MRG releases 2012 report on US markets for ENT and bronchoscopy devices

According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, advances in procedures competing with functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) and nasal packing devices will have a significant positive effect on the ear, nose and throat (ENT) device market in the United States over the next few years. Balloon sinus dilation shows significant promise in treating chronic sinusitis, while resorbable nasal packing is gaining market share at the expense of removable nasal packing.

“Intersect ENT has developed a product to satisfy this clear demand. Successful clinical trial results for Intersect ENT's Propel Steroid-Releasing Implant brings to the market a new category of nasal packing devices that can accomplish both mechanical scaffolding for maintaining airway patency and anti-inflammatory actions.”

FESS is a minimally invasive procedure performed to restore the proper drainage function of the sinuses, and uses powered instruments, hand instruments and scopes. Balloon sinus dilation is a relatively new competing technique for treating chronic sinusitis by opening blocked passages with balloon inflation. While more limited in application than FESS, it may become the treatment of choice for limited or moderate sinus disease. Manufacturers including Acclarent (recently acquired by Medtronic), Entellus, and ENTrigue Surgical (not available for sale in US) have launched products in this space.

Patients who undergo sinus surgeries often require postoperative bleeding control (hemostasis), which requires nasal packing products. Responding to patient demand for comfort and ease-of-use, manufacturers in the lucrative resorbable packing segment are responding with innovative products that cater to changing physician preferences.

The resorbable nasal packing market will grow at an average of over eight percent per year through 2016, while removable nasal packing will decline by nearly six percent per year over the same period. The leading competitors in this market, Medtronic, Stryker, ArthroCare and Olympus/Gyrus-ACMI, all offer products in both the resorbable and removable nasal packing segments.

"Physicians have been using resorbable nasal packing off-label to deliver drugs topically," said MRG Analyst Shriram Venkataramana. "Intersect ENT has developed a product to satisfy this clear demand. Successful clinical trial results for Intersect ENT's Propel Steroid-Releasing Implant brings to the market a new category of nasal packing devices that can accomplish both mechanical scaffolding for maintaining airway patency and anti-inflammatory actions."

Millennium Research Group's US Markets for ENT and Bronchoscopy Devices 2012 report includes procedure, unit, average selling price and revenue information, along with market drivers and limiters and competitive landscape for ENT RF handpieces and powered instruments, ENT hand instruments, ENT rod lens rigidscopes, nasal and sinus packing devices, myringotomy/tympanostomy devices, ENT flexiblescopes, white light flexible bronchoscopes, bronchial biopsy devices, bronchial/tracheal stents, rigid bronchoscopes, rigid bronchoscope hand instruments and foreign body removal devices in the United States.