Abstract
In 2006, the Japanese market for interventional cardiology increased at almost
2% over 2005. This market is comprised of coronary stents, PTCA balloons, IVUS
catheters, interventional catheters, interventional guidewires, introducer
sheaths, embolic protection devices (EPD), thrombectomy devices, and
diagnostic catheters, as shown in Chart 1-1. Japan has one of the oldest
populations in the world, and demographic pressure is increasing the demand
for healthcare. As a result, the Japanese government is attempting to decrease
costs by reducing reimbursement rates, thus limiting the market for
interventional cardiology devices.