Top 10 Companies in the Lyoprotectant Industry (2026): Market Leaders Stabilizing the Future of Biologics

In Business Insights
February 12, 2026


The Global Lyoprotectant Market was valued at US$ 219.8 Million in 2025 and is projected to reach US$ 347.1 Million by 2034, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.8% during the forecast period (2024–2034). This growth is primarily driven by the expanding biologics and pharmaceutical sectors, rising demand for stable vaccine formulations, and the increasing adoption of lyophilization (freeze-drying) for preserving sensitive biological products.

As the life sciences industry advances with complex therapeutics like monoclonal antibodies, mRNA vaccines, and cell therapies, the critical role of lyoprotectants in ensuring product stability and shelf-life has come to the forefront. In this blog, we profile the Top 10 Companies in the Lyoprotectant Industry—a blend of specialty chemical giants, pharmaceutical excipient suppliers, and biotechnology innovators safeguarding the integrity of vital medicines.


🔟 1. Roquette Frères

Headquarters: Lestrem, France
Key Offering: PEARLITOL® (Mannitol), LYCOAT® (Starch), and other specialty sugars

Roquette is a global leader in plant-based ingredients and a major supplier of pharmaceutical-grade lyoprotectants. Their portfolio includes a range of sugars and polyols specifically engineered for lyophilization processes, offering excellent bulking capacity and elegant cake formation for injectable drugs.

Innovation & Development Focus:

  • Development of co-processed excipients for optimized lyoprotection
  • Investment in green chemistry and sustainable sourcing of raw materials
  • Strong R&D partnerships with leading biopharmaceutical companies

Download FREE Sample Report: Lyoprotectant Market – View in Detailed Research Report


9️⃣ 2. BASF SE

Headquarters: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Key Offering: Kolliphor® P 188 (Poloxamer 188), Pluronic® surfactants, and specialty polymers

BASF’s Care Chemicals division provides high-purity excipients that serve as effective lyoprotectants and stabilizers. Their products, particularly Poloxamer 188, are critical for protecting protein-based therapeutics and lipid nanoparticles during the stress of freeze-drying.

Innovation & Development Focus:

  • Expansion of cGMP-compliant excipient manufacturing capacity
  • Focus on novel polymer solutions for advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs)
  • Comprehensive technical support for formulation development

8️⃣ 3. Merck KGaA (EMD Millipore)

Headquarters: Darmstadt, Germany
Key Offering: Sucrose, Trehalose, Mannitol, and custom lyoprotectant blends

Merck’s life science business, operating as MilliporeSigma in the U.S., is a cornerstone supplier to the biopharmaceutical industry. They offer a vast portfolio of high-purity lyoprotectants that meet stringent pharmacopeial standards, supporting the development of vaccines, antibodies, and other sensitive biologics.

Innovation & Development Focus:

  • Proprietary technologies for enhancing protein stability in lyophilized formats
  • Integrated solutions spanning from raw materials to final drug product manufacturing
  • Leadership in supplying critical reagents for mRNA vaccine stabilization

7️⃣ 4. DFE Pharma

Headquarters: Goch, Germany
Key Offering: Pharmacel® (MCC), lactose, and functional excipient systems for lyophilization

DFE Pharma is a world-leading excipient supplier, specializing in solutions for solid dosage forms, including lyophilizates. Their expertise in spray-drying and co-processing enables the creation of excipients with tailored properties for optimal lyoprotection and reconstitution.

Innovation & Development Focus:

  • Development of ready-to-use excipient blends that simplify formulation
  • Focus on improving the solubility and bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs post-lyophilization
  • Expansion of product offerings for oral dispersible lyophilizates

Download FREE Sample Report: Lyoprotectant Market – View in Detailed Research Report


6️⃣ 5. Ashland Global Holdings Inc.

Headquarters: Wilmington, Delaware, USA
Key Offering: Benecel™ (HPMC), Klucel™ (HPC), and other cellulose-based polymers

Ashland provides a range of pharmaceutical polymers that function as effective lyoprotectants and matrix formers. Their products are widely used to stabilize proteins and peptides, prevent crystallization of amorphous solids, and ensure the structural integrity of the lyophilized cake.

