Nerac Interview:
We spoke with Nerac Analyst, Ron Sills, about the explosive growth we are seeing in the wound care market, the factors driving the growth, the latest products as well as how the medical and healthcare industries are attempting to reduce the costs associated with wound care.

Nerac: Talk about the explosive growth we are seeing in the wound care market today.
Sills: Wound care is one of the most lucrative and rapidly expanding market segments for both manufacturers and providers. Recent worldwide industry reports estimate the market to exceed $11.8 billion by 2009, with yearly growth for all products projected in excess of 7%. European markets have accounted for nearly half of the spending in this area. Devices for wound closure such as sutures and staples are dominant while other therapeutic approaches like dressings and adhesives continue to grow rapidly. Indications for wound therapy and management include trauma and surgery, diabetes, and age related skin or pressure ulcers. Industry leaders like 3M, Johnson & Johnson, Convatec, Coloplast, Closure Medical, Smith & Nephew continue to develop innovative solutions for wound care as evidenced by their patent portfolios and product approvals.

Nerac: What factors are driving the growth of the wound care market?
Sills: Age and diabetes are 2 key factors affecting the development of wound care products. As the US population continues to age, demand for advanced wound care products will increase to treat chronic wounds such as pressure ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, and diabetic ulcers. Over 10 million people in the US age 60 and above are diagnosed with diabetes, which represents over 20% of this age group. Diabetes associated wounds or ulcers are a chronic complication of this disease, and in the worst scenario result in amputations. In 2002 there were approximately 82,000 non-traumatic lower limb amputations performed in the US, directly associated with diabetes.

The total annual economic cost of diabetes in 2002 was estimated to be $132 billion, or one out of every 10 health care dollars spent in the United States. It is currently ranked as the fifth leading cause of death in the US.

Diabetes management is critical for reducing the complications of this disease. Wound care for diabetic ulcers focuses on moist type dressings and advanced products which contain natural growth stimulating factors.

(FYI The statistical data above was taken from the American Diabetes Association website http://www.diabetes.org/home.jsp)

Nerac: Can you explain the different type of wound care products in the market today?
Sills: Wound management products can be separated into several categories: mechanical staples or sutures for wound closure; dressings or bandages for wound care; and surgical sealants and adhesives. A wide variety of materials are employed within each product category: sutures and staples made of absorbable polymers; therapeutic dressings comprised of various hydrogels, alginates, hydrocolloids, and adhesive materials such as acrylates. Skin substitutes and other biomaterials like collagen are a significant segment as well, particularly for burn treatments and skin grafting. In many cases anti-infectives are being used in conjunction with dressings constructed for wound care solutions. Newer technologies such as micro- and nanotechnology are appearing, as is the migration to natural products (such as honey and sigla oil) that have been long used for healing purposes.

Although sutures and staples account for a significant portion of the wound care market, wound healing products that are more therapeutic in nature have been taking advantage of technological advancements. Therapeutic dressings include hydrogels, hydrocolloids or alginates, polymer-based foams, tapes and adhesives, and over the counter bandages or adhesive strips. Silver-based antimicrobial moist dressings have been proven to be effective against antibiotic resistant bacteria such as MRSA or VRE, and thus many newer products boast of bactericidal properties. Furthermore, the use of bioengineered tissues is becoming common within the academic and corporate research circles.

Nerac: How are the medical and healthcare industries attempting to reduce the costs associated with wound care?
Sills: The development of home based therapies and products will continue to evolve to offset high costs and reduce hospital stays. In addition to the various dressings available, other systems such as vacuum-based, negative pressure therapies have been developed for home use. The use of telemedicine technologies to transmit patient data to healthcare providers allows for more effective in-home diagnosis and follow-up treatments while reducing visits to a hospital or physicians office.