New competitors are focusing on device innovation, transforming the competitive landscape, according to Millennium Research Group

September 21, 2009—Waltham, Mass. – According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, competition in the peripheral vascular (PV) stent market is heating up. MRG's US Markets for Peripheral Vascular Devices 2009 report finds that the PV stent market -- previously dominated by only a handful of manufacturers -- is quickly changing as newer competitors launch innovative products targeting high-growth segments.

Innovation in devices for the treatment of peripheral artery disease, particularly in femoropopliteal arteries, has become a key focus for manufacturers due to strong physician interest in treating this disease through minimally invasive means. In the past, many physicians have used biliary stents off-label in the femoropopliteal arteries, but this practice has come under scrutiny due to insufficient results with previously available stents and the US Department of Justice investigations into the off-label marketing of biliary stents for vascular use.

"Many PV firms are focusing on developing devices to treat the arteries in the lower extremities -- most notably the superficial femoral artery, or SFA -- due to overwhelming pressure from physicians for minimally invasive treatment options that prevent lower limb amputation," says Stephanie Labelle, Senior Analyst at MRG. "W.L. Gore received FDA approval this year for use of its next-generation innovative, heparin-coated VIABAHN covered stent in the SFA. With femoropopliteal stenting procedures continuing to grow at double-digit rates in the US, the company's focus on this market has made it a key competitor."

Competition in the PV stent market will further intensify upon the release of Cook Medical's drug-eluting ZILVER PTX, which is expected to be the first DES approved for peripheral indications in the US.

MRG's new report, US Markets for Peripheral Vascular Devices 2009, provides detailed five-year market forecasts for peripheral stenting by major vessel bed and by stent type, in addition to in-depth forecasts for other devices used in the treatment of peripheral artery disease. The report also provides detailed data on the treatment of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms. Competitive analyses in each segment cover manufacturers such as Abbott Vascular, ev3, B. Braun, St. Jude Medical, Edwards Lifesciences, Boston Scientific, Terumo Medical, and more.