Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases, particularly heart attacks and strokes, cause the
death of about seventeen million people worldwide annually. In the US alone,
around five million people suffer from heart problems.
In heart valve market, mechanical valves are more durable than tissue heart
valves but require an anticoagulant. With technological advancements, the
issue of durability has been resolved and hence, the market has moved towards
tissue valves. Tissue valve represent about three-fifth of the total valve
market.
Tissue valve market is dominated by Edwards Lifesciences. The surgical heart
valve therapy segment represents about half of Edwards' turnover. Medtronic
and St. Jude Medical are the other major players. St. Jude Medical is the
leader in mechanical heart valves. St. Jude has been successfully trying to
convert its mechanical valve users to tissue valves and thus increasing its
market share. St. Jude entered the U.S. tissue valve industry about 2-3 years
back, and thereafter, Edwards' s growth has slowed down.
The report is aimed at providing a basic understanding of the heart valve
market. It analyