Emerging technologies in peripheral nerve stimulation are expected to play a pivotal role in opening up new markets and driving growth in the neuromodulation device market in the years ahead. As a result, the pipeline is rich with products designed to address a growing number of patients with long-term pain and other chronic conditions, many of whom have no other treatment options.
Recent progress on the US regulatory front is generating renewed interest in device-based glaucoma therapies, which potentially could grow to a multibillion-dollar industry. The list of companies targeting this space continues to expand, as does the variety of potential device-based solutions: the current pipeline includes several innovative and less invasive products and technologies designed to improve surgical outcomes, a growing number of advanced drug-delivery inserts to address the patient noncompliance issue that is so common in this arena, and some unique patient monitoring devices.
Although Edwards is the pioneer and market leader in TAVR, there is no shortage of competitors – in both the aortic and mitral valve segments – developing next-generation devices who would be happy with a fraction of this potential multibillion-dollar opportunity.
Neuromodulation is one of the largest and fastest growing segments of the worldwide medical device market, with global revenues expected to reach $6 billion by 2020; as a result, the number of products in the neuromodulation pipeline is exploding. New and improved technologies will permit deeper penetration of neuromodulation therapies into existing patient groups as well as expansion of the market to new patient populations that could eventually number in the multi-millions.
Controversy continues to swirl around robotic surgical procedures and this time the target is robotic hysterectomy. However, the drama does not seem to be impacting the number of these procedures performed robotically, a statistic that is clearly on the rise.
The PREVAIL study of Boston Scientific’s Watchman left atrial appendage (LAA) closure device was primarily positive, but will it be enough to win FDA approval for the device?
Clinicians who work with stroke patients are beginning to look at robotics and other innovative technologies in rehabilitation that could allow for more treatments without increasing staffing. Young companies with products in development compete with established players in this market, which eventually could become more important to providers as reform efforts move ahead.
CardioKinetix, maker of a unique, percutaneously placed ventricular partitioning device, and CircuLite, which is developing a less invasive cardiac assist device, are moving into US clinical trials with their technologies – an important milestone for emerging companies in the difficult heart failure space. Both offer therapies aimed at helping fill the huge heart failure treatment gap that exists today.
While launching a new balloon-based device to treat chronic sinusitis, Entellus Medical Inc. revealed it would release details on an important clinical study in July.
Belgium-based Endo Tools Therapeutics SA is developing devices that will enable NOTES procedures to treat disorders such as type 2 diabetes, morbid obesity, and digestive tract tumors. Its Endomina device is a universal, multi-channel triangulation platform for use on any existing endoscope through the natural orifices, such as the esophagus.
