Biotech report by vfa: Biopharmaceuticals successfully gain market share

In 2022, more than half of the newly approved drugs in Germany were biopharmaceuticals.

Titelseite Biotech Report

Cover page of the “Biotech-Report Kompakt” – Medical Biotechnology in Germany 2023. Biopharmaceuticals: Key economic figures for Germany as a biotech location.

“The results underline the outstanding relevance of biotechnology for healthcare in Germany. This is only possible due to strong-performing companies. They are enormously research- as well as development-focused and thus make an important contribution to Germany’s innovative strength.”

Han Steutel, President of vfa

Tortendiagramme: "Marktanteil Biopharmazeutika steigt weiter"

Biopharmaceuticals market share continues to rise – Sales of and market share for biopharmaceuticals (1) in Germany (net).

Biotechnology is expanding its share of the overall pharmaceutical market in Germany. 59 percent of all newly approved drugs last year were biopharmaceuticals (2021: 46 percent). Overall, their share of the total market rose to 32.9 percent (31.4 percent). Sales of drugs manufactured using genetic engineering amounted to 17.8 billion euros in 2022 (16.1 billion euros). These were the findings of the biotech report compact “Medical Biotechnology in Germany 2023”, which was commissioned by the vfa and prepared by the strategy consultancy Boston Consulting Group.

Balkendiagramm: Wachstum über ein breites Indikationsspektrum

Growth across a broad spectrum of indications – sales1 of biopharmaceuticals in Germany 2022 (net).

“The results underline the outstanding relevance of biotechnology for healthcare in Germany. This is only possible due to strong-performing companies. They are enormously research- as well as development-focused and thus make an important contribution to Germany’s innovative strength,” says vfa President Han Steutel. This means that biotechnology is also providing new highly qualified jobs. The number of employees grew by 8.7 percent to around 50,000 – an increase of around 4,000 employees compared to 2021.

Steutel: “However, the strong figures for biotechnology should not obscure the bleak prospects for the pharmaceutical industry as a whole. The cuts resulting from the laws on SHI financing in particular are making Germany increasingly unattractive as a business location. The successes of biotechnology should not be put at risk for no reason.”

Balkendiagramm: Biopharmazeutika: große Bandbreite an Wirkstoffarten

Biopharmaceuticals: wide range of active ingredient types – total number of products approved and available on the market by type of active ingredient (1)

The biopharmaceutical pipeline has far more than doubled since 2005. From 256 clinical development candidates in 2005, it rose to 672 at the end of last year, reaching the 2021 level of 669. “This stabilization represents very high and continuous investments in the biopharmaceutical pipeline up to now,” explains Dr. Matthias Meergans, Managing Director Research and Development at the vfa. “In particular, the 5.6 percent increase in Phase I projects demonstrates that many new innovative compounds continue to be advanced from research into the clinical development phase.”

Balken- und Tortendiagramme: 10-Jahres-Vergleich: Positive Entwicklung setzt sich fort

10-year comparison: Positive trend continues.

You can read and download the entire biotech report compact “Medical Biotechnology in Germany 2023” here.

The vfa is the association of research-based pharmaceutical companies in Germany. It represents the interests of 48 leading global manufacturers and their more than 100 subsidiaries and affiliates in healthcare, research and economic policy. The members of the vfa represent around two-thirds of the entire German pharmaceutical market and employ around 94,000 people in Germany. Around 21,000 of these work in research and development.

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