Fracture Management Products Leading Growth in the $4.7 Billion U.S. Osteoporosis Market, According to a New Analysis from Health Research International.

CLEVELAND -- Osteoporosis affects approximately 15 million Americans, predominantly postmenopausal women, and 30 million more are at risk for the disease. Despite increasing awareness of the condition and its cost to society, most patients are not diagnosed until they experience an osteoporotic fracture, as the disease lacks distinct symptoms, is not considered life-threatening, and, until recently, had limited treatment options.

This situation is expected to change with the availability of new drugs and minimally invasive surgical treatments that are facilitating cost-effective patient management. Percutaneous vertebral augmentation, encompassing vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, will experience the fastest gains, and drug therapy--already a $3.7 billion market in 2003--will see impressive growth, driven by parathyroid hormones. Hip fracture management technologies will see above-average gains, while bone densitometers will see broader use in physician offices. In total, sales of products used to diagnose and treat osteoporosis are projected to increase 9.1% annually through 2008, or more than four times the growth rate of the U.S. osteoporosis population.

These are among the findings of a comprehensive new report published by Health Research International entitled "U.S. Opportunities in the Management of Osteoporosis," distributed exclusively by Medtech Insight, a division of Windhover Information. This 400-page report contains 110 exhibits describing the critical demographic, clinical and product developments driving the U.S. osteoporosis market. Competitive, technology and sales analyses are provided for: central and peripheral bone densitometry systems; bone marker assays; prophylactic and therapeutic drugs (hormone replacement therapy, selective estrogen modulators, bisphosphonates, calcitonins, parathyroid hormones, and emerging agents), internal fracture fixation and hip replacement products, and kyphoplasty devices, bone cements and cement delivery systems used to perform PVA, among others. Twenty detailed company profiles are also included.

Companies whose products and strategies are covered in the report include: Akzo Nobel, ArthroCare, Aventis, Biomet, Cardinal Health, Cook, CooperSurgical, DePuy, GE Healthcare, Glaxo SmithKline, Hologic, Kyphon, Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, Merck, Novartis, OSI Systems, Quidel, Servier, Smith & Nephew, Spineology, Spine Wave, Stryker, Synthes, Unigene Laboratories, Wright Medical, Wyeth and Zimmer, among others (also see http://www.medtechinsight.com/ReportHRI085.html).

Since 1978, Health Research International (www.healthri.com) has been providing the pharmaceutical and medical device industries with reliable, comprehensive and meticulously researched custom market data and analysis. Quality, experience and a thorough understanding of competing medical technologies have been the cornerstones of our custom consulting, on-line surveys, and market reports.

Recently acquired by Windhover Information Inc. (www.windhover.com), publisher of IN VIVO: The Business & Medicine Report and Start-UP: Windhover's Review of Emerging Technologies, Medtech Insight is a leading provider of business information for the medical technology marketplace. The company publishes the monthly "medtech insight" newsletter and a wide selection of comprehensive Market & Technology Reports, holds several medtech investment conferences annually, and provides custom consulting services.