Chronic Disease Patients Treated Drip by Drip

Thursday 29 November 2012, Amsterdam

Chronic Disease Patients Treated Drip by Drip
Intravenous (IV) drips are fast evolving, as patients take their treatment into the home, states a new report by healthcare experts.

The new report states that diseases such as cancer, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are becoming more common, due in part to a globally ageing population, and these patients often require Clinical Nutrition (CN) to recover from these conditions.

CN improves patient health by maintaining weight, strength and energy, and protecting immune functions, and is given to patients unable to eat normally – this includes individuals in Intensive Care Units (ICU), and severely, chronically ill, or malnourished individuals. Enteral Nutrition (EN), or tube feeding, is given through a tube inserted into the stomach or intestines, while Parenteral Nutrition (PN) infuses nutrients directly into the bloodstream intravenously. EN is the preferred route of nutritional support, as it avoids the complications of intravenous access, and maintains gut integrity as nutrients are metabolized and absorbed naturally. However, EN can only be used when the GI tract is functional, with PN necessary in all other cases.

The healthcare industry is showing a strong trend towards transitioning hospital care to home treatment, and this change is rapidly gaining interest from PN market players. Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN) is often used by patients with short bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and cancer, and offers reduced healthcare costs and greater patient freedom in comparison to hospitalization. The HPN sector in developed countries, such as the US, Japan, and Western Europe will witness significant growth in the future.

However, American patients may struggle to afford HPN if lacking private medical insurance. Part B of the Medicare insurance plan in the US covers supplies, equipment, and nutrients required for PN, but patients must meet certain criteria in order to qualify for reimbursement, and the amount of nutrients Medicare covers is limited. Many patients do not qualify under these terms, including individuals suffering malnutrition due to depression or anorexia, and the restricted patient population limits the growth of the PN market in the US.

Multi-chamber Bags (MCBs) are also fast becoming the preferred treatment choice for PN, improving treatment but cutting costs of therapy, therefore reducing future market growth. Nutrition solutions for PN are offered as single-dose containers of amino acid solutions, lipids, carbohydrates, electrolytes, vitamins and trace elements, or as a complete set of nutrients in one MCB. This combined treatment reduces preparation time, medication errors and risk of contamination, and also costs less than a multi-bottle system. MCB use will reduce the annual cost of PN therapy, and therefore hamper market growth in the future.

The global PN market was estimated at $2.9 bn in 2011, and is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.6% during 2011-2018 to record a sales value of $4.9 bn by the end of the forecast period.
Parenteral Nutrition Market to 2018 - Rising Incidence of Chronic Diseases such as Cancer, AIDS and Gastrointestinal (GI) Disorders, and Increased Use of Specialty Drugs Drive Growth

Parenteral Nutrition Market to 2018 - Rising Incidence of Chronic Diseases such as Cancer, AIDS and Gastrointestinal (GI) Disorders, and Increased Use of Specialty Drugs Drive Growth

Publish date : November 2012
Report code : ASDR-38721
Pages : 70

ASDReports.com contact: S. Koomen

ASDReports.com / ASDMedia BV - Veemkade 356 - 1019HD Amsterdam - The Netherlands
P : +31(0)20 486 1286 - F : +31(0)20 486 0216

 back to News