Coronary artery disease treatments have faced a succession of new technology solutions that have led to the large, but now competitive drug-eluting stents market, but the success of developments continues with more challenges and opportunities.

FOOTHILL RANCH, CA --- The market for drug-eluting stents (DES) used in the treatment of coronary artery disease is no longer the oligopoly of J&J, Boston Scientific, Abbott and Medtronic.  Over fifty companies are active in the development of DES products, with FDA and CE Mark approvals coming in a steady stream that is carving up this multi-billion dollar market in progressively smaller slices.  While the overall stent market is still expanding with the continued penetration by DES into other stent markets (e.g., bare metal), markets for angioplasty alone and the continued incursion of DES into coronary bypass territory, manufacturers will face an increasingly competitive DES market.  

But the picture is even more dynamic than this.  The market for treatment of coronary artery disease is a moving target and participants in this arena must increasingly look at their competition in broader terms:  the competitive landscape encompasses DES manufacturers, stent manufacturers, drug-elution device alone (stents or drug-eluting balloons), surgical/interventional treatments (including CABG in all its traditional or minimally invasive forms), HDL therapy, gene therapy, cell therapy and others.

Most immediately, however, competitors in the market for coronary stents faced the biggest potential challange from bioabsorbable stents.  Still a few (or only a couple) years away from approval and market introduction, bioabsorbable stents offer the potential to take the benefits of drug eluting steps one step further, by providing patency to the lumen, anti-restenosis and, ultimately, elimination from the lumen. This is a clinical and technical hurdle of some significance, but manufacturers appear to be making progress in surmounting the challenges.

MedMarket Diligence has detailed the worldwide market for the full range of coronary stents on the market and in development in its May 2009 report, the "Worldwide Market for Drug-Eluting, Bare Metal and Bioabsorbable Stents, 2008-2017".  The report details the worldwide market for the use of coronary stents in the treatment of coronary artery disease.  The report assesses the treatment of coronary artery disease by alternative treatment methodologies (percutaneous intervention with or without stenting, coronary artery bypass grafting alternatives and other medical/surgical treatment options), with estimated current/forecast caseload across treatment types.  The report details currently approved coronary stents, providing data on current and forecast impact on the market.  The report also details the current state of product development in bare stents, drug-coated or drug-eluting stents and bioabsorbable stents in coronary applications and details the products under development, the anticipated timeline and impact of their market introduction.  The report assesses the current and ten-year forecast global market for coronary stents, with segmentation by U.S., Europe, Asia/Pacific and Rest of World.  The report provides competitor market shares by these geographic regions.  The leading and key emerging coronary stent manufacturers are profiled with current product offerings, development status and market strengths/advantages.