11 July 2016 | Features | By BioSpectrum Bureau
Inferior Vena Cava filters market growth limited by safety concerns?
The global market for inferior vena cava filters, including permanent and retrievable filters, is set to grow from $279.1 million in 2015 to $294.9 million by 2022, representing a low compound annual growth rate of 0.8%, as concerns over device safety limit market expansion, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData.
The company's latest report states that such minimal growth, which will occur across 15 major countries, will come as a result of recent clinical data highlighting complications associated with both permanent and retrievable filters.
Mr Premdharan Meyyan, GlobalData's Analyst covering Medical Devices, says these trial results have impacted the market considerably, resulting in ongoing litigation and concerns over the current generation of devices.
Major complications include vena cava penetration, filter embolization, filter migration, filter fracture, and filter tilt.
Mr Meyyan explains: "There is a need to critically assess the impact that this emerging clinical evidence will have on this market in the future. Retrievable filters are now widely preferred over permanent filters, though filter retrieval rates in clinical practice are surprisingly low due to patients being lost to follow-up.
"In order to combat the concerns associated with the use of inferior vena cava filters, companies are sponsoring initiatives that remind patients to get their filters removed in the proper time window in order to improve retrieval rates. Moreover, emerging players will need to design devices incorporating features that significantly reduce filter complication rates.
GlobalData states that the key players in the inferior vena cava filters market include ALN, Argon Medical Devices, B. Braun, Boston Scientific, C.R. Bard, Cook Medical, Cordis, and Volcano.
Mr Meyyan continues: "C R Bard and Cook Medical are the dominant players in the current market landscape, though both brands are significantly affected by the ongoing litigation in the US, coupled with device safety risks that have come to light.
"Emerging players that are expected to grow in market share include Argon Medical Devices and Volcano, which have entered the market more recently with updated device designs. For example, Volcano's Crux incorporates an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) web to capture thrombi, which serves as a key point of difference from existing devices."