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Introduction
The capsule market is shifting due to the growing importance of ethics and sustainability in driving consumer behavior. The ethical spending market has shown year-on-year growth since 1999, and spending on ethical products grew by over 20% in 2022 alone.1 This is already shaping the field of capsule formulation. In the pharmaceutical sector, oral dosage is the preferred mode of administration for the majority of patients, with 77–92% of patients expressing a preference for an oral form over an injection.2–4 Oral dosage forms make up 83% of the top 200 prescribed drugs in the US.5 Although gelatin-based capsules are still the most common, the market share of vegetarian-based capsules is growing (reaching 40% in 2025).6
What is driving growth in the vegetarian and vegan market?
Modern consumers are increasingly likely to consider factors like environmental concerns, social responsibility, and their own health and well-being when making brand and product choices. The numbers of consumers with ethical or religious beliefs that require special dietary preferences, such as vegetarianism or veganism, now represent a significant segment of the market.7,8 The healthcare industry will need to consider the best formulations to meet the needs and preferences of the consumer when developing new products. The impact of this change will likely be most apparent in over-the-counter medications, where the consumer has more freedom of choice over prescription drugs.
This empowered ethically minded consumer is driving the market trend away from animal-derived products, most notably gelatin, to plant-based alternatives, such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC).
The future of hard capsules is being shaped by the growing demand for vegetarian and vegan products. By embracing this trend and investing in innovation, manufacturers can meet the evolving needs of consumers and position themselves for long-term success in the hard-capsule market.
HPMC capsule market size is estimated to be over 540 million USD in 2025 and is predicted to grow to 1.29 billion USD over the next 10 years (representing more than 9% compound annual growth rate).9 HPMC capsules without gelling aids are expected to be the dominant segment, compared to those with gelling agents, maintaining close to 80% market share due to dietary and clean-label preferences.9
What are the advantages of vegetarian capsules for formulators?
The plant-based nature of HPMC offers several distinct advantages over gelatin beyond those related to consumer preference. They eliminate the risk of cross-linking reactions, which delay drug release, and their low moisture content makes them better suited to hygroscopic substances and low-humidity conditions.10,11
Within the HPMC category, capsules can be divided into those that do and do not use gelling agents. Originally, HPMC capsules were manufactured in a similar process to gelatin capsules, by dipping cold pins into a hot solution.12 Gelling agents such as carrageenan or gellan gum were used to overcome the lower solubility of HPMC in hot water, but this had some notable drawbacks.11,12 Most significantly, the addition of gelling agents impacted the dissolution properties of the HPMC capsules, resulting in variable dissolution profiles depending on the dissolution media.11,12 Lastly, capsules produced with a gelling agent are dull in luster rather than crystal clear.
To overcome these potential drawbacks, second-generation HPMC capsules, Capsugel® Vcaps® Plus capsules, took advantage of the high solubility of HPMC in cold water. The unique and patented thermo-gelation process reverses traditional capsule manufacturing by dipping hot pins into a cold solution, producing a capsule without the need for gelling agents, with a high-gloss finish.12 Capsugel® Vcaps® Plus capsules offer the usual HPMC advantages with respect to gelatin and have been shown to provide an equivalent pharmacokinetic profile.12 They are compatible with solid or liquid fill and high-speed filling.13
Conclusion
Capsugel® Vcaps® Plus capsules provide a solution for formulators looking to meet the needs of an increasingly ethically and sustainability-conscious market: plant-based, high-gloss, with an equivalent pharmacokinetic profile to gelatin capsules, no risk of cross-linking, suitable for hygroscopic drugs and high-speed filling. Capsugel® Vcaps® Plus capsules offer dependability and versatility to meet the needs of formulators and preferences of consumers.
To learn more or discuss how Capsugel® Vcaps® Plus capsules can advance your next formulation, contact your Lonza Capsugel expert today [Contact Us | Lonza]
References
1. Ethical Markets Report. 2023. Available from: https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/sites/default/files/media-file/2023-12/Ethical-Markets-Report-2023-web-final.pdf. Accessed December 2025.
2. Barclay N, Tarallo M, Hendrikx T, Marett S. Patient Preference for Oral Versus Injectable and Intravenous Methods of Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Value In Health. 2013;16:568(PMS78).
3. Boye K, Ross M, Mody R, Konig M, Gelhorn H. Patients' Preferences for Once-daily Oral Versus Once-weekly Injectable Diabetes Medications: The REVISE Study. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2021;23(2):508–19.
4. Ipsos Mori – Patient Preference Patient Topline Questionnaire. 2005. Available from: https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2020-12/daiichi-sanko-hcp-topline-questionnaire.pdf. Accessed December 2025.
5. Fuentes A, Pineda M, Nagulapalli Venkata K. Comprehension of Top 200 Prescribed Drugs in the US as a Resource for Pharmacy Teaching, Training and Practice. Pharmacy (Basel). 2018;6(2):43. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy6020043.
6. Empty Capsule Market Report - Growth, Demand & Forecast 2025 to 2035. Future Market Insights Inc. Available at: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/empty-capsules-market. Accessed November 2025.
7. Łuszczki E, Boakye F, Zielińska M, Dereń K, Bartosiewicz A, Oleksy Ł, Stolarczyk A. Vegan Diet: Nutritional Components, Implementation, and Effects on Adults' Health. Front Nutr. 2023;10:1294497. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1294497.
8. Veganism by Country. World Population Review. 2025. Available at: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/veganism-by-country. Accessed November 2025.
9. Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC) Capsules Market Size and Forecast, by Product (With Gelling Aid, Without Gelling Aid); End user - Growth Trends, Key Players, Regional Analysis 2026–2035. Research Nester. 2025. Available at: https://www.researchnester.com/reports/hydroxypropyl-methylcellulose-capsules-market/7103. Accessed November 2025.
10. Faulhammer E, Kovalcik A, Wahl V, Markl D, Stelzer F, Lawrence S, Khinast J, Paudel A. Multi-Methodological Investigation of the Variability of the Microstructure of HPMC Hard Capsules. Int J Pharm. 2016;511(2):840–54.
11. Ku MS, Lu Q, Li W, Chen Y. (2011) Performance Qualification of a New Hypromellose Capsule: Part II. Disintegration and Dissolution Comparison Between Two Types of Hypromellose Capsules. Int J Pharm. 416(1):16–24.
12. Next-generation HPMC Capsules Bioequivalence and Functional Performance. Lonza Capsules and Health Ingredients. 2024. CHI-M23-558.
13. Technical Reference File – Empty Hard Capsules. Lonza Capsules and Health Ingredients. 2023.
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