Oligonucleotide Synthesis Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031F

Research is the fastest growing sector, North America is the largest market

The global oligonucleotide synthesis market is anticipated to expand significantly, rising from USD 4.77 billion in 2025 to USD 10.26 billion by 2031, at a compound annual growth rate of 13.62%. This growth is fueled by the chemical creation of specific nucleic acid sequences, which are vital for research, molecular diagnostics, and therapeutic innovations. A key impetus for this market is the growing number of regulatory approvals for nucleic acid-based therapies and their increasing use in treating uncommon genetic conditions. For instance, in Q2 2025, the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy reported 38 new RNA therapy trials, with 74% focusing on non-oncology areas, highlighting a strong and diverse demand for synthetic oligonucleotides extending beyond conventional cancer treatments.

Nevertheless, a major obstacle hindering widespread market growth is the challenge of effective intracellular delivery to organs other than the liver. Oligonucleotides' intrinsic negative charge and size limit their bioavailability and cellular absorption, requiring advanced delivery systems or chemical alterations. These solutions, however, escalate development expenses and create technical difficulties for pharmaceutical companies.

Market Drivers

A primary accelerator for the global oligonucleotide synthesis market is the increasing expenditure on research and development within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. As RNA therapeutics achieve greater clinical success, leading pharmaceutical companies are investing heavily to achieve manufacturing independence and broaden their nucleotide-based drug pipelines. This financial commitment is essential for resolving supply chain constraints inherent in intricate chemical synthesis. For example, BioPharma Dive reported in April 2025 that Novartis announced a five-year, $23 billion strategic investment to enhance its U.S. production capabilities, specifically including new antisense oligonucleotide drug manufacturing facilities, demonstrating the industry's shift from small-scale research production to commercial-volume synthesis for advanced therapeutic portfolios.

Moreover, the growing number of regulatory approvals for oligonucleotide-based drugs further stimulates market growth by confirming the safety and effectiveness of these treatments, which in turn demands consistent commercial synthesis volumes. Each new approval converts a developmental candidate into a market-ready product, requiring reliable, high-purity manufacturing. The Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society highlighted in February 2025 that the FDA's June 2024 approval of Imetelstat (Rytelo) for myelodysplastic syndromes significantly bolstered the regulatory environment. Such milestones boost confidence and drive collaborations; for instance, AReNA reported in 2025 that Eli Lilly formed a partnership with Creyon Bio, potentially worth up to $1 billion, to utilize artificial intelligence in developing innovative oligonucleotide therapies.

Market Challenges

A significant and ongoing impediment to the expansion of the global oligonucleotide synthesis market is the challenge of achieving effective intracellular delivery to tissues beyond the liver. The inherent large size and negative charge of these molecular sequences impede their capacity to traverse cell membranes in organs like the central nervous system, heart, and muscle, resulting in limited bioavailability outside of liver-specific targets. This biological limitation compels developers to allocate resources towards costly and intricate delivery technologies, thereby extending development periods and considerably increasing the financial investment needed to introduce non-liver targeted therapeutics to the market.

As a result, the commercial sector remains highly concentrated rather than diversified, with high failure rates in extrahepatic drug programs limiting the number of viable products reaching the market. This limitation restricts potential revenue and maintains the market's reliance on a select few successful therapies. For instance, the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine reported in 2025 that a mere 10 products generated 75% of the global revenue in the advanced therapy sector. This pronounced concentration of value clearly illustrates how delivery challenges directly hinder the market's potential to transform new research into broad commercial growth.

Market Trends

The commercialization of enzymatic DNA synthesis platforms is becoming a significant trend, offering a solution to the constraints of conventional chemical phosphoramidite techniques. This biological method facilitates the creation of longer, more accurate sequences without generating toxic by-products, thus opening new avenues in synthetic biology and precision medicine. The technology is quickly evolving to manage increasingly complex genetic structures that were previously challenging to produce. For example, DNA Script announced in January 2025 the launch of a new enzymatic synthesis capability designed to produce difficult sequences, including those with high GC content and intricate secondary structures, which were problematic for standard benchtop systems.

Simultaneously, the market is observing a notable increase in outsourcing to Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs), driven by the growing structural complexity of therapeutic oligonucleotides. As drug developers navigate elaborate modifications and strict cGMP standards, they are increasingly depending on specialized CDMOs instead of developing internal facilities for each project. This trend is supported by the financial results of key contract manufacturers. Bachem's 'Half-Year Report 2025' in July 2025, for instance, indicated a nearly 37% rise in revenue for its CMC Development division to CHF 123.7 million, directly attributing this growth to the strong and expanding demand for complex peptide and oligonucleotide development.

Key Market Players

• Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc
• Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Merck KGaA
• BIO-Synthesis Inc
• Eurofins Scientific SE
• Danaher Corporation
• Ajinomoto Co. Inc.
• Biogen Inc.
• Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Oligonucleotide Synthesis Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

Oligonucleotide Synthesis Market, by Product Type:

• Synthesized Oligonucleotide Products
• Reagents
• Equipment
• Services

Oligonucleotide Synthesis Market, by Application:

• Research
• Therapeutics
• Diagnostics

Oligonucleotide Synthesis Market, by End User:

• Academic Research Institutes
• Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies
• Hospital
• Diagnostic Laboratories

Oligonucleotide Synthesis Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Oligonucleotide Synthesis Market.

Available Customizations:

With the given market data, the publisher offers customizations according to a company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

Company Information

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

This product will be delivered within 1-3 business days.