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Year 2026 marks inflection point for pharma & medtech sectors as cos go for non-invasive drug delivery solutions
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Nandita Vijayasimha, Bengaluru
January 02 , 2025
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Year 2026 marks a decisive inflection point for the pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors, as companies go for non-invasive drug delivery solutions to improve patient outcomes, adherence, and market differentiation.
Advances in transdermal, inhaled, oral biologics, and device-enabled delivery platforms are converging with regulatory support and payer demand, accelerating the shift away from traditional injections and implantables. As patient-centric care, home-based treatment, and value-driven healthcare models take priority, non-invasive delivery is emerging not as an alternative, but as a strategic imperative across drug development pipelines and MedTech innovation.
Sarvesh Mutha, managing director, IntegriMedical said MedTech patient expectations are rising, clinical teams are seeking cleaner workflows, and minimally invasive care has become an active priority rather than a future ambition.
Across India and key global markets, the demand is tilting decisively towards technologies that elevate patient comfort, reduce procedural risk, and streamline delivery at scale. And rising fastest among these shifts is the uptake of non-invasive and minimally invasive drug-delivery systems.
In 2026, challenges continue around regulatory harmonisation, supply-chain stability, and cost-efficient scalability of innovative devices. At the same time, healthcare providers are sharpening their focus on reducing needle-stick injuries, improving vaccination compliance, and enabling safer self-administration for chronic therapies. These factors are collectively propelling interest in alternative drug-delivery routes.
Non-invasive drug-delivery modalities such as transdermal systems, intranasal delivery, pulmonary delivery, microarray patches, and jet-based needle-free injections are gaining strong scientific and commercial traction. They offer faster onset, reduced pain, lower contamination risk, and improved adherence, making them especially relevant in India’s high-volume vaccination and therapeutic injectable segments, Mutha pointed out.
In 2026, needle-free injection systems (N-FIS) are likely to play a pivotal role in bridging gaps in immunization drives, biologics administration, and high-density outpatient settings. With India witnessing a significant rise in injectable therapeutics, from vaccines and insulin to fertility treatments, the scalability, precision dosing, and safety benefits of needle-free platforms can meaningfully transform patient experience and provider workflows, he noted.
The bigger opportunity lies in collaboration between pharmaceutical companies and device innovators. Integrating formulation science with advanced delivery systems can accelerate market readiness, improve therapeutic outcomes, and support value-based care. As pharma increasingly seeks differentiation through delivery innovation, partnerships will become central to building next-generation treatment ecosystems. It makes therapies safer, smarter, and genuinely patient-centric. Non-invasive drug delivery will sit at the core of that shift.
From a pharma perspective, Aditya Sharma, head of process solutions, India Region, Merck Life Science, said, “As we enter 2026, India stands at the threshold of a transformative decade, driven by rapid scientific innovation and growing global influence”.
With the industry surpassing US$ 50 billion and advancing at double-digit growth, we are witnessing a powerful convergence of AI-enabled research, digital health platforms, advanced biologics, and next-generation modalities such as gene editing, mRNA technologies, and precision therapeutics. These advances are expanding the possibilities of affordable, accessible, and personalized care.
At the same time, rising R&D costs, evolving regulations, and the need for resilient supply chains demand focused action. Strengthening domestic manufacturing through initiatives like the PLI scheme, deepening public–private collaboration, and accelerating investments in quality, technology, and talent will be key to India’s continued leadership in global healthcare innovation. India has the opportunity not only to remain the ‘pharmacy of the world’ but to emerge as a global hub for biotech innovation, shaping healthcare outcomes for generations to come, said Sharma.
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