(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) AI, multiomics, automation, high-throughput screening and personalized medicine are reshaping drug discovery, while outsourcing and local manufacturing create opportunities.Dublin, Sept. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Drug Discovery Market Report 2026" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
Global Drug Discovery Market to Reach $250.51 Billion by 2030 as AI and Personalized Medicine Transform Research
The global drug discovery market is experiencing rapid growth as pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations increase research and development investment to address chronic, infectious, and previously difficult-to-treat diseases. The market is projected to grow from $124.11 billion in 2025 to $142.54 billion in 2026, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.8%. Historical growth has been supported by advances in molecular biology, expanding biotechnology collaborations, greater availability of research funding, and increased pharmaceutical R&D expenditure.
Looking ahead, the drug discovery market is forecast to reach $250.51 billion by 2030, expanding at a CAGR of 15.1%. Growth during the forecast period is expected to be driven by AI-powered drug discovery platforms, personalized medicine, multiomics data integration, biopharmaceutical outsourcing, and laboratory automation. Other important drug discovery market trends include advances in high-throughput screening, targeted therapeutic development, pharmacogenomics, precision medicine, and nanotechnology-enabled research.
Rising healthcare expenditure is a key factor supporting global drug discovery market growth. Governments, healthcare systems, and private-sector organizations are allocating substantial resources to clinical services, hospital care, prescription medicines, and medical research. Drug discovery remains a critical component of this investment because it enables the development of new therapies, supports responses to emerging diseases, and helps improve patient outcomes. In October 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported that US national health expenditure increased by 4.1% to $4.5 trillion in 2022, equivalent to $13,493 per person. Average national health expenditure is projected to grow by 5.6% annually between 2023 and 2032, compared with GDP growth of 4.3%. Healthcare spending as a share of GDP is consequently expected to rise from 17.3% in 2022 to 19.7% in 2032.
Artificial intelligence and advanced imaging are reshaping pharmaceutical drug discovery by improving target identification, molecular analysis, candidate selection, and precision therapy development. These technologies can reduce research timelines while enabling scientists to analyze complex biological and genomic datasets more effectively. In May 2023, Google Cloud introduced the AI-powered Target and Lead Identification Suite and Multiomics Suite. The Target and Lead Identification Suite supports research into amino acid and protein functions, while the Multiomics Suite accelerates genomic data discovery and analysis. The launch reflects growing demand for cloud-based AI tools that can support scalable, data-intensive drug development programs.
Strategic acquisitions are also strengthening technology capabilities across the biotechnology sector. In July 2024, France-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Iktos acquired Synsight for an undisclosed amount. The transaction is intended to enhance Iktos's platform through the integration of Synsight's advanced research technologies, including the MT BenchTM system for high-performance screening of biological interactions. This acquisition highlights the increasing importance of integrated screening, automation, and computational technologies within modern drug discovery workflows.
The drug discovery market encompasses small-molecule and large-molecule programs across target selection, target validation, hit-to-lead identification, lead optimization, and candidate validation. Core technologies include high-throughput screening, spectroscopy, combinatorial chemistry, biochips, bioinformatics, metabolomics, pharmacogenomics, pharmacogenetics, and nanotechnology. These capabilities support therapeutic research in oncology, neurology, infectious and immune system diseases, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, respiratory diseases, and digestive system disorders. Pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations are among the principal end users, with outsourcing demand rising as developers seek specialized expertise, flexible capacity, and more efficient development models.
North America was the largest region in the drug discovery market in 2025, while Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region during the forecast period. The global market analysis covers Asia-Pacific, Southeast Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. Countries covered include Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Italy, and Spain.
Markets Covered:
1) By Drug Type: Small Molecule; Large Molecule
2) By Process: Target Selection; Target Validation; Hit-To-Lead Identification; Lead Optimization; Candidate Validation
3) By Technology: High Throughput Screening; Spectroscopy; Combinatorial Chemistry; Biochips; Pharmacogenomics And Pharmacogenetics; Bioinformatics; Metabolomics; Nanotechnology; Other Technologies
4) By Therapeutic Area: Oncology; Neurology; Infectious And Immune System Diseases; Digestive System Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Diabetes; Respiratory Disease; Other Therapeutic Areas
5) By End User: Pharmaceutical Companies; CROs; Other End-Users
Subsegments:
1) By Small Molecule: Synthetic Small Molecules; Natural Small Molecules; Targeted Small Molecule Drugs
2) By Large Molecule: Monoclonal Antibodies; Proteins And Peptides; Nucleic Acid-Based Therapies
Time Series: Five years historic and ten years forecast.
Data: Ratios of market size and growth to related markets, GDP proportions, expenditure per capita.
Data Segmentation: Country and regional historic and forecast data, market share of competitors, market segments.
Key Attributes:
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