The worldwide wound care market reached revenues of $14.9 billion, up nearly 6.2 percent in 2010, and can expect to grow nearly 7 percent this year, according to healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information.
An aging population and an increase in diabetes have driven growth, but according to the firm’s new report, “World Wound Care Markets 2011,” a host of new approaches and innovations are the greatest factors impacting growth. Therapy using vacuums, novel ingredients such as silver and honey and moist dressings are among the new technologies driving the market.
[See also: Wound care products that reduce hospital stays earn their keep]
“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, wound care analyst for Kalorama Information, in a statement. “Advancements in biotechnology, biomaterials and tissue engineering are expected to drive growth. Another area driving growth is negative pressure systems."
Wounds are known to heal better in a vacuum than in a normal atmosphere, and thus negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) devices that can create a vacuum around the wound area continue to see sales growth.
Moist dressings using hydrocolloids, which stick to wounds but don't dry them out, and hydrogels, which help soothe nerve endings, are also product categories to watch, according to the report.