Is Europe’s DES Market Softening?

According to a new report by Toronto, Canada-based Millennium Research Group (MRG), the drug-eluting stent (DES) market could be slipping in Europe.

While the number of coronary stenting procedures performed will show steady growth, stent prices will decline significantly, resulting in a decline in overall market value that will average 3.5 percent per year through 2016, according to Millennium’s estimates. One exception to the overall market decline will be drug-eluting bioresorbable scaffolds and biodegradable polymer drug eluting stents, which are expected to be adopted over this period and limit the slide in market value.

Recent innovations in DES technology show promise, analysts noted. Biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents, for example, offer a better safety profile than durable-polymer drug-eluting stents, as late-stent thrombosis is largely attributed to the polymer that binds the drug to the stent. In biodegradable polymer stents, a polymer controls drug release but then disappears, leaving a bare metal stent. Examples of stents with biodegradable polymers are Biosensors International’s BioMatrix, Terumo Medical’s Nobori, Sahajanand Medical Technologies’ Supralimus and Boston Scientific’s fourth generation Synergy stent, which is still in development.

In contrast to bioabsorbable polymer stents, which still leave behind a bare metal stent, bioresorbable vascular scaffolds disappear completely, with the promise of vessel wall regrowth. A number of companies are working on scaffold products, including Abbott Vascular with its Absorb technology, REVA Medical with its ReZolve, OrbusNeich and Biotronik. Bioresorbable scaffolds were “soft launched” in 2011, and a full launch is expected across Europe by the end of 2012.

“These bioresorbable devices have the potential to revolutionize the market,” said MRG Principal Analyst Karene Dumoulin. “They do need to demonstrate that they yield a decrease in the occurrence of late stent thrombosis or provide other advantages not available with current DES on the market, such as complete vascular restoration and motion, which is promised by Abbott Vascular’s Absorb device.”

Millennium Research Group’s report includes procedure, unit, average selling price and revenue information, along with market drivers and limiters and competitive landscape for coronary stents, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty balloon catheters, accessory devices, and intravascular imaging catheters and pressure guidewires sold in France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.