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Let’s Discuss The Nebulizer Market

John Bottrell, RRT's avatar image

By John Bottrell, RRT

3 min read

Nebulizers are a great way of inhaling respiratory medicines. They are relatively small and expected to get smaller. They are relatively simple to use and expected to get simpler. This is as the nebulizer market is expected to see an annual growth rate of 6.5% between now and 2026. And this is a big deal for the millions of people living with chronic lung diseases, like asthma and COPD.1

Why is the nebulizer market expected to grow?

  • The population is aging. In 1900, life expectancy was 47. In 2000, life expectancy was 75. Today, life expectancy for men is 79.7, and for women is 82.0. Between 2015 and 2050, the number of people over 60 was expected to double. This is an increase from 12% of the population in 2015 to 22% in 2050.2-3
  • The cost of hospital stays are expensive. This kind of goes without saying.
  • The number of people with chronic lung diseases is rising. In 2018, 339 million people worldwide had a diagnosis of asthma. Also in 2018, 328 million people had a diagnosis of COPD. Many more are have asthma and/or COPD without a proper diagnosis. Many more have other respiratory diseases. These numbers are expected to rise. Of the top 30 causes of death worldwide, respiratory diseases account for 5 of them. In total, over a billion people are dealing with respiratory diseases. So this market is ripe for those interested in investing in it, and profiting from it. And the beneficiaries of this will be us.4-7
  • The home healthcare market is growing. Hospital stays are expensive. And managing chronic diseases at home is much less expensive than managing them in hospitals. So, this is helping to drive the nebulizer market. The opportunity to profit here is enticing nebulizer companies to invest a lot into this market. And the end result is going to be a huge array of nebulizer options to choose from. In fact, we are already seeing the benefits here.1
  • Healthcare products (like nebulizers) are getting smaller, quieter, and simpler to use. Some nebulizers are almost as small as inhalers. They are battery operated and are much quieter than the ones operated by air compressors. The only thing we’re waiting for now is the cost to come down. And that’s highly likely too as the market continues to grow.

What does this mean for nebulizers for COPD?

It means newer types of nebulizers. It means quieter and faster treatments. It means easier to use and portable nebulizers.

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Right now, jet nebulizers have the greatest share of the market, at 73%. They are easy to produce. They are easy to use. Basic units are very affordable. And, at the present time, this is what most insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid will cover. So, the demand for jet nebulizers is expected to grow between now and 2026.1,8

Relatively new to the market are mesh nebulizers. These are much more expensive than jet nebulizers. But, they are quieter, smaller, and easier to use. Treatment times are sometimes cut in half.

So, they are much more convenient. As the chronic lung disease market grows, so too will the nebulizer market. And as more competitors enter this market, the end result here will be a drop in prices. Likewise, as technology improves for making mesh nebulizers, this will also help to lower prices. Also, patents on mesh nebulizers are beginning to expire. So, this too should help grow the generic nebulizer market, further driving prices down.8-9

So, it’s expected that mesh nebulizers will become more affordable. And this will make them more viable options for those of us who would benefit from them. The mesh nebulizer market is expected to have the “fastest growth” between now and 2026.

As noted, the nebulizer market is expected to grow. As of 2018, the market made $870.1 million in profits. By 2026, the market is expected to make $1.44 billion in profits.1 And money, the potential to profit, is a HUGE motivator for companies. So, the nebulizer market is expected to grow. Nebulizers are expected to become better. Smaller, portable, and quieter nebulizers should become more affordable. And the beneficiaries are all us who live with respiratory disease.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The COPD.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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