According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, patient and hospital demand for minimally invasive and discreet devices is rising within European markets for urological devices, and products that meet these needs are poised to see strong adoption through 2021.
Minimally invasive products stand to gain significant adoption because these devices require shorter operation times and result in reduced patient pain. For example, EDAP TMS’ Focal.One high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) system, which received CE marking in June 2013, uses advanced imaging and robotic technology to target specific areas of the prostate for prostate cancer treatment. This product will help to address the demand for less invasive focal prostate cancer therapy, which can potentially reduce complications because the entire gland is not treated. The Focal.One will therefore see growing adoption through 2021.
“The demand for minimally invasive treatments is also driving a shift toward flexible endoscopy for many procedures,” said MRG Analyst Jennifer Smith. “Flexible endoscopy decreases tissue trauma and can reach more anatomy than is possible during rigid endoscopy. The increasing use of this treatment will support demand for flexible endoscopes as well as for devices used during flexible endoscopy procedures, like tipless nitinol stone retrieval devices and holmium lasers used in stone management procedures.”
In addition, many innovations are aimed at making urological devices more discreet, given that patients are self-conscious about these products. The urinary incontinence device market in particular has seen a marked shift toward discreet devices; intermittent catheters generated the majority of revenues in this segment in 2012 because these devices allow for self-catheterization and also offer a reduced risk of urinary tract infections compared to Foley catheters. An example of an innovation in this space is Coloplast’s Speedicath Compact Set, a product that is designed to make catheterization more discreet for wheelchair users.
Millennium Research Group’s European Markets for Urological Devices 2013 and European Markets for Urological Devices 2013 (Part 2) reports include procedure, unit, average selling price and revenue information, along with market drivers and limiters and a competitive landscape for urinary incontinence devices, stone management devices, benign prostatic hyperplasia devices, urological endoscopes, prostate cancer treatment devices and erectile dysfunction treatment devices in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. Supplemental country coverage is also available for Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Ukraine, as well as in aggregate for the rest of the European countries.
