Steroids & Hormones FAQs

Corticosteroids are synthetic drugs modeled after hormones produced by the adrenal cortex. They are primarily used for their antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive effects across conditions such as asthma, autoimmune diseases, and dermatological disorders. 

Hormonal therapies involve replacing or regulating natural hormones, including insulin, thyroid hormones, pituitary hormones, and growth hormones, essential for treating endocrine and metabolic diseases. 

Corticosteroids emerged from early 20thcentury research into adrenal hormones. Synthetic versions were rapidly adopted for treating inflammation, autoimmune conditions, respiratory illnesses, allergies, and skin diseases due to their strong immunosuppressive effects.

Hormonal therapies grew out of advances in endocrinology, leading to treatments for diabetes, thyroid disorders, adrenal insufficiency, growth hormone deficiency, and reproductive hormone imbalance. Their development has closely followed increased understanding of glandular function and rising prevalence of endocrine disorders.

Corticosteroids are widely used for: 

• Respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD, where inhaled corticosteroids are firstline treatments.
• Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
• Skin and allergic conditions, treated with topical, oral, or injectable forms.
  Their broad availability across multiple dosage forms supports use in clinical and home settings. 

Hormonal therapies treat: 

• Diabetes, the primary global driver of endocrinology drug demand. 
• Thyroid diseases, via thyroid hormone replacement.  
• Growth hormone and pituitary disorders, using recombinant hormone therapies.
• Hormone replacement for adrenal and reproductive system disorders. 

The corticosteroids market is projected to grow from USD 5.89B in 2025 to USD 7.75B in 2030, driven by innovation in inhaled and targeted formulations and rising chronic disease prevalence. 

The endocrinology drugs market is far larger, expected to increase from USD 107.79B in 2025 to USD 144.86B in 2030, fueled by increases in diabetes and thyroid disorders. 

North America leads due to advanced healthcare infrastructure and high adoption of chronic disease therapies. The AsiaPacific region is the fastestgrowing market thanks to rising disease prevalence and expanding healthcare access.

Future corticosteroid development focuses on: 

• Selective glucocorticoid receptor modulators (SGRMs) that reduce side effects. 
• Digital inhalers and improved combination therapies for respiratory diseases. 
• Targeted and safer formulations, especially for autoimmune and dermatology applications. 

Key trends include: 

• Personalized medicine, with treatments tailored to genetics and metabolic profiles. 
• Targeted therapies for thyroid, adrenal, and pituitary disorders.  
• Wearable and devicebased treatments, including newly approved nonpharmacological endocrine therapies. 
• Digital monitoring, enabling continuous management of hormonal conditions. 

Despite being discovered several years ago, APIs such as hydrocortisone, betamethasone, and budesonide remain essential medicines today. Meeting modern demand for these molecules now depends on advanced manufacturing capabilities, particularly for highpotency and complex steroid chemistry. In parallel, novel steroid molecules with improved selectivity and safety profiles are expanding the future therapeutic landscape, increasing the need for advanced, flexible manufacturing capabilities.

Curia manufactures more than 60 different steroid products each year at Valladolid, Spain, with typical batch sizes from 5 kg to more than 500 kg and a total capacity of over 10 metric tons. Batch size is set by the product and process, which allows the same site to serve early clinical quantities and multi-ton commercial supply.

The portfolio covers corticosteroids, sex hormones (including 19-nor steroids) and neurosteroids, drawing on a process library of more than 200 chemical steps.

Valladolid, Spain is Curia’s center of excellence for steroids, with four chemical plants dedicated to steroids plus a dedicated sterile steroid line and a high potency suite with isolator technology. The site has over 100 m³ of reactor capacity, with reactors from 100 L to 10,000 L, as well as freeze drying and micronization.

The reactor fleet includes glass-lined, stainless steel and Hastelloy reactors, a fluorination reactor and a hydrogenation reactor, plus two cGMP pilot plant glass-lined reactors for development and scale-up. Particle engineering equipment includes six jet mills, stainless steel isolators and filter dryers, with micronization and milling available in isolation.

Yes. Curia supplies tailored particle size through micronization and other techniques, including controlled crystallization and milling, and sterilizes corticosteroids and hormones by aseptic filtration followed by aseptic crystallization, isolation, drying and packaging. Micronization can be performed under aseptic conditions.

Curia can dual qualify manufacturing lines as part of a product’s supply continuity plan. Any alternative line is qualified for the specific product and process.

Curia’s capabilities at Valladolid include controlled crystallization, milling, micronization and particle size analytical method development, backed by more than 20 years of site experience in particle size control. Where particle size is a critical quality attribute, as it often is for inhaled, ophthalmic and depot injectable products, the specification and controls are defined around the intended formulation and its performance requirements.

Where micronization is not suitable for a molecule, Curia has achieved target particle size distributions by controlling the crystallization step itself, through temperature ramps, controlled addition and controlled distillation of the solvent.

Yes. The site operated as Crystal Pharma, became part of AMRI and now operates as Curia. Its experience in steroid and hormone APIs dates back to those years.