Drug intermediates are the drugs used as raw materials for the production of bulk drugs, or they can refer to a material produced during synthesis of an API that must undergo further molecular change or processing before it becomes an API. Drug intermediates are hygienically formulated using high grade raw materials and they are used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. Pharmaceutical companies use drugs intermediates for research and development purposes. Pharmaceutical intermediates, veterinary drug intermediates, and bulk drug intermediates are various types of drug intermediates. The global drug intermediate market is expected to grow at a high rate owing to rising research and development activity globally.

Drug intermediates are used as raw materials during the manufacture of bulk drugs. These intermediates can also be referred to as the material produced at the time of synthesis of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). However, the API must undergo additional molecular processing or changes before becoming a final product. Drug intermediates are generally hygienically formulated. Superior grade raw materials are used for their production and these are applied in both the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Companies operating in the pharmaceutical industry can make use of these drug intermediates for the purposes of R&D. There are several types of intermediates used in pharma such as bulk drug intermediates, veterinary drug intermediates and pharmaceutical intermediates. In recent years, the global drug intermediates market has been witnessing a promising growth, driven by the growing demand from different end-use application industries.