Heart Valve Procedure Volumes to Soar due to Breakthrough in Minimally Invasive Techniques

December 7, 2005—The aging population of Western Europe will present increasing numbers of patients unable to undergo traditional, invasive heart valve surgery. According to a new report by Millennium Research Group (MRG), catheter based approaches to the treatment of heart valve disease will become available in Europe within the next 5 years, presenting a viable option to the many patients in need of heart valve therapy who are currently ineligible for surgery. The European market for heart valve therapy, comprising France, Germany, Italy, and the UK, will grow nearly 70% over the next 5 years, reaching annual sales of $260 million in 2009 as a result of these emerging technologies.

In 2004, mechanical valves were used in just under half of all European heart valve procedures and are expected to decline over the next 5 years due to a continuing trend toward tissue valve technology. Adoption of heart valve repair procedures was also positive in 2004 and is expected to continue through the forecast period. Many patients currently diagnosed with heart valve disease do not, however, receive surgical treatment due to the high risks of operative mortality. The potential for heart valve market growth is thus contingent on the development of less invasive technologies.

Once approved, the adoption of percutaneous aortic valve replacement and percutaneous mitral valve repair techniques is expected to rapidly drive heart valve revenue growth. The target patient groups for these percutaneous technologies are the large numbers of patients currently ineligible for traditional heart valve surgery. Over time, this technology is expected to be an alternative therapy for those who would otherwise undergo open heart surgery. Percutaneous heart valve therapy devices are expected to cost nearly 5 times as much as existing heart valve technologies and will therefore drive selling prices in addition to procedure growth, which will result in substantial heart valve revenue growth in 4 to 5 years time.

MRG’s European Markets for Heart Valve Devices 2005 includes an analysis of the French, German, Italian, and UK markets. The report also covers all the major competitors, including ATS Medical (ATSI), Cryolife (CRY), Edwards Lifesciences (EW), Medical Carbon Research Institute, MedicalCV (MDCV), Medtronic (MDT), Shelhigh, Sorin (SORJF), and St. Jude Medical (STJ).

Contact Information

Derrick Navarro

Senior Account Executive

Millennium Research Group

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