Decision Resources Group finds that the United States vascular access device market will grow moderately to reach a value surpassing $2 billion by 2022. Market expansion will be supported by rising adoption of premium-priced safety and antimicrobial devices in the wake of concerns regarding needlestick safety and device sterility, respectively.

Other key findings from the report entitled US Markets for Vascular Access Devices 2014:

• PIVCs: Short peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) will continue to represent the majority of unit sales and revenues, given their extremely frequent usage. However, the low cost of these products will result in disproportionately lower short PIVC revenues in relation to unit volumes.
• PICC: The recent emergence of tip positioning systems has dramatically improved the ease of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) placement. These systems, which incorporate guidance and placement confirmation technologies, have supported a rising number of PICC placements being performed by nurses.
• Teleflex Medical: Most recently, competitors such as Teleflex Medical have begun offering kits and trays for PICCs, central venous catheters and implantable ports that are specifically designed to promote sterility and to help health care providers comply with safety guidelines. These kits are more extensive than standard kits and include detailed step-by-step instructions for proper use.
• Becton, Dickinson and Company and C.R. Bard: Although Becton, Dickinson and Company only competes in the short PIVC market, this company holds significant market share due to the sheer size of this segment. Conversely, C. R. Bard maintains its strong position by offering devices in many segments. Combined, these two companies represented almost half of the total vascular access device market by revenue share in 2013.

Comments from Decision Resources Group Analyst Jonathan Sawatsky:

• “Arteriovenous graft manufacturers are developing new synthetic surgical grafts that can be cannulated for dialysis much sooner than previous-generation grafts, reducing the need for acute and chronic dialysis catheters while patients are awaiting graft maturity. These devices will limit dialysis catheter unit sales in the future, especially as uptake becomes more widespread.”
• “Recently approved antithrombogenic devices, such as BioFlo PICCs and implantable ports by AngioDynamics and Nylus PICCs by Teleflex Medical, incorporate antithrombogenic polymers into their structure; unlike previous coated devices intended to reduce thrombus formation, the antithrombogenicity of these new devices will not dissipate over time. Consequently, there is potential for strong adoption of these devices pending positive data supporting their safety and effectiveness in clinical practice.”