Leadership in the European Transcatheter Embolization Devices Market

Sept. 13, 2012 - PRLog -- Research reveals an aging population and increasing obesity rates fuel the €1.1 Billion dollar Endovascular devices market in Europe.

Most peripheral vascular devices in Europe are used for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). PAD is characterized by the hardening and thickening of arteries resulting from the accumulation of fatty tissue and cholesterol. The prevalence of PAD increases with age and the existence of predisposing conditions such as obesity, are factors both on the rise in Europe.

To treat PAD, physicians can opt to perform open surgical procedures or employ endovascular methods. Open vascular surgical procedures include endarterectomy and peripheral bypass and provide excellent patency rates. Alternatively, Endovascular treatments are minimally invasive procedures that involve accessing distal lesions via percutaneous access. Due to their minimally invasive nature, endovascular techniques are growing in relation to their open surgical alternatives in the United States. Though European physicians have been much slower to adopt these procedures into their practices, the merits of endovascular interventions have not been ignored by the European community and the markets of devices related to these therapies are growing.

Transcatheter Embolization Device Market Growing Steadily

Transcatheter embolization is the practice of inducing occlusions of blood flow via the targeted introduction of material to within the vasculature. This practice is effective for treating vessel malformations such as aneurysms, fistulae and bleeding. This market consists of three types of devices: particle embolics, coil embolics and liquid embolics. The European market for transcatheter embolization devices is valued at just over €230 million. The leading segment consists of coil embolics, which currently represents nearly half of the market. Overall, the three segments will experience growth in unit sales due to their usage in vascular therapies. In particular, particle embolic sales will increase due to their versatility for other applications, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

The European Drug-Eluting PTA Balloon Catheter and Drug-Eluting Stent Markets are Set to Rise

One of the standard methods to open up vascular constrictions is PTA balloon angioplasty or plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA), which leads the market as the fastest growing catheter type. Because the plaque is still present following balloon angioplasty and the process causes physical trauma, chances of re-narrowing vessels by restenosis and elastic recoil remain high as over two thirds of patients will experience restenosis. To counteract the high restenosis rates, POBA can be combined with stenting. Stents can also be problematic as in-stent restenosis following the procedure can result from neo-intimal hyperplasia. To combat restenosis, manufacturers have created technology such as drug-eluting balloons (DEBs) and drug-eluting stents (DESs) that have been field tested in coronary applications. Both technologies require little to no new training to apply and are poised to grow regardless of the general recovery rate of the economy. In the future, innovations such as bioabsorable stents and stent coatings may further decrease risks and drive market growth. Although these new technologies come at a higher cost, the promise of better vascular therapies will drive the market.

Drug-Eluting PTA Balloon Catheters and Drug-Eluting Stents Will Impact Procedures that Target Lower Limb Vasculature

Clearing vascular blockages in the lower limbs is critical because failure to resolve these vascular limitations can result in critical limb ischemia (CLI). CLI sufferers experience pains in their limbs, have a high chance of developing ulcers or gangrene and, if left untreated, may be required to amputate the affected limb. Below the knee (BTK) vessels are especially difficult to access and manipulate because they are spatially tortuous and have small cross-sections, thus avoiding repeated procedures in BTK vessels is an important consideration for physicians and patients. DEBs and DESs are key emerging technologies that will have an impact on the treatment of BTK vessels because they would result in the lowest possible restenosis rates. In regards to DEBs and DESs, there are specific advantages to each. DESs act as scaffolds and provide a sustained release of drugs, whereas DEBs provide a short-term application of the drug and are able to treat vessels that would otherwise be inaccessible by stents. To improve the performance and safety of DEBs and DESs, lower profile devices and different methods for drug-release will be introduced in the future. These new technological developments will become a more prominent segment of the peripheral vascular market in Europe as CLI becomes more prevalent due to diabetes and rising obesity rates. The combined unit sales of DEBs and DESs are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 20% throughout the 2011 to 2018 period.

Cook Medical is the overall leader in the European peripheral vascular device market. Cook Medical led the European transcatheter embolic device market and was the second-leading competitor in the lucrative stent-graft market.

Other major players in the peripheral vascular market include W. L. Gore, Cordis, Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic, C. R. Bard, Terumo and Boston Scientific. W. L. Gore operated exclusively in the covered stent, vascular graft and stent graft markets. Covered stents are experiencing strong growth in unit sales.

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