Industry Paints Rosy Picture About Vaginal Mesh and its Future

Mesh Medical Device News Desk, October 24, 2018 ~ Industry White Papers continue to point to a bright future for polypropylene mesh implants despite the number of patient injuries and the unanswered mysteries as to why they exist.

MESH INDUSTRY PROSPECTS

“Vaginal Mesh is Booming” the market research report promises.

White Papers or market research frequently forecast a rosy future for a certain sector’s growth. In this case, ResearchVector in its White Paper looks ahead to 2025 to predict pharmaceutical companies such as Johnson & Johnson and its Ethicon division, Boston Scientific, Endo, Coloplast, Covidien, Cook Medical, Neomedic and C.R. Bard are likely to benefit from renewed vaginal mesh sales.

The mesh manufacturers named are currently involved in defective product litigation and settlements.

Interestingly, as transvaginal placement of pelvic mesh is the subject of more than 100-thousand product liability lawsuits in the U.S. and globally, the report mentions only transabdominal mesh placement.

The meshes in this report are polypropylene (PP), the same material- polypropylene, a polymer used for indoor-outdoor carpets and Tic-Tac boxes.

The forecast predictions are global in reach, though the UK, Australia and New Zealand currently have suspended the use of PP mesh or recommend it as a last resort.

The White Paper can be obtained for $4,900. MND has asked for the report.

Among the promises:

Growth in the Vaginal Mesh market has increased the demand for Vaginal Mesh. The higher profit growth have increased the demand for {Products} in the Vaginal Mesh market. Other factors that are driving the growth of Vaginal Mesh market are:

Growing population

• The rise in technological advancements
• The total market size
• Key market drivers
• Major players in the market
• The growing disposable income

John Nealon, LinkedIn

Mesh News Desk has already written about an effort by a former executive for American Medical Systems, John Nealon, who wants to rebrand the company calling it UroCure and bring back polypropylene pelvic mesh.

American Medical Systems folded and was sold to Endo International, which relaunched AMS products as Astora Women’s Health. That company dissolved its women’s health division in 2016.

See MND background story here.

UroCure raised $2.5 million to fund creating of the urethral slings. It has goals of raising upward of $3.5 million. The slings will rely on the same patented technology used to create the AMS slings such as Sparc and Monarc to treat stress urinary incontinence.

Nealon says the new company plans to “build on the long-standing market leadership position,” said Nealon.

J&J ROSY FORECAST

In its recent SEC report (8K report Oct 16) Johnson and Johnson reports Worldwide medical device sales were $6.6 billion and growing, according to an earning’s call.

This represents an acceleration over the first half of 2018. J&J and its Ethicon division also has a vision division as well as sales in catheters, atrial fibrillation procedures and prosthesis. The Women’s Health division at $3 million is the same as 2017 but down $1 million internationally and worldwide.

"We are pleased with our strong third-quarter performance, which reflects continued above-market growth in our Pharmaceutical business, accelerating sales momentum in our Consumer business and consistent progress in our Medical Devices business,” said Alex Gorsky, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “I’m confident that with our collaborative and inspired J&J colleagues around the world, unique broad-based business model and strategic investments in innovation, we are well positioned for success today and into the future.”

MESHES STILL ON THE MARKET

Johnson & Johnson (Ethicon) still markets:

• TVT – Tension Free vaginal tape. Also known as a “tape” or “hammock”. It is made of polypropylene. In some cases doctors tell patients that this is a “NEW” product or “Not the same one the subject of lawsuits.” Ask- Is it made of polypropylene? See Ethicon brochure here.
• TVT-O Tension free vaginal tape- Obturator (put through the obturator space). Also made of polypropylene, but placed through the obturator opening in the body. Nothing new here. This is classified as moderate risk with the FDA even though it has been found to have been defectively design at trial.
• TVT-Abbrevo mini sling, Implanted transobturator is still on the market. See the product here.
• Gynemesh, used for pelvic organ prolapse, as Artisyn. The polypropylene mesh is used during sacrocolpopexy surgery used to treat prolapse.
• TVT-Exact – A Polypropylene sling mesh kit used to treat stress urinary incontinence. See product here.

Boston Scientific still Markets:

• Advantage Fit– mid-urethral sling to support the urethra made of polypropylene. This is a mesh sling and permanently implanted.
• Lynx Suprapubic – mid-urethral sling- polypropylene
• Obtryx Transobturator – mid-urethral sling, another polypropylene product woven through the obturator space to treat incontinence
• Solyx a single incision sling for treating incontinence

C.R. Bard:

In June, 20017, C.R. Bard was sold to Becton Dickinson for $24 billion, its meshes are off the market.

See Mesh News Desk story here.

American Medical Systems

AMS sold its gynecological device division to Endo International which shuttered its Astora Women's Health division in 2016. A former AMS executive wants to bring back to the market AMS polypropylene meshes.

See MND story here and here.

Caldera Medical

Not to be deterred from the market Caldera offers six meshes to treat stress urinary incontinence, all made of polypropylene and similar to the meshes it’s always had on the market.

Caldera was severely under-insured it was discovered in litigation, and offered mesh-injured patients less than $4,000 each.

Here are their products today including Desara, Desara SL, Desara Blue, Desara TV and Vertessa Lite.