The global pain management drugs market size was evaluated at USD 84.1 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow around USD 126.9 billion by 2034, registering a CAGR of 4.2% from 2025 to 2034.
Highlights of the Pain Management Drugs Market
- North America dominated the global pain management drugs market in 2024.
- Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow at the fastest rate in the market during the forecast period.
- By drug class, the NSAIDs segment holds a dominant presence in the pain management drugs market in 2024.
- By drug class, the opioids segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate in the market during the forecast period.
- By indication, the neuropathic segment holds a dominant presence in the pain management drugs market in 2024.
- By indication, the cancer pain segment is projected to experience the highest growth rate in the market between 2025 and 2034.
- By distribution channel, the retail pharmacy segment holds a dominant presence in the pain management drugs market in 2024.
- By distribution channel, the online pharmacy segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate in the market during the forecast period.
Industry Valuation and Growth Rate Projection
| Industry Worth |
Details |
| Market Size in 2025 |
USD 87.63 Billion |
| Market Size by 2034 |
USD 126.9 Billion |
| Market Growth Rate from 2025 to 2034 |
CAGR of 4.2% |
The pain management drugs market is defined as the market for medicinal use to mitigate or handle pain. It involves numerous types of drugs intended to treat distinctive levels and various types of pain, extending from acute to chronic pain. This is described by dynamic reasons guided by both medical developments and socio-economic trends. This demographic shift entails effective pain management solutions, driving research and development in the market. Technological developments in drug delivery systems and formulations have accelerated treatment alternatives, improving efficacy and patient compliance. The shift towards customized medicine further impels innovation, modifying treatments to individual patient demands based on physiological, genetic, and lifestyle factors.
Pain Management Drugs Market: Stats and Figures
- In November 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted Eli Lilly and Company’s Zepbound injection, the initial and only obesity cure of its kind that activates both GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) hormone receptors.
Industry Leader Announcements
- Scott Sims, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Injectable Solutions & Generics at Endo
"We're proud to provide affordable choices to healthcare providers and their appropriate patients while strengthening our reputation as a reliable, quality supplier," said Scott Sims, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Injectable Solutions & Generics at Endo.
- Paul Hudson, CEO of Novartis Pharmaceuticals
"The FDA approval of Aimovig demonstrates Novartis' commitment to bringing meaningful new medicines to patients with complex neurologic diseases, like migraine," said Paul Hudson, CEO of Novartis Pharmaceuticals. "Aimovig is the first therapy of its kind targeting the CGRP receptor and has demonstrated robust efficacy across the spectrum of migraine. We look forward to working closely with Amgen in the U.S. to bring this treatment to physicians and their patients, who could now gain days of their lives back each month."
How AI Has Benefitted the Pain Management Drugs Market
- The latest advancements in AI, mainly in deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML), enable the determination of complex, multimodal datasets to acquire insights that could improve adaptive, personalized, and objective healthcare management.
- By investigating patient histories, wearable sensor data, genetic information, and behavioral patterns, AI-based tools can improve treatment strategies, potentially decrease opioid dependency and enhance patient outcomes.
- While AI has transformative potential, there are remarkable barriers to overcome, which include infrastructural challenges, healthcare provider resistance, and the demand for substantial interdisciplinary collaboration to guarantee effective AI deployment.
- In addition to ethical concerns around information privacy bias, along with patient consent, must be carefully navigated, with frameworks like the GDPR providing guidance for responsible data use.
Recent Developments
- In November 2023, Endo International plc disclosed that one of its operating firms, Par Pharmaceutical, Inc., has launched shipping colchicine 0.6 mg capsules. This is the initial generic colchicine capsule accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Geographical Insights
The pain management drugs market is experiencing significant growth, with North America maintaining its position as the dominant region while Europe emerges as the rapidly growing market. The Asia Pacific region is projected to be the fastest-growing in the market during the forecast period.
North America
North America dominated the global pain management drugs market in 2024. This is attributed to the high incidence of chronic pain conditions, progressive healthcare infrastructure, and the existence of major pharmaceutical firms engaged in pain management drug development. However, the increasing rate of surgical processes requiring post-operative pain management is positively affecting the market expansion.
Europe
Europe is experiencing rapid growth in the pain management drugs market during the forecast period. The significant healthcare spending, robust healthcare systems, and a well-known pharmaceutical industry in the region are promoting market growth. Besides this, the increasing focus on safe and efficient pain management therapies, along with rising awareness about pain management amongst healthcare providers and patients, is leading to the market growth.
APAC
Asia Pacific (APAC) is projected to be the fastest-growing in the market during the forecast period. It is boosted by the rising prevalence of chronic disorders, enhancing healthcare infrastructure, and growing healthcare expenditures. Thus, the rising geriatric population in the region who are subjective to chronic pain conditions is boosting the market expansion. Meanwhile, the accelerating pharmaceutical industry and rising access to healthcare services are boosting market expansion.
Competitive Landscape
Across the acute pain market, several contributing firms are at the leading edge of advancing integrated platforms to improve the management of acute pain. Some of the key players include Janssen and Assertio Therapeutics. These firms are boosting innovation in the acute pain market via diagnostic tools, continuous research, and accelerating their product provision to meet the increasing need for illness.
- Company Name: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited
- Year of Incorporation: 1944
- Headquarters: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. was one of the first firms to offer generic drugs, and now it is one of the largest pharmaceutical firms in the world, with 16,000 products related to novel drugs, generics, and over-the-counter medications. It had been active in supplying drugs to 200 million people globally and 60 countries internationally.
- Company Name: Pfizer Inc.
- Year of Incorporation: 1942
- Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
Pfizer functions in a highly competitive and highly regulated market. The pharmaceutical industry needs significant take-up on research and development. Pfizer’s main competitors include Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK), Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY), Switzerland-derived Novartis AG (NVS), Johnson & Johnson, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY).
- Company Name: Abbott Laboratories
- Year of Incorporation: 1900
- Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Abbott Laboratories is a public firm headquartered in Illinois with an estimated 115,000 employees, where they account for an estimated 58.6% of total industry revenue and are considered an All-Star because they show stronger market profit, share, and revenue expansion compared to their peers.
Annual Revenue: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited vs Pfizer Inc. vs Abbott Laboratories 2022-24 (Millions of US$)
| Year |
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited |
Pfizer Inc. |
Abbott Laboratories |
| 2024 |
16,544,000 |
63,627,000 |
41,950,000 |
| 2023 |
15,845,000 |
59,553,000 |
40,109,000 |
| 2022 |
14,925,000 |
101,175,000 |
43,653,000 |