Med Device Industry Overlooks Peripheral Vasc Disease Ops, Scientia Advisors Finds

CAMBRIDGE, Mass & PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New technologies for diagnosing and treating peripheral vascular disease (PVD) present important—and largely overlooked—opportunities for medical device companies, according to a study released today by Scientia Advisors.

“Major companies are missing possibilities that could significantly improve the health and well-being of aging global populations, cut health care costs, and boost their own bottom lines, ” said Harry Glorikian, Scientia’s managing partner.

Scientia, based in Cambridge, MA and Palo Alto, CA, is a global management consulting firm focused on growth strategies for companies in health care and the life sciences.

Bob Jones, a Scientia principal, who led the study, said: “Many older therapies that merely address PVD symptoms have high rates of failure and recurrence. There is a huge market for new ways to diagnose and treat PVD in order to eliminate recurrence and reduce overall health care costs.”

Based on deep industry knowledge and a robust research and analytic process, Scientia determined that, at current growth rates, revenues in the endovenous ablation and thrombectomy markets, each at $100mm in 2007, are likely to reach a combined total of $600mm by 2011. “ If companies choose the right strategies, we believe those numbers could rise far higher,” Jones said.

For certain companies, Scientia would recommend finding or developing effective ways to diagnose chronic venous insufficiency, (CVI), Jones said. CVI, which causes blood pooling and increased blood pressure in the veins, affects some 5% of the population in the US and Europe. With symptoms ranging from unattractive (although not medically serious) spider veins and painful varicose veins to infection-prone venous ulcers, CVI causes the loss of almost 6 million work days per year in the US alone. But current CVI diagnostic methods such as angiography, d-Dimer and ultra-sonography are often risky or inaccurate.

Better methods for diagnosing thrombosis (blood clot formation) are also needed, Jones said. Thrombosis can lead to pulmonary embolism, which causes 200,000 deaths each year in the US. Life-threatening deep vein thrombosis (DVT) affects 2 million Americans each year but goes undiagnosed in roughly two-thirds of them-- largely because thrombi can break up ,disperse and damage the veins without ever causing symptoms.

Another important need is for safe, effective thrombosis treatment. “Current clot removal methods, such as anti-coagulants or intravenous injections of thrombolytic agents, carry risks,” Jones said. “ While several emerging companies have recently received approval for catheter -based technologies that break down and remove clots, we believe that this market should also be addressed by major firms.”

There is also a potentially high-growth market for compression stockings. The stockings currently on the market are reasonably effective at controlling PVD symptoms but can be so hot, bulky and ugly that many patients refuse to wear them. “We see a great opportunity for the company that comes up with compression stockings that are light-weight, comfortable and attractive,” Jones said.

But in the long run, Jones added, “more patients and the health care system will benefit if companies develop better methods to prevent or halt PVD and its complications--thus averting the need for costly long-term therapies.”

Scientia Advisors is a global management consulting firm focused on growth strategies for major and emerging companies in health care and the life sciences.