Market Challenges And Opportunities

Intracranial Stents Market Dynamics

Increasing incidence of stroke and brain aneurysm is propelling demand for intracranial stents. According to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation (BAF), brain aneurysm accounts for around 500,000 deaths worldwide annually. Moreover, BAF estimates that aneurysm is predominant in the age group of 35–60 years. Furthermore, high prevalence of stroke among geriatric population worldwide is also expected to propel demand for intracranial stents in the near future. According to the data published in the Medscape, 2010, around 75-89% of strokes occur in individuals aged > 65 years. Of these strokes, 50% occur in people who are aged ≥ 70 years and nearly 25% occur in individuals who are aged > 85 years.

Integration of advanced software with existing products are gaining significant traction among various market players of intracranial stents with affordable costs thus, expected to drive intracranial stents market growth. For instance, in September 2016, Medtronic plc received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its StealthStation, which is integrated with Medtronic’s latest O-arm Imaging System, enabling clinicians to place the deep brain stimulation (DBS) leads with high level of accuracy during the cranial procedures.

However, high cost of the procedure and limited use of various intracranial stents to a small population may impact the overall market to some extent. For instance, in August 2012, the U.S. FDA approved label changes for the Wingspan Stent System offered by Stryker Corporation, reflecting changes in indications for use, and limiting the system to a much smaller group of patients between 22 and 80 years with intracranial stenosis.