Urology Devices Play to Large and Growing Procedure Volumes

Full article reprinted from Start Up - January/February 2010

Last year saw a surprising number of investments in devices for urology but the development activity in this space should not be surprising, given that prostate disease-both prostate cancer and BPH-are diseases of aging, setting in after age 40 when hormonal changes may cause the prostate to enlarge. BPH, for example, affects more than 50% of men age 60 and older and 90% of men age 70 and older. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of carcinoma death in men. These demographic trends are reflected in the rapid growth in surgical procedures for the treatment of prostate disease, many of which are projected to grow at high double-digit rates in major global economies, according to a series of reports detailing surgical volumes and trends by country, published by the Medtech Insight division of Elsevier Business Intelligence. Read more...

Urology Devices Play to Large and Growing Procedure Volumes

Full article reprinted from Start Up - January/February 2010

Urology is no longer the investment backwater it once was. In 2009, START-UP noted five private financings in the urological device space raising more than $50 million, split between urinary incontinence and prostate disease. EMKinetics Inc., the developer of a neurostimulation device for urinary incontinence, raised an early round, along with Taris Biomedical Inc., which raised $15 million in its Series A round to develop a minimally invasive drug delivery device for bladder disorders. In female urinary stress incontinence, Mpathy Medical Devices Ltd. raised an undisclosed amount of money in a Series C round.

Prostate disease has had an even better showing recently, since it accounted for one of the rare medical device public offerings of 2009, that of ProUroCare Medical Inc., which netted $2.7 million for the development of a new imaging system for mapping the prostate. Privately, Augmenix Inc. raised $6.1 million to develop a tissue spacer that helps minimize collateral damage during prostate cancer treatments and NeoTract Inc., which raised $23.7 million in a Series B round, says that it is developing devices for urological conditions, including benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). All of these new device companies are operating on the theme of offering safer, more-targeted prostate treatment, to avoid unwanted side effects that accompanied first-generation interventions.

This development activity should not be surprising, given that prostate disease—both prostate cancer and BPH—are diseases of aging, setting in after age 40 when hormonal changes may cause the prostate to enlarge. BPH, for example, affects more than 50% of men age 60 and older and 90% of men age 70 and older. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of carcinoma death in men.

These demographic trends are reflected in the rapid growth in surgical procedures for the treatment of prostate disease, many of which are projected to grow at high double-digit rates in major global economies, according to a series of reports detailing surgical volumes and trends by country, published by the Medtech Insight division of Elsevier Business Intelligence.

In the coming years, minimally invasive prostate procedures will reign supreme, many of them achieving almost 20% growth rates. Growing the most rapidly is interstitial laser coagulation (ILC), a new form of minimally invasive treatment for BPH, applicable for prostate volumes less than 60 mL. This 30- to 40-minute procedure may be performed in a physician's office under local, regional or general anesthesia. ILC may be offered to most men regardless of their age, configuration of their prostate or severity of their symptoms.

Transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) will be almost as popular for the next five years. It too will grow by high double-digit rates in most Western markets. TUMT, which uses an antenna-tipped catheter to deliver high-temperature microwave energy to the prostate, can also be performed in a physician's office. Finally, transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) will also be offered in high volumes in the near future. TUNA delivers low-level radiofrequency energy to the prostate, causing necrosis and the subsequent resorption of tissue to relieve the obstruction. This procedure is performed in less than an hour under minimal anesthesia, and may be performed in a physician's office or hospital outpatient center.

Prostate disease has reached critical mass, it seems. The availability of safe, effective and minimally invasive procedures is creating a large and growing market, and the foundation for innovative start-ups that want to bring improvements in diagnosis and therapy.

--Mary Stuart

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Companies mentioned in this article:

Augmenix Inc.

EMKinetics Inc.

Mpathy Medical Devices Ltd.

NeoTract Inc.

ProUroCare Medical Inc.

Taris Biomedical Inc.

About Start Up

No publication reviews leading edge companies and technology better than START-UP. Each issue of START-UP profiles the most important new product companies, identifies the hottest technology areas, reviews funds flowing into private companies and investment trends, and reports on university tech transfer licensing. Industries covered: pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical equipment & devices, and in vitro diagnostics.