As reported in the Washington Post and other sources, researchers at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University and Children’s Hospital (Boston) have shown that stem cells from amniotic fluid can be differentiated into brain cells, bone cells, muscle, fat, blood vessels and liver cells, demonstrating the kind of pluripotentiality that has previously [...]
Medical Technology Startups Identified in the December 2006 MedMarkets (subscribers only). In the December 2006 issue of MedMarkets, I note in my MedMarket Outlook column the common tendencies in the formation of medical technology startups in 2006. It should come as no surprise that central to many (though certainly not all) were the premises of [...]
Questions about whether the risks of clotting, heart attacks and death are higher for patients with drug-eluting stents compared bare stents are the subject of a two-day panel by the FDA. The questions center on whether and how long patients with the drug-eluting stents should stay on anti-clotting drugs such as Plavix. In a worst [...]
Orthopaedic devices are a major contributor to the global medical device market, accounting for almost $26 billion in 2006, and with a growth rate that reflects growth in the medical sector overall. The table below gives a market growth projection for the five years 2007-2011. Orthopaedic Biomaterials The current valuation of the orthopaedic biomaterials segment [...]
Shift in use of refractive types, growth by country… Refractive surgery is performed using a number of surgical techniques, each designed to minimize the patient’s dependence on eyeglasses and contact lenses. Although there are many options to improve refractive error making it a complex field for the surgeon, while at the same time offering a [...]
The worldwide market for orthopedic biomaterials — allografts, synthetic bone substitutes, bone growth factors, polymers, ceramics, etc. — is growing steadily due to a concurrent evolution of surgical procedures, the emergence of innovative products and a dynamic and growing patient population. Select segment growth in this worldwide market is shown at right. Data drawn from [...]
(From October 2006 MedMarkets) From time to time, when I am looking at current developments to gauge the future of medical technology markets, certain common threads seem to be seen suggesting a theme, if not a legitimate trend, encompassing them all. Each of the developments may be noteworthy on their own, but if part of [...]
September 2006 MedMarket Outlook: Technologies Highlight Advances and Precipitate Even MoreProduct developments with the potential to dramatically alter the landscape of both patient care and manufacturer market shares are numerous. They take many forms, from pure device, biotech or pharmaceutical to endless combinations of them all. Device technologies also represent a unique platform for health [...]
Startup Companies Identified in September 2006 MedMarkets Company Principal(s) Location Product/Technology Founded AcelRx Thomas A. Schreck Portola Valley, CA Drug-device technology for treatment of breakthrough pain 2006 Amaranth Medical, Inc. Guy Heathers, Charter Life Sciences E. Palo Alto, CA Bioresorbable drug-eluting stents 2006 Arbel Medical Ltd. Didier Toubia, CEO Yoknean, Israel Cryosurgical ablation technology 2006 [...]
In the September issue of Diabetes Care, Dr. K. M. Venkat Narayan and colleagues from the CDC’s Division for Diabetes Translation write that by 2050 a full 12% of the U.S. population, or 48.3 million people, will have diabetes (link). Moreover, if the rate of diabetes in the U.S. population continues to rise, the prevalance [...]
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