Biomaterials Market

Throughout the world, chronic wounds are a public health problem that is often ignored. This is even more evident in reduced resources regions, such as Africa, Asia, and South America. In these regions, the main aetiologies of wounds are similar to those encountered in Europe (e.g., vascular or diabetic ulcers, traumatic wounds, and burns) with the addition of typical tropical pathologies of infectious origin (e.g., leprosy, Buruli ulcer, phagedenic ulcer, and sickle cell ulcers). Wounds resulting from physical trauma are one of the primary reasons for the demand for care in natural disasters, displacements of populations, or armed conflicts.

The treatment required for these wounds can be long and expensive. The patient often needs to remain in the hospital, while some will require additional help, if the wound limits their independence such as in the case of an elderly person or a child. Even if the care is provided free of charge, the indirect costs (purchase of food, loss of ability to work, interruption to schooling for a child, and social limitations) create a difficult financial burden and compromised quality of life.

In these settings, basic wound treatments largely rely on poor use of antiseptics and drying of the wound, resulting in long, expensive, and painful care. Additionally, for large wounds, serious physical consequences, such as limb contractures, articular fixation, and amputations, can occur. Additionally, dressing material is often not available and is often limited to various bandages and compresses.

It is interesting to remember that the World Health Organization (WHO) has defined a list of essential medicines, including approximately 200 medicines that respond to the priority health needs of a population. These were selected according to the prevalence of diseases, safety, efficacy, and a comparison of the cost-efficiency ratios. These medicines should be permanently available in the context of operational health systems, in sufficient quantities, in a suitable galenic formulation, with assured quality, and at an affordable price at the community level. This ‘essential medicines’ list, which is revised every two years, is an effective tool for rationalization of the distribution of medicines; however, no similar list exists for wound care materials.

Over the last decades, the approach to wound care has been profoundly transformed, as a result of a better understanding of wound healing physiology. The principles that were traditionally based on frequent disinfection and drying of the wound are no longer in use. International consensus now favours healing in a moist environment and less disinfection. These principles have been adopted by the WHO as the basic approach for wound care. Although healing in a moist environment has largely benefited from the arrival of new dressings on the market (e.g., hydrocolloid, hydrogel, hydro cellular, and alginate dressings), these items are far too expensive and rarely available in countries with reduced resources. Owing to the growing chronic wounds, the major players operating in the biomaterials market have been spending on R&D to develop novel biomaterials for wound care which would provide substantial benefit to patients over the forecast period.

A biomaterial is any natural or synthetic substance that comprises whole or part of a living structure or biomedical system capable of performing, supplementing or replacing a natural function. These materials need to be compatible with the body, and the biocompatibility issues need to be addressed before marketing and using a product in clinical settings. Because of this aspect, the specifications of biomaterials must be close to those needed by the new drug therapies. The growth of the biomaterials market has undergone significant growth owing to heavy R&D investments by major players to develop innovative and superior products.

Using a variety of chemical approaches that use metallic components or ceramics, biomaterials may usually be developed either in nature or in laboratories. These are often used and/or modified for medical applications, making up part or all of a living system or biomedical tool that improves, enhances or replaces a natural function. Such functions vary from benign to bioactive with higher interactive features, such as hydroxyapatite-coated hip implants, such as being used for heart valves.

Several synthetic biomaterials used for implants are typical materials that are well known among scientists. Such materials are commonly classified as metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites. Metallic biomaterials are primarily used in load-bearing applications & must have sufficient fatigue strength to bear stringent daily activities, for instance walking & chewing among others.

For their strength and resilience, polymeric biomaterials are favored and have also been applied to low friction articulating surfaces. Ceramic biomaterials are commonly used in applications such as articulating joint surfaces, teeth & bone-bonding surfaces in implants owing to its strength & wear-resistive properties. Sources of metallic biomaterials include 316L stainless steel, Co-Cr alloys, titanium, and Ti6Al4V while ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polyurethane form polymeric biomaterials and alumina, zirconia, iron, and hydroxyapatite form ceramic biomaterials.

North America dominates the global biomaterials industry, and it will continue to dominate the market over the forecast period. Market growth in North America will be guided by increased government investments in the biomaterials market, reimbursements provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and growing geriatric populations who are the key consumers of biomaterials.

The North American biomaterials industry has experienced competitive market conditions and is driven primarily by increased investments, funds & grants from government agencies, precipitous growth anticipated from the plastic surgery industry and wound healing applications, technological advances, and changing lifestyles.

Biomaterials are used most frequently as part of medical devices, for example, as fracture-?xation devices, internal tissue sealants, surgical haemostats, adhesion barriers, and skin substitutes. Plastic surgery and the increase in diabetic ulcers, resulting from aging and diabetic populations, are the main drivers for this growth. Interestingly, this growth is expected to be greatest not in North America or Europe, but also in the Asia Pacific.

During the 20th century, diagnosis and treatment of injury and illness improved significantly. This was partly made possible through the development of biomaterials, which save lives, relieve suffering and help maintain quality-of-life for a European population enjoying ever-increasing longevity. At first limited to materials originally developed for aeronautics, electronics, and mechanical engineering, a new generation of cost-effective materials that positively encourage the repair or restoration of natural tissue (`tissue-engineered' materials) is now being developed. Also, continuing advances in medical software design now allow surgeons to use accurate models to assist them in preparing for increasingly complex surgery. Apart from the potential benefits for society as a whole, the sector represents a growing market world-wide. While Europe is competing primarily with the United States and Japan, where advanced materials technology is already a national priority, emerging economies such as South Korea and Taiwan are also moving rapidly into the market place.