Competitive Landscape: Semi-solid Dosage Contract Manufacturing Market (2025)

Report Overview

Our healthcare portfolio has been developing since our inception in 2014, wherein we have tracked numerous sub-domains and their R&D activities. We have actively been tracking the contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) space and have seen the evolution of these players from just a handful to now over 100 companies. To help us understand and highlight their development journey, we have made this special study that focuses on the top semi-solid dosage contract manufacturing in the healthcare industry.

The semi-solid dosage contract manufacturing market is undergoing significant transformation driven by increasing demand for topical and transdermal drug delivery systems, along with growing outsourcing trends among pharmaceutical companies. As drug developers seek to streamline operations and manage costs, CMOs specializing in semi-solid forms such as creams, gels, ointments, and transdermal patches have become important partners in the pharmaceutical domain. The market is marked by a mix of global players with advanced formulation capabilities and region-specific CMOs offering cost-effective production, especially in emerging regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America. Competitive intensity is rising as firms invest in novel delivery technologies, expand regulatory compliance footprints, and scale production capacities to capture growing demand across therapeutic areas such as dermatology, pain management, and hormone replacement.

The number of CMOs focusing on semi-solid dosage manufacturing has been steadily increasing across the globe, driven by rising demand for specialized topical formulations and the pharmaceutical industry's ongoing shift toward outsourcing. In the past few years, several mid-sized CMOs have either expanded into or launched semi-solid manufacturing lines, particularly in India, Poland, and Vietnam, where cost advantages and skilled formulation scientists make these regions attractive. For instance, in 2023, Akums Drugs expanded its semi-solid capacity to accommodate growing dermatology and cosmeceutical contracts from European clients. Similarly, the U.S.-based firms like DPT Labs and Alcami have enhanced their semi-solid development services, including high-shear mixing and sterile packaging for ophthalmic gels. Thus, the growing pool of CMOs is fostering a more competitive environment, where differentiation comes from technical know-how in complex emulsion systems, quick turnaround times, and support for global regulatory filings.

Competitive Scenario

The semi-solid dosage contract manufacturing segment is largely dominated by regional CMOs that specialize in batch-based, high-throughput production of creams, gels, ointments, and lotions. Unlike full-service CDMOs, these firms operate strictly on a manufacturing-for-hire model, without being involved in co-development or early-stage formulation, making them ideal partners for generic pharma and OTC companies that already own their IP.

Key players in this space include companies like Lonza; Catalent, Inc.; Recipharm AB; and Aenova Group. These organizations dominate the semi-solid dosage form contract manufacturing space, leveraging their established expertise in large-scale manufacturing and regulatory affairs. For instance, Aenova Group has strong ties to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, which bolsters its ability to support semi-solid formulations. For instance, in October 2023, Aenova Group recently announced a significant investment of USD 11.35 million to enhance its Carugate site in Italy, focusing on expanding its production capabilities for semi-solid and non-sterile liquid dosage forms. Such expansion increased production capacity by adding a new high-speed filling line for semi-solid dosage forms, including creams, gels, and ointments. The upgrades also include the installation of advanced turbo-emulsifiers and a state-of-the-art warehouse, aimed at improving efficiency, scalability, and compliance with increasing market demand.

In addition, the market is characterized by a strong focus on GMP-compliant commercial production of creams, gels, ointments, lotions, and other semi-solid forms. Service providers in this space work with customer-supplied formulations and established manufacturing processes, concentrating on large-scale batch production, primary and secondary packaging, labeling, serialization, quality control testing, stability studies, and batch release. These companies generally offer high-quality, regulatory-compliant manufacturing and packaging capabilities to support pharmaceutical markets. Key players operating in the market include Lonza, Lubrizol Life Science, Cambrex Corporation, Contract Pharmaceuticals Limited (CPL), Bora Pharmaceuticals, and UPM Pharmaceuticals. These companies provide a range of services centered around GMP manufacturing of semi-solid dosage forms, bulk production, tube and jar filling, secondary packaging, serialization, analytical testing, and regulatory support related to batch release. Their offerings are designed to meet the needs of pharmaceutical companies seeking reliable and scalable manufacturing partnerships without engaging in formulation development.

Furthermore, competition is intensifying in the market due to the strong presence of regional and local contract manufacturers, along with global players. Factors such as evolving GMP regulations, increased scrutiny from health authorities, continuous pharmaceutical reforms across key countries, and rising pressure to optimize manufacturing costs are reshaping the market dynamics. Therefore, a detailed evaluation of the competitive landscape for semi-solid contract manufacturers is a critical element of this study. The analysis will include insights into the market positioning of major contract manufacturing service providers by region, supported by a comprehensive market assessment. This study will provide a detailed financial landscape of key players operating in the semi-solid contract manufacturing sector, including indicators such as total revenue, operating income, net income, EBIT/EBITDA, and asset turnover for publicly listed companies. This will enable a deeper understanding of each company's financial strength, operational performance, and strategic direction within the semi-solid manufacturing services market.

Note: The Latest financials as per the company's annual reports will be provided in the final deliverable

SWOT Analysis of Aenova Group:

Other aspects that shall be analyzed will include the market overview, company categorization, company position matrix, service offering matrix, and list of key CDMOs by region.

An in-depth analysis shall be provided for the 20 semi-solid dosage contract manufacturing listed below:

1. Lonza

2. Lubrizol Life Science

3. Cambrex Corporation

4. Contract Pharmaceuticals Limited

5. Bora Pharmaceutical

6. UPM Pharmaceuticals

7. Medical Products Laboratories (MPL)

8. CPL (Contract Pharmaceuticals Limited)

9. Almac Group

10. Cambrex Corporation

11. Pierre Fabre Group

12. Ascendia Pharmaceuticals

13. Piramal Pharma Solutions

14. DPT Laboratories, LTD

15. MedPharm Ltd

16. Catalent, Inc.

17. Recipharm AB

18. Aenova Group

19. Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services

20. Delpharm