Oral Solid Market Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Global Industry Analysis: By  Form (Tablets, Capsules, Lozenges, and Mini Tablets), Release Profile (Immediate, Extended, Delayed/Enteric, and Modified), Patient Segment (Pediatric, Geriatric, and Adult), Manufacturing Technology (Direct Compression, Granulation, Extrusion Spheronization, Coating, and 3D Printing), and Region Forecast 2020-2031

Oral Solid Market size was valued at US$ 537.9 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach US$ 841.4 billion by 2031, growing at a significant CAGR of 7.2% from 2025-2031. Oral Solid dosage (OSD) forms are drug products—such as tablets, capsules, caplets, and lozenges—consumed orally in a solid state that are aimed at delivering active drug ingredients with precision and stability. The OSD market gets its drive because of its unmatched convenience, stability, and cost-effectiveness. Tablets and capsules ensure precise dosing, extended shelf life without cold storage, and convenient handling—beneficial for the manufacturer as well as patients. New form technologies like controlled-release, fixed-dose combinations, and orally disintegrating forms also additionally enhance therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance.

Growing incidence of chronic disease conditions and requirements for easy-to-use drugs in pediatric and geriatric populations are motivating new OSD forms. Challenges are rising development expenses for sophisticated forms, taste masking issues, and production challenges for small or poorly soluble molecules. Regulatory acceptability of pediatric or modified-release forms drives development time and cost. Despite such limitations, continued investment in patient-centric design and drug delivery technology is fueling growth.

Facts & Figures

• Over 50% of all pharmaceutical products on the global market are in oral solid form—primarily tablets and capsules—making it the most preferred drug delivery method across age groups.
• Approximately 40% of adults report difficulty swallowing tablets or capsules, leading to innovations like orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs), mini-tablets, and film-coated formats.
• An average tablet may contain 5 to 10 excipients including binders, fillers, disintegrants, and lubricants. These play a critical role in drug release, absorption, and stability.
• Modern high-speed tablet presses can produce up to 1 million tablets per hour, making them suitable for large-scale commercial manufacturing with precise dose uniformity.

Key Developments:

• In May 2025, Pfizer announced a new investment in its Kalamazoo manufacturing facility focused on expanding its capabilities in high-speed oral solid dose production. The upgrade includes advanced continuous manufacturing lines to streamline output and ensure greater batch consistency.
• In March 2025, Catalent launched a new formulation platform for modified-release oral solid drugs using its proprietary OptiMelt™ technology. This advancement aims to support better bioavailability for poorly soluble APIs in solid form.
• In January 2025, Aenova opened a new high-volume production line in Germany dedicated to oral tablets and capsules, with an emphasis on contract development and manufacturing services for nutraceuticals and generics.
• In June 2024, Lonza completed its acquisition of a specialized oral contract development facility in the United States, aiming to enhance its preclinical to commercial-stage offerings in the OSD segment.

Oral Solid Market Segmentation:

Based on the form:

• Tablets (immediate, extended, enteric-coated, disintegrating)
• Capsules (hard gelatin, HPMC, sprinkle, liquid-filled)
• Lozenges & Effervescent forms
• Mini/Micro-tablets & Stick-packs

Capsules are one of the most popular and versatile oral solid forms because they are easy to swallow, they can be used to mask bad taste, and they are compatible with a broad spectrum of drugs. They may be dispensed as hard gelatin, HPMC (vegetarian), or softgel capsules, depending on the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and desired release. Capsules can accommodate multi-particulate systems, such as pellets, beads, or mini-tablets within the shell, providing scope for modified release and combination therapy. The structure also permits quicker dissolution than tablets, with improved drug absorption for some substances. With developments with capsule-in-capsule and liquid-filled capsules, this type is now used more for intricate formulations, such as poorly soluble drugs or fixed-dose combinations.

Based on the release profile:

• Immediate Release
• Sustained/Extended Release
• Delayed/Enteric Release
• Modified & Pulsatile Release

Enteric-coated tablets employ a polymer barrier to shield the API from gastric acidity or gastric irritation. The coating dissolves at the higher intestinal pH, facilitating targeted release and improved absorption. Suitable for acid-sensitive drugs, irritants to the stomach, and treatments that need intestinal delivery. This approach enhances tolerability and therapeutic effectiveness. Regulatory guidance provides uniform coating integrity and dissolution profile. Formulation issues involve the attainment of even coating thickness, adhesion, and humidity stability. In spite of technical requirements, enteric-coated tablets find extensive use in ulcer drugs, delayed immunosuppressants, and pediatric products with taste masking through stomach bypassing.

Based on the patient segment:

• Pediatric
• Geriatric
• General Adult

The elderly population commonly experiences issues with swallowing traditional tablets, polypharmacy, and the management of long-term diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis. Oral solid technology addressed at older individuals centers around easy-to-consume forms like orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs), mini-tablets, and soft chewables. These are tailored to minimize swallowing difficulty, enhance palatability, and increase compliance.

Further, controlled-release systems reduce frequency of dosing—a valuable advantage for elderly patients taking multiple medicines a day. Color coding, scoring, and ease of opening packaging are also designed for improved usability. With increasing global elderly population, there is significant demand for geriatric-oriented oral products, and formulators are investing in greater efforts to enhance tolerability, safety, and convenience.

Based on the manufacturing technology:

• Direct Compression
• Wet/Dry Granulation
• Extrusion Spheronization
• Film Coating / Enteric Coating
• 3D Printing

3D printing is emerging as an innovative technology for the oral solid dose market, enabling the production of customized tablets according to individual patient need. It allows the assembly of complex geometries, multi-layered items, and polypills made of different APIs with different release patterns. This is particularly beneficial in personalized medicine, pediatric treatment, and clinical trials with iterative formulation. Technologies like fused deposition modeling (FDM), binder jetting, and selective laser sintering are being explored to develop functional tablets with controlled porosity, rapid disintegration, and targeted release. While yet to gain traction commercially, regulatory approvals like the FDA's acceptance of the first-ever 3D-printed OSD in epilepsy are a significant step towards future adoption.