Innovation & Development Focus:

  • Investment in novel synthetic and semi-synthetic polymer technologies
  • Development of excipients with enhanced functional properties for high-concentration formulations
  • Global regulatory support for drug master files (DMFs)

5️⃣ 6. Associated British Foods plc (ABF Ingredients)

Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Key Offering: High-purity sucrose, glucose, and specialty carbohydrates

Through its ingredients division, ABF is a key supplier of natural carbohydrate-based lyoprotectants. Sourced from sugar beet and cane, their products are essential for a wide array of biopharmaceutical applications, offering a proven safety profile and excellent cryoprotective properties.

Innovation & Development Focus:

  • Sustainable and traceable sourcing of natural carbohydrate raw materials
  • Focus on supplying excipients for parenteral nutrition and injectable drugs
  • Quality systems compliant with global pharmaceutical standards

4️⃣ 7. Pfanstiehl, Inc.

Headquarters: Waukegan, Illinois, USA
Key Offering: Ultra-pure sucrose, trehalose, and custom carbohydrate solutions

Pfanstiehl has built a strong reputation as a specialist in high-purity carbohydrates for the biopharmaceutical industry. Their lyoprotectants are renowned for their low endotoxin levels and consistency, making them a preferred choice for sensitive cell and gene therapies.

Innovation & Development Focus:

  • Specialization in cGMP manufacturing of injectable-grade sugars
  • Leadership in providing lyoprotectants for viral vector and vaccine stabilization
  • Customer-centric approach with tailored purity and particle size specifications

3️⃣ 8. Sigachi Industries Ltd.

Headquarters: Hyderabad, India
Key Offering: Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) and ready-to-use excipient blends

Sigachi is a leading Indian manufacturer of pharmaceutical excipients with a growing global footprint. Their lyoprotectant offerings, particularly MCC-based products, are used as bulking agents in lyophilized formulations to ensure product elegance and stability.

Innovation & Development Focus:

  • Expansion of product portfolio to include specialized lyoprotectant systems
  • Investment in R&D to develop cost-effective excipient solutions for emerging markets
  • Strategic focus on increasing market share in the Asia-Pacific region

2️⃣ 9. Avantor, Inc.

Headquarters: Radnor, Pennsylvania, USA
Key Offering: J.T.Baker® brand reagents, amino acids, and buffering agents

Avantor is a global supplier of ultra-high-purity materials for the life sciences and advanced technology industries. Their product range includes key lyoprotectant components like amino acids (e.g., glycine, arginine) and salts that are critical for formulating stable lyophilized biotherapeutics.

Innovation & Development Focus:

  • Integrated supply chain for critical materials from discovery to commercial production
  • Development of proprietary formulations for stabilizing next-generation modalities like oligonucleotides
  • Focus on providing end-to-end solutions for bioprocessing and drug product development

1️⃣ 10. Cargill, Incorporated

Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Key Offering: Starches, sugars, and polyols from agricultural sources

Cargill’s food and bioindustrial segment supplies a range of natural ingredients that find applications as lyoprotectants. Leveraging its vast agricultural supply chain, Cargill provides consistent and scalable quantities of excipients like starches and sugars for pharmaceutical use.

Innovation & Development Focus:

  • Application of expertise in plant-based ingredients to pharmaceutical needs
  • Investment in fermentation-derived specialty ingredients
  • Commitment to sustainability and traceability across the ingredient supply chain

Get Full Report Here: Lyoprotectant Market – View in Detailed Research Report


🌍 Outlook: The Future of Lyoprotection is Precision and Innovation

The lyoprotectant market is evolving beyond traditional excipients towards smarter, more functional formulations. As biotherapeutics become more complex, the demand for specialized lyoprotectants that can address specific stability challenges is intensifying.

📈 Key Trends Shaping the Market:

  • Growing demand for disaccharide alternatives like trehalose due to superior stabilization properties
  • Rising use of combination lyoprotectants (sugars + polymers + surfactants) for multi-mechanistic protection
  • Increased focus on lyoprotectants for Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) like cell and gene therapies
  • Adoption of Quality by Design (QbD) principles in lyoprotectant selection and formulation development

Get Full Report Here: Lyoprotectant Market – View in Detailed Research Report

The companies profiled above are not just supplying ingredients—they are enabling the development and delivery of life-saving biologics by ensuring their stability from manufacturing to patient administration.