Antidepressants Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Implications and Growth to 2030

Major players in the antidepressants market are Allergan PLC, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Company, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, H. Lundbeck AS, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co. Inc., Sanofi, and Sun Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd.

The global antidepressants market is expected to decline from $26.25 billion in 2020 to $15.87 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -39.5%. The change in growth trend is mainly due to the companies stabilizing their output after catering to the demand that grew exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The market is expected to reach $21.28 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 7.6%.

The antidepressants market consists of sales of antidepressants and related services that are used in retail pharmacies, hospitals and clinics. Antidepressants are drugs that can help to alleviate depressive symptoms, social anxiety disorder, anxiety disorders, seasonal affective disorder, and dysthymia, or moderate persistent depressive, as well as other conditions. The antidepressant medications available include the antagonists of SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake, MAOIs or monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, tetracyclic antidepressants and others.

The antidepressants market covered in this report is segmented by product into selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), tricyclic antidepressant (TCA), monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI); by drug class into monoamine oxidase inhibitors, serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitors, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants and by depressive disorder into major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder.

The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.

Globally, rising cases of mental health disorders are the key factor in the growth of the antidepressant drug industry, as many customers rely on these medications to counter depression, anxiety disorder and other mental diseases. Antidepressant medications are used in conditions such as depression, OCD, childhood enuresis, major depressive disorder, severe anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and social anxiety disorder. Globally, the percentage of people with depression varies from 2% to 6% and the elderly are at greater risk of depression compared to other age groups. According to WHO, in 2020, about 264 million people of all ages worldwide suffered from depression. Therefore, rising cases of mental health disorders is expected to drive the growth of the antidepressant market.

The side-effects of antidepressant drugs is a key factor hampering the growth of the antidepressant market. For instance, the antidepressants Lexapro (escitalopram) and Celexa (citalopram), both are used to treat depression and Lexapro also helps for treating anxiety. Lexapro and Celexa can cause side effects common to others which include nausea, sleeplessness, sweating, dry mouth and drowsiness. Celexa and Lexapro are both at risk for even more serious side effects including excessive bleeding, seizures and vision issues. Therefore, the side-effects of antidepressant drugs is expected to limit the growth of the antidepressant market.

In May 2018, Allergan, an Ireland based company, focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical and regenerative medicine products for patients around the world acquired Aptinyx for an unclosed amount. Through this acquisition Allergan gained important insights into NMDA receptor modulation as a potential therapeutic approach for depression. Aptinyx, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of transformative therapies for challenging neurologic disorders.

The antidepressants market has also surged during the covid-19 outbreak. The increasing number of cases and fatalities is affecting the mental health by elevating anxiety worldwide. People who are already living with mental health problems are experiencing increased stress levels over the COVID-19 outbreak. This has triggered the demand for antidepressant drugs.

The treatment for resistant depression is a key trend in the antidepressant market. Ketamine is the new treatment that is used for anesthesia during surgery, stimulates the development of glutamate, and prompts the brain to form new neural connections. It makes the brain more adaptable and capable of developing new pathways and helps people to create more optimistic thoughts and behaviors. In 2019, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new ketamine depression drug esketamine which is one half of the ketamine compound. The drug must be administered as a nasal spray and patients must be taking another antidepressant at the same time. Also, the drugs can be prescribed to only those patients who have (unsuccessfully) tried two antidepressants before.

The countries covered in the market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA.