Candidiasis is an infection caused by Candida yeasts, a type of fungus commonly found on skin and in the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and vagina. There are over 20 species of Candida that can cause infection in humans. Candidiasis infections range from superficial, non-life threatening infections of the skin, mouth, throat, and vagina to invasive infections of organs like kidneys, liver, heart, and brain. Candidiasis treatment involves using antifungal medicines such as azoles, polyenes or echinocandins to cure the infection.

The Global Candidiasis Market is estimated to be valued at US$ 1134.49 Bn in 2024 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 8.8% over the forecast period from 2024 to 2031.

Key Takeaways

Key players operating in the Candidiasis Market Growth are Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Astellas Pharma Inc., SCYNEXIS, Inc., NovaDigm Therapeutics, Mycovia Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Pfizer Inc, and Viatris Inc., among others. These players are developing new drugs and combination therapies to treat both azole-resistant and non-alazole resistant Candida infections. The growing prevalence of candidiasis infections globally is expected to propel the demand for diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Technological advancements in diagnosis such as DNA sequencing and molecular identification allows for rapid identification of the infectious Candida species and enables prompt initiation of targeted antifungal therapy.

Market Trends

Increasing demand for novel antifungal drugs: Candidiasis treatment faces challenge of emerging antifungal resistance. There is an increased demand for novel antifungal drugs such as echinocandins, new azoles, morpholines and allylamines to effectively treat drug resistance fungal infections. Rising research in gene sequencing for antifungal drug targets: Researchers are studying genetic structure of fungus through gene sequencing to identify new molecular drug targets which would facilitate development of novel class of antifungal drugs.

Market Opportunities

Rising cases of hospital acquired invasive candidiasis: Longer hospital stay and invasive medical procedures are increasing cases of hospital acquired candidemia and other forms of invasive candidiasis. This presents an opportunity for diagnostic test kits and new antifungal drugs for treating drug resistant ICU-acquired candidiasis. Combination antifungal therapy: Combining existing antifungals with different mechanisms has potential to achieve synergistic effect, better efficacy and prevent emergence of resistance. This presents opportunities for companies to develop and market fixed-dose combination antifungal products.

Impact of COVID-19 on Candidiasis Market Growth
The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 has impacted the growth of the global candidiasis market. Due to the rapid spread of the virus, healthcare facilities globally reported an increased burden of hospital-acquired infections in both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. Vulnerable patients, including those with compromised immune systems were at an increased risk of developing opportunistic fungal infections like candidiasis. Hospitalization and intensive care unit admissions increased significantly during the pandemic. This led to overburdened healthcare systems and infrastructure globally. Additionally, lockdowns and social distancing measures disrupted supply chains and production facilities temporarily. This led to shortage of antifungal drugs and diagnostics kits used to treat and detect candidiasis. With increased research efforts, several vaccine candidates were approved post mid-2021, which led to decline in COVID-19 cases and hospital burden. This provided traction for the candidiasis market to regain momentum. However, risk of new viral variants and waves continues to impact the market dynamics.

Geographically, in terms of value, North America held the largest share of the candidiasis market in 2024 owing to growing healthcare expenditure, advanced healthcare infrastructure and presence of major market players in the region. However, Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest growing regional market between 2024 to 2031. This is attributed to large patient pool, increased awareness, healthcare reforms and economic growth in several countries including India and China. Improving access to diagnosis and treatment is expected to propel the regional market during the forecast period.

Get More Insights On This Topic: Candidiasis Market