMENTS

• In July 2020, X-Pure GeIMA, which is the first good manufacturing practice, was launched by Darling Ingredients, Inc. in the US. It is a ready range of gelatin methacryloyl (GeIMA) for clinical applications.
• In October 2019, Gelita AG (Germany) opened a modern gelatin production in Pingyang located in china.
• In September 2019, to expand the market globally, Gelnex (Brazil) announced constructing the gelatin production facility in Indiana and Paraguay (US).
• In December 2018, Constructed the gelatin manufacturing plant in the Portage (US) was proposed by Gelnex(Brazil).

MARKET SEGMENTATION

This research report on the global pharmaceutical gelatin market has been segmented and sub-segmented into the following categories.

By Function

• Stabilizers
• Thickeners        
• Gelling Agents     

By Source

• Pig Skin
• Bovine Hides
• Bones 
• Others

By Application

• Hard Capsules     
• Soft Capsules      
• Micro Encapsulation      
• Coating   
• Absorbable Hemostat   

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• The Middle East and Africa