Wound Care Products Market Expected to Grow Globally

These are the latest findings of Kalorama Information (New York, NY, USA), an independent market research firm.

However, beyond this trend, the market is also being driven by a host of new approaches and a coming-of-age of recent innovations, which are the greatest factors driving growth. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) devices that create a vacuum around the wound area, promoting more rapid healing, continue to see sales growth. Moist dressings using hydrocolloids intended to adhere to wounds but not desiccate them, or hydrogels, which help sooth nerve endings, are also product categories that are expected to grow rapidly, according to the Kalorama Information report.

The market for wound dressing containing silver also saw expansion during 2010, due to its wide-spectrum antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial properties of silver stem from the chemical properties of its ionized form, Ag+. This ion forms strong molecular bonds with other substances used by bacteria to respire, such as molecules containing sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen. When the Ag+ ion forms a complex with these molecules, they are rendered unusable by the bacteria, depriving them of necessary compounds and eventually leading to their death. For example, the Allevyn Ag line, by Smith & Nephew (London, United Kingdom), saw two recent product extensions, including a "gentle" version.

"Conventional, mature products continue to generate the majority of sales; however, their growth rate is slow and limited by the maturity of the product and the competition," said Mary Ann Crandall, a wound care analyst at Kalorama Information. "Advancements in biotechnology, biomaterials, and tissue engineering are expected to drive growth. Another area driving growth is negative pressure systems."

The worldwide wound care market reached revenues of US$14.9 billion in 2010, based on sales at the manufacturers' level. According to Kalorama Information, this figure represents a growth rate of 6.2% in 2010.

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