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Welcome to this week’s edition of the Thomas Index Report.
Americans are focusing more on their health, according to Pew Research Center. This includes upping their workout regimens, eating more greens, and investing in daily supplements. It’s no wonder the vitamins and minerals market is expected to reach $25 billion by 2026, as projected by Research and Markets.
But have you ever wondered how the pills that end up in your medicine cabinets are made? To meet industry requirements, pills go through an extensive manufacturing process; with tablet press settings carefully programmed to ensure uniformity, correct dosage, and hardness. However, industry leaders believe 3D printing is poised to “be the future of pharma.”
For example, in March, Colgate partnered with Nourished to create “Nutristacks.” These are 3D printed supplements designed to improve oral hygiene while simultaneously “nourishing” the mind and body. By taking a short quiz, the supplements can even be customized specifically for one’s needs. And as additive manufacturing quickly becomes a critical tool in industry to bolster time-to-market, this type of innovation could go beyond just supplements to create even more personalized medicine. With 3D printing, instead of combining active ingredients with other compounds to form a hard pill, individual tablets can be printed out layer by layer.
Another cool innovation in vitamin tech is set to help those with Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a special gel made of plant-based oils that “helps the medicine go down,” as Mary Poppins would say. The gel can be mixed with medicine and even prepared in various textures, from pudding to yogurt-like. Because of the system’s low cost, according to the senior study author, it is a breakthrough in consumer health and accessibility.
The rising interest in vitamins and supplements is reflected in sourcing on the Thomasnet.com platform. On Thomasnet, sourcing for vitamins is up 17% year over year and 20% quarter over quarter.
I’m Anna Wells, and this is the Thomas Index Report.
Top 10 Categories with the Most Sourcing Activity Month Over Month
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Image Credit: TIR