Biologic Dressings Lead Growth in Market for Burn Treatments

While the bulk of burn treatments market revenue originates from conventional therapies such as anti-infectives, burn management, and pressure relief devices, these segments have for the most part reached maturity; the lion's share of current growth is generated from novel therapies that result in decreased healing times and reduced costs, such as the biologic dressings market. Biologic dressings include skin obtained from humans (homografts), from other animals (xenographs or heterographs), or amnion from human placentas. Used on large burns, these coverings provide a temporary wound closure until autographing is complete, and are also used to debride dirty wounds after eschar separation. They decrease evaporative fluid and protein loss, protect new nerve endings, and provide a bacterial barrier enhancing the formation of new skin.

"Burns are one of the most painful and difficult injuries to treat," said Mary Ann Crandall, wound care analyst for Kalorama information. "As burn injuries reached epidemic proportions in recent years, a strong focus has been put on improving treatments through advances in biotechnology and other areas that are rapidly changing the burn treatment market."

Kalorama Information reports that the worldwide burn treatment market experienced a growth of 7.8% from 2003 to 2008, reaching a market value of U.S. $2.1 billion, due in part to an annual growth rate of the biologics segment of 25.3% since 2003. This growth is anticipated to continue annually at about 15%, resulting in an increase of the segment market share from 5.8% to an estimated 8.6% market share by 2013.

Related Links:
Kalorama Information