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The South Korea Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) drugs market focuses on the medications, primarily injectable treatments like anti-VEGF drugs, used to slow down vision loss caused by this common eye disease, especially in the elderly population. This market is a critical part of the country’s ophthalmology sector, driven by advanced medical standards and the push for effective treatments that preserve eyesight, often involving biologics and innovative therapies developed by major pharmaceutical companies.
The Age-related Macular Degeneration drugs Market in South Korea is expected to grow steadily at a CAGR of XX% from 2025 to 2030, increasing from an estimated US$ XX billion in 2024-2025 to reach US$ XX billion by 2030.
The global age-related macular degeneration (AMD) drugs market was valued at $9.55 billion in 2023, reached $10.46 billion in 2024, and is projected to grow at a strong 10.7% CAGR, reaching $17.37 billion by 2029.
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Drivers
The Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) drugs market in South Korea is predominantly driven by the nation’s rapidly aging demographic structure and the subsequent increase in the prevalence of AMD. South Korea is quickly becoming an aged society, and as AMD is strongly correlated with advanced age (with prevalence estimated around 13.94% as of recent data), the patient pool requiring chronic treatment is expanding significantly. Furthermore, the robust and universally accessible healthcare system in South Korea, coupled with high rates of health awareness and regular fundus examinations in populations with risk factors, ensures timely diagnosis and access to effective pharmacological interventions, primarily anti-VEGF therapies (like Eylea and Lucentis). Government reimbursement policies, particularly under the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), play a crucial role by covering expensive biologic treatments for wet AMD, thereby minimizing out-of-pocket costs and boosting market uptake. The presence of technologically advanced clinical research centers and ophthalmology specialists facilitates the rapid adoption of novel and premium drugs. The market growth is also supported by continuous research and development efforts by domestic and international pharmaceutical companies, focusing on developing longer-lasting or dual-action treatments to reduce the frequency of intravitreal injections and improve patient compliance and quality of life.
Restraints
Despite the strong demand, the South Korean AMD drugs market faces several restraints, most notably the high cost associated with the primary treatment modalities, anti-VEGF drugs. Although government reimbursement policies alleviate the financial burden for patients, the high pricing structure of these biologic drugs places significant pressure on the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) budget, leading to continuous efforts by the government to control pharmaceutical spending and potentially limit patient eligibility or treatment frequency. Market growth is also constrained by the complex and invasive nature of current treatments, which typically require multiple frequent intravitreal injections. This procedure presents risks of complications, causes patient discomfort, and contributes to treatment fatigue and non-compliance, particularly among the elderly. Another restraint is the challenge posed by the presence of biosimilars (generic versions of biologic drugs). While biosimilars offer cost savings, their introduction increases competition and puts downward pressure on the revenue generated by originator drugs, impacting market value growth. Finally, the dry form of AMD, which accounts for the majority of cases and currently lacks effective pharmacological treatment, represents a significant unmet need and a commercial limitation for the drugs market focused mainly on wet AMD.
Opportunities
Significant opportunities in the South Korean AMD drugs market revolve around the development and adoption of next-generation, longer-acting, and novel treatment mechanisms. The primary opportunity lies in commercializing drugs targeting geographic atrophy (GA), the advanced form of dry AMD, as there are currently limited approved treatments. This unmet need represents a large and lucrative segment ripe for new product entry. Furthermore, there is a substantial opportunity in developing combination therapies and dual-action drugs, such as Vabysmo (faricimab) or pipeline drugs like OPT-302 (Sozinibercept), which aim to address multiple pathways involved in wet AMD pathogenesis, potentially offering improved visual outcomes and extending the dosing interval to every 3-4 months or longer. Advancements in drug delivery systems, including gene therapy which can turn the eye into a “drug factory” to produce its own anti-VEGF proteins, present a major long-term opportunity for minimizing injection frequency and enhancing patient adherence. Lastly, the established excellence of South Korean biotechnology companies (e.g., Samsung Bioepis) in biosimilar manufacturing creates opportunities to capture market share by offering cost-effective alternatives to major blockbusters like Eylea and Lucentis, serving both domestic and international markets while managing national healthcare expenditures.
Challenges
The South Korean AMD drugs market must overcome several challenges, starting with the technical difficulty and cost involved in bringing new, potentially curative therapies to market. The regulatory environment, overseen by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), requires rigorous clinical data to prove superiority or non-inferiority, which can be a time-consuming and expensive process for novel drugs or advanced modalities like gene and stem cell therapies. A major challenge for clinicians and the healthcare system is monitoring and managing treatment adherence, given the chronic nature of wet AMD and the necessity of repeated injections over many years. Treatment fatigue and logistical issues often lead to suboptimal patient compliance, resulting in poorer outcomes. Furthermore, while the market is technologically advanced, there is a need for highly specialized medical personnel to administer complex novel drugs and advanced procedures (such as subretinal injections for gene therapy trials). Protecting intellectual property (IP) is another persistent challenge, particularly in the biosimilar space, where litigation over patent expiry can create market uncertainty. Finally, integrating diagnostics, like high-resolution imaging and predictive biomarker tests, with therapeutic decisions remains a challenge to ensure that the right patient receives the most effective treatment at the optimal time.
Role of AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is positioned to revolutionize the South Korean AMD drugs market, primarily by enhancing diagnostic efficiency, optimizing treatment pathways, and accelerating drug discovery. In diagnostics, deep learning algorithms can analyze vast amounts of ophthalmic imaging data, such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scans, to detect subtle changes indicating the onset or progression of AMD, including the conversion from dry to wet form, often earlier and more accurately than the human eye. This capability facilitates timely initiation of expensive anti-VEGF drug therapy, preserving patient vision. For optimizing treatment, AI models can predict the patient’s individual response to different anti-VEGF agents and determine the ideal treatment frequency, supporting “treat and extend” protocols or informing the switch to dual-action drugs or biosimilars based on efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, AI and machine learning are increasingly used in the preclinical drug discovery phase to screen vast chemical libraries, predict compound toxicity, and identify novel therapeutic targets beyond the current anti-VEGF mechanism (such as complement pathway inhibitors), thereby accelerating the pipeline for both wet and dry AMD drugs. South Korea’s strength in ICT and digital health makes it an ideal environment for integrating these AI-driven diagnostic and decision-support tools into clinical workflows.
Latest Trends
The South Korean AMD drugs market is currently shaped by several key technological and commercial trends. One of the most significant trends is the increased adoption and competitive presence of biosimilars. Following the patent expiry of major anti-VEGF drugs, local companies are launching high-quality biosimilar versions of Lucentis and Eylea, driving down treatment costs and expanding patient access under the national healthcare system, fundamentally altering the competitive dynamics of the market. Another crucial trend is the shift towards longer-duration treatments and dual-mechanism drugs. The launch of therapies with less frequent dosing intervals (e.g., Vabysmo) is highly valued by both patients and clinicians for improving compliance and reducing clinical burden. Furthermore, significant research investment is being directed toward therapeutic options for dry AMD, particularly those targeting the complement pathway, with pipeline drugs advancing through clinical trials. Lastly, reflecting the nation’s technological prowess, there is a growing trend in digital ophthalmology and telehealth. Remote monitoring systems and AI-assisted screening for high-risk patients are being integrated into routine care, leveraging South Korea’s advanced digital infrastructure to manage chronic AMD and ensuring that patients receive timely injections while monitoring disease stability between clinic visits.
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