Plant-Based Excipients Companies Strategic Expansion Initiatives

Top Vendors in the Plant-Based Excipients Market & Their Offerings

Roquette Frères

Headquarters: Lestrem, France
Offering: Global producer of plant-based ingredients and pharmaceutical excipients such as starches, polyols, and formulation aids for oral and specialty drug delivery.

BASF Corporation (BASF SE)

Headquarters: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Offering: Offers a broad portfolio of pharmaceutical raw materials and excipients, including solubilizers, binders, and formulation enhancers across oral, parenteral, and topical applications.

Lonza Group AG

Headquarters: Basel, Switzerland
Offering: A major CDMO and supplier of formulation solutions, including capsule technologies (e.g., Capsugel®), drug delivery supports, and tailored dosage form expertise.

DFE Pharma

Headquarters: Goch, Germany
Offering: Specializes in high-quality functional excipients such as fillers, binders, and disintegrants used in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical formulations.

Evonik Industries AG

Headquarters: Essen, Germany
Offering: Supplies specialty excipients and formulation additives that improve stability, solubility, and performance in advanced drug delivery systems.

Micro Powders, Inc

Headquarters: New York, USA
Offering: Manufacturer of specialty fine powders, micronized waxes, and additives that support formulation performance in coatings, personal care, and select pharmaceutical excipient applications.

Value Chain Analysis: Plant-Based Excipients Market

R&D

• R&D is centered on developing multifunctional and sustainable plant-derived alternatives to synthetic excipients, aligned with regulatory changes, green chemistry principles, and rising demand for natural products.
• Innovations focus on improving drug delivery performance, including enhanced solubility, stability, and extended-release profiles.
• Research also emphasizes optimizing functional properties such as binding, film coating, and taste masking for oral, pediatric, and topical formulations.
• Advanced technologies, including plant cell culture and bio-processing techniques, are being explored to create novel excipient molecules.
• Key Players: Roquette, BASF, Evonik Industries, Ashland Global, FMC Corporation.

Clinical Trials

• Clinical trials are exploring plant-based excipients as safe, eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic materials, particularly in advanced drug delivery systems such as controlled-release and targeted formulations.
• Their effectiveness is being tested as binders, gelling agents, and stabilizers across tablets, gels, and nanoparticle-based dosage forms.
• Research focuses on modified starches, cellulose derivatives, and natural gums to improve bioavailability, formulation stability, and multifunctional performance.
• Regulatory complexity and the need for consistent quality standards continue to challenge broader clinical adoption. 
• Key Players: DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, Meggle Pharma, JRS Pharma, DFE Pharma, Roquette Frères, SPI Pharma.

Regulatory Approvals

• Regulatory approval requires compliance with global authorities such as the FDA, EMA, and WHO, with strong emphasis on safety, quality, and batch-to-batch consistency.
• Manufacturers must follow GMP and GACP standards and submit detailed toxicological studies, impurity profiles, and stability data to manage natural variability.
• Comprehensive documentation, including Drug Master Files (DMFs), is essential to demonstrate suitability for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical use.
• Compliance with pharmacopeial standards like USP and EP is mandatory, while regulators are increasingly supportive of sustainable, plant-derived excipients over synthetic alternatives.
• Key Players: Ashland Global, Colorcon, Roquette, Evonik Industries, JRS Pharma, SPI Pharma.

Market Growth

The global plant-based excipients market size was estimated at USD 2.09 billion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 2.18 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 3.19 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 4.32% from 2026 to 2035.

What are the Recent Developments in the Plant-Based Excipients Market?

• In May 2025, Roquette finalized the acquisition of IFF Pharma Solutions, expanding its excipients platform across cellulose derivatives, binders, and capsule technologies. This move enhanced Roquette’s ability to support nutraceutical delivery systems and meet growing demand for clean-label, plant-based formulation solutions.
• In June 2024, at CPHI China 2024, MEGGLE GmbH & Co. KG showcased its full portfolio of lactose-based excipients, including FlowLac and InhaLac. This presentation reinforced the company’s strong market presence and expertise in high-quality pharmaceutical excipient solutions.

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