The opioids agonist drugs market consists of prescription medications that help relieve pain by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, spinal cord, gastrointestinal tract and other organs. Some commonly used opioids agonist drugs are morphine, codeine, fentanyl, oxycodone and hydrocodone. These drugs are widely used for the management of chronic pain associated with various conditions such as cancer, arthritis, back pain and fibromyalgia. The Opioids Agonist Drugs market is estimated to be valued at US$ 17,132.5 Mn in 2023 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 4.2% over the forecast period 2023 to 2030, as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights.


Market Dynamics:
Growing prevalence of chronic pain across the globe is a major factor driving the growth of opioids agonist drugs market. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, US, around 50 million adults suffer from chronic pain. Furthermore, over 25 million adults suffer from high-impact chronic pain that limits life or work activities. Moreover, aging population is also contributing to the rising burden of chronic pain conditions. For instance, as per the World Health Organization, the global population aged over 60 years old will nearly double from 12% to 22% between 2015 and 2050. In addition, growing demand for pain management therapies due to availability of generic formulations of opioids agonist drugs is expected to boost the growth of the market during the forecast period. However, misuse and abuse of prescription opioids may hamper the market growth. Strict regulations concerning opioids drugs use across different countries are also expected to restrain market growth over the forecast period.

SWOT Analysis

Strength: The opioids agonist drugs market has strong research and development capabilities. Many pharmaceutical companies are investing heavily in developing novel drugs to treat various pain disorders. The demand for opioids drugs is also very high as they are highly effective in relieving severe pain.

Weakness: Opioid drugs have various side effects such as drowsiness, nausea, constipation, etc. Prolonged use of these drugs may lead to addiction and dependency. Rising misuse of prescription opioid drugs has emerged as a major threat.

Opportunity: Growing geriatric population worldwide who are more prone to chronic pain conditions will drive the demand for opioids drugs. Increasing incidence of cancer which often causes severe pain also provides new opportunities.

Threats: Stringent regulations imposed by various governments on production and sales of opioids due to ongoing opioid epidemic is a major challenge. Various alternative pain therapies available can replace opioids drugs to some extent.

Key Takeaways:

The global opioids agonist drugs market is expected to witness high growth, exhibiting CAGR of 4.2% over the forecast period, due to increasing prevalence of chronic pain disorders. According to research, chronic pain affects nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide. Opioids drugs are widely used as they are very effective in relieving various types of severe pain associated with diseases, injuries, and medical conditions.

Regional analysis

North America dominates the global opioids agonist drugs market and is expected to continue its dominance over the forecast period. This is majorly attributed to high prevalence of pain disorders such as cancer pain in the US. According to statistics, around 1.5 million new cancer cases are diagnosed in the US annually. Increasing focus on pain management by healthcare providers also supports the growth of this regional market.

Key players

Key players operating in the opioids agonist drugs market are Advaxis, Inc., Cellectar Biosciences, Inc., OPKO Health, Inc., Pfizer Inc., Amgen Inc., Novartis AG, Eli Lilly and Company, Debiopharm Group, Merck Co, Bayer AG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Takeda Pharmaceutical, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd and Teva Pharmaceutical. These players are focusing on developing advanced formulation and combined drug therapies to strengthen their market position.