Research and Markets: Medical Device Industry Tapping into the Commercial Potential of the Urinary Incontinence Market.Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 2004 Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com) has announced the addition of Trends and Developments in the European Urinary Incontinence Urinary Incontinence Definition Urinary incontinence is unintentional loss of urine that is sufficient enough in frequency and amount to cause physical and/or emotional distress in the person experiencing it. to their offering. The Urinary Incontinence market is at present still characterised by a large untapped potential, both in terms of sufferers without treatment and in monetary terms. Much data has been published on the prevalence of Urinary Incontinence (UI) and its cost to society. Different sources quote different figures, but even taking the World Health Organization's (WHO's) conservative estimates that worldwide direct and indirect costs Indirect costs are costs that are not directly accountable to a particular function or product; these are fixed costs. Indirect costs include taxes, administration, personnel and security costs. See also
This report investigates the treatment patterns, patient behaviour and the market potential for the treatment of urinary incontinence of the major European countries (UK, Germany, France and Italy) for drug and alternative treatments like physiotherapy or electro stimulation Electro-stimulation can be performed in the context of:
Shift of focus from management to treatment Although a range of therapy options is known since decades, focus (and subsequently the commercial benefit) was so far primarily on devices for the management of the condition rather than on treatment. Only in the last 4 years has Urinary Incontinence (UI) received increasing attention from public, healthcare system and industry. This is in part attributable to public or patient initiatives raising the awareness of the condition among the general population, but to an even greater extent to the pharmaceutical and medical device industry aiming at tapping into the commercial potential of the UI therapy market. Need for new agents or methods Despite the therapy options currently available, there is still a need for new agents or methods that offer greater efficacy, improved side effect profiles, greater convenience for the patient or improved cost efficiency for healthcare systems. Conventional methods such as behavioural therapy or pelvic floor The pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm is composed of muscle fibers of the levator ani, the coccygeus, and associated connective tissue which span the area underneath the pelvis. exercises may offer good efficacy and high tolerability, but are unsuitable to some patients (e.g. elderly or physically impaired See assistive technology. patients) and not well accepted, as they require personal effort. Drug therapy is generally well accepted, but only widely available in FUI FUI File Update Information FUI Flying Under the Influence FUI Fake User Interface (web advertising technique) FUI Federal Unemployment Insurance FUI Final User Interface (model-driven development) treatment, and side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. lead to reduced patient compliance. Neuromodulation techniques, which include some promising and innovative methods, are poorly accepted among physicians - despite favourable clinical data - due to Trends and Developments in the European Urinary Incontinence Treatments Market - lack of knowledge, unfavourable reimbursement and similarly poor patient compliance as physiotherapy. Procedural therapy, regardless of its invasiveness, is least favoured by patients and will remain to be considered an option of last resort for the foreseeable future. Largest untapped market potential lies in drug therapy for SUI Sui (swā), dynasty of China that ruled from 581 to 618. This short-lived dynasty reunified China in 589 after 400 years of division and laid the foundation for further consolidation under the T'ang dynasty. At the moment at least 12 new pharmaceutical agents and 12 devices or methods for the treatment of Overactive Bladder Overactive Bladder Definition Overactive bladder is the leakage of large amounts of urine at unexpected times, including during sleep. Description (OAB OAB Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil (Brazil) OAB Offline Address Book OAB Over-Active Bladder (urology) OAB Outlook Address Book (Microsoft) OAB Ocean Affairs Board ), Urge (FUI) or Stress Incontinence stress incontinence n. A sudden, involuntary release of urine caused by muscular strain accompanying laughing, sneezing, coughing, or exercise, seen primarily in older women with weakened pelvic musculature. (SUI) are under development. The largest potential lies in the development of pharmaceutical agents that are beneficial in SUI treatment, as only 2 of the drug candidates target the SUI market. Such agents, even if used adjunctive to conventional therapy options, would open a new market segment that almost parallels the Overactive Bladder (OAB) market. Within the FUI segment, only highly specific agents acting on the causes of FUI and with significantly improved efficacy and tolerability will have a chance thus current investments in new drug development in the indication of OAB may not pay back for some companies as expected. Increasing patient numbers are the most important driver in the medium to long term. The low proportion of patients currently treated leaves a large potential for current and new treatment options. This is also true for the device segment, where the growth of 5 to 10% per annum Per annum Yearly. is primarily attributable to the low current penetration rate. For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c1406 |
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