• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Need to Diagnose and Prevent Cardiac Diseases to Strengthen Potential of the European Cardiac Risk Diagnostics Market

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 February 2006, 03:03 CST

LONDON, February 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The rising incidence of congestive heart failure (CHF) in Europe, particularly among the expanding ageing population, is driving the widened application of cardiac risk markers to detect cardiac failure, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and to determine appropriate treatments. In particular, increasing demand for brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and Pro-BNP tests, based on their effective and accurate diagnostic properties, is likely to assist market expansion.

The inclusion of BNP tests in the guidelines adopted by countries such as the United Kingdom, to help identify suitable screening tests in cardiac risk assessment is likely to accelerate the uptake of cardiac risk markers. While senior physicians are continuing to utilise traditional diagnostic methods, the new generation of physicians are employing novel cardiac analytes.

Companies such as Axis-Shield, Bayer Diagnostics, DPC and Roche Diagnostics have implemented marketing strategies and educational programmes to promote their offerings. This is anticipated to lead to greater awareness of novel cardiac risk markers and enhance market growth potential.

"A keen understanding of the concept of cardiac risk markers is crucial to promote market demand and drive primary care sites and hospitals to invest in up-to-date diagnostic technologies", says Dr. Fiona Rahman, Healthcare Analyst at Frost & Sullivan (http://drugdiscoverytechnologies.com/) "End-user education is essential to initiate greater demand, particularly in instances of innovative diagnostic tests."

Although the market offers exciting growth opportunities, medical communities in the UK and France are resisting the adoption of novel risk markers for diagnosis and treatment, relying instead on cheaper diagnostic measures that are not supported by scientific evidence. Due to budgetary constraints, physicians are also unlikely to utilise all the existing cardiac risk markers, even if required, and will have to limit diagnostic tests to the application of only one risk marker. To overcome this, manufacturers will have to offer cost-effective novel risk markers and encourage end-users to adopt them in routine diagnostic tests.

"Manufacturers will also need to target specific age-groups (particularly, the ageing population) and work in alliance with primary care experts to promote the importance of regular screening tests", says Dr. Rahman. "With the support of influential cardiologists, cardiac diagnostic tools are more likely to be accepted by the medical community and public at large."

Homocysteine (Hcy) assays, which have been the largest analyte segment, contributing to over 41.0 per cent of total market revenues in 2004, will continue to grow in demand. Meanwhile, BNP and Pro-BNP-based test segments are expected to experience the highest growth rates due to the enhanced cost savings that they offer.

With physicians shifting from Hcy to BNP and Pro-BNP risk markers, the growing NP-based test segment is likely to contribute to 37.0 per cent of the overall market revenues by 2008. With the potential to be utilised as a screening tool to accurately diagnose and prevent CHF, as well as rapid turn-around-time and cost reductions as benefits, cardiologists are likely to adopt BNP tests. Driven by these trends, overall market revenues are projected to witness a surge from $50.1 million in 2005 to $148.8 million by 2011.

Currently, laboratory-based systems are preferred due to their high level of automation and a large number of analysers have already been installed in laboratories. Due to the prohibitive costs of point-of-care (POC) technologies, market participants will gain by shifting their research and development (R&D) focus towards installed analysers formats.

"Further, no single company offers the entire range of cardiac risk markers", notes Dr. Rahman. "Thus, ensuring the availability of these markers in conjunction with other markers to offer a panel of cardiac biomarker tests will create a high level of standardisation in the market. Also, suppliers can leverage their reputation among their existing client base by offering novel infectious disease panels and cancer markers to create demand for attractive packages, thereby increasing their growth potential."

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end-users, and other industry participants an overview of the latest analysis of the Strategic Analysis of the Cardiac Risk Diagnostics Market (B656-55), then send an e-mail to Radhika Menon Theodore, Corporate Communications, at rmtheodore@frost.com with the following information: your full name, company name, title, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you via e-mail.

Strategic Analysis of the Cardiac Risk Diagnostics Market B656-55 Background

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community, by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics.

Media Contacts: Europe: Radhika Menon Theodore Corporate Communications P: +91-(044)-42044541 E: rmtheodore@frost.com Americas: Melina Trevino Corporate Communications P: +1-210-247-2440 F: +1-210-348-1003 E: melina.trevino@frost.com India: Surbhi Dedhia Corporate Communications P: +91-22-2832-4705 Ext: 131 E: sdedhia@frost.com Asia Pacific: Jasminder Kaur Corporate Communications P: +65-68900937 E: jkaur@frost.com Australia: Sharmin Jassal Corporate Communications P: +61-2-8247-8900 F: +61-2-9252-8066 E: sjassal@frost.com

Keywords: cardiac risk, cardiac risk diagnostics, European cardiac risk diagnostics market, Europe, the United Kingdom, congestive heart failure, CHF, cardiac failure, cardiac risk assessment, cardiac risk markers, cardiac analytes, acute coronary syndrome, ACS, brain natriuretic peptide, BNP, screening tests, diagnosis, prognosis, Homocysteine assays, Hcy, cancer markers, point-of-care, POC technology

Database of Key Industry Participants: Dade Behring, DPC, Orange Medical (Axis-Shield, Biosite NL), VWR International (Biosite), Beckman Coulter, Biosite, BioMedical Diagnostics (Biosite), DPC FRANCE, Olympus, Bouty (Axis-Shield), Medical Systems (DPC), Bio-Rad Labs, Diagnostic Grifols (Axis-Shield), DPC Dipesa, Axis-Shield (Biosite in UK and SC), Bayer Diagcs, Drew Scientific, Roche Diagnostics, POCT

Frost & Sullivan

CONTACT: Media Contacts: Europe: Radhika Menon Theodore, CorporateCommunications, P: +91-(044)-42044541, E: rmtheodore@frost.com; Americas:Melina Trevino, Corporate Communications, P: +1-210-247-2440, F:+1-210-348-1003, E: melina.trevino@frost.com; India: Surbhi Dedhia, CorporateCommunications, P: +91-22-2832-4705 Ext: 131, E: sdedhia@frost.com; AsiaPacific: Jasminder Kaur, Corporate Communications, P: +65-68900937, E:jkaur@frost.com; Australia: Sharmin Jassal, Corporate Communications, P:+61-2-8247-8900, F: +61-2-9252-8066, E: sjassal@frost.com

Source: PRNewswire

More News in this Category