Growing Patient Awareness Increases Demand For Urinary Incontinence Devices In Europe

Main Category: Urology / Nephrology
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 16 Sep 2008 - 4:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The European urinary incontinence market is facing challenges such as lack of sufficient clinical safety studies and price pressures due to intense competition. However, rising awareness among the target patient population and the introduction of innovative devices and techniques are sustaining market expansion.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, European Urinary Incontinence Devices Market, finds that the market earned revenues of USD 568.0 million in 2007 and estimates this to reach USD 1,023.2 million by 2014.

"The demand for urinary incontinence devices has been surging due to the increased incidence of this condition among a rapidly aging population," notes Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Sowmya Rajagopalan. "Moreover, the use of these medical devices is regarded as being more advantageous than drugs, which are likely to have unknown long-term effects."

Currently, the catheter segment is the largest revenue contributor for this market. In particular, the intermittent catheters sub-segment is registering robust growth due to strong infection control regulations.

Catheters represent a dominant market segment, as they need to be changed frequently. However, the slings and bulking agent segments are also expanding. Despite drawbacks associated with the use of bulking agents, the market is experiencing gradual growth.

"Slings will make strong gains, owing to the extensive research conducted in this segment," remarks Rajagopalan. "There have been many promising developments in this segment, including the launch of exclusive male slings to treat incontinence in men."

Heightened awareness and the transition towards treating the condition, rather than alleviating its symptoms or using disposable products such as diapers and incontinence pads, has advanced the prospects of the urinary incontinence devices market.

The uptake of implantable devices has however been moderate, as their success is yet to be strongly established. However, with increasing demand and the demonstration of successful clinical studies, the pace of growth for these devices is set to rise.

"Industry participants should boost patient awareness about this condition, thus, indirectly promoting knowledge about the advantages of their products while building a loyal patient base," concludes Rajagopalan. "They should also focus on research to develop unique techniques and products, besides conducting e-clinical trials to prove the efficacy of existing product offerings."

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users and other industry participants with an overview of the European urinary incontinence devices market, then send an e-mail to Patrick Cairns, Corporate Communications, at pcairns_pr@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail.

European Urinary Incontinence Devices Market is part of the Medical Devices Growth Partnership Services Programme, which also includes research in the following markets: Heart Valve Repairs Market in Europe, Central and Eastern European Surgical Disposables Markets and European Sterilisation and Disinfection Equipment Markets. All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership™ empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents.

Frost & Sullivan