High adoption of xenograft mesh to drive revenues, according to Millennium Research Group

October 14, 2008—Waltham, Massachusetts—According to Millennium Research Group’s (MRG’s) US Markets for Soft Tissue Repair 2009 report, the US market for ventral hernia repair is valued at almost $500 million and is expected to rise to over $825 million over the next five years. This market comprises both synthetic mesh and biologic mesh materials, which can be sourced from humans (allograft) or animals (xenograft). High adoption of xenograft mesh, coupled with growth in the US elderly and obese populations, will help drive the ventral hernia repair market over the next five years.

A hernia occurs when a tissue, structure, or part of an organ protrudes through an abnormal opening in the body; it is most commonly associated with the projection of the intestine through a weakness in the abdominal wall. Those hernias that develop at the site of a previous surgical incision are called ventral hernias, and are the second most common type of hernia. The condition frequently occurs in the abdominal wall where a previous incision weakened the abdominal muscles, resulting in a bulging of the area. Ventral hernias present a challenge because they occur in a variety of sizes, may be quite complicated to repair, and have relatively high recurrence rates.

“Xenograft mesh will experience rapid adoption for complex hernia repair over the next five years,” says David Plow, Manager of MRG’s General Medical Technology division. “This mesh has shown to be stronger, less expensive, more widely available, and safer with respect to disease transmission when compared to allograft products.”

MRG’s global coverage of the soft tissue repair device market also includes data on Europe. US Markets for Soft Tissue Repair 2009 provides coverage of key industry competitors, including C.R. Bard, Cook Medical, Covidien, Ethicon, LifeCell, W.L. Gore, and more.