Wound care is an interesting category within the life sciences industry. Unlike pharmaceuticals, medical equipment or other medical device categories, it’s not an enormous global market, around $10B.
In the past few years, two of the industry’s stalwarts actually exited the Professional Wound Care category: Johnson & Johnson and Bristol Myers Squibb. J&J’s business became Systagenix Wound Management in December 2008 following a divestiture to private equity. And, ConvaTec became a separate entity from BMS in August 2008 following its sale to new owners.
Now the focus is on Negative Pressure Wound Technology (NPWT), a technology expected to exceed US$2 billion by 2013 and led by a company called Kinetic Concepts in San Antonio. Once a stagnant company manufacturing a variety of products (including hospital furniture), Kinetic Concepts is now led by Cathy Burzik, formerly a J&J President herself. The company’s flagship therapy is a vacuum-based wound therapy system. Originally, it was used to stop bleeding and prevent infection in catastrophic wounds. The company told a story of a patient nearly severed in half by a train that was saved following treatment with KCI’s technology. Now, Kinetic Concepts has won FDA approval for the Prevena Incision Management System, for treatment of surgically closed incisions.
In response to this continued expansion and evolution of their technology, several of the traditional wound care market leaders have entered or plan to enter the NPWT market. Smith & Nephew acquired BlueSky Medical in 2007, Getinge bought Huntleigh Technology and Mölnlycke is also looking into this area. In addition, ConvaTec has recently gained a presence in the NPWT market through an exclusive global agreement for Boehringer’s Engenex system.
The marks another big but subtle step forward for KCI. With almost 7,000 employees and quietly headquartered in central Texas, this might be one of the better kept secrets in the world of emerging medical product companies.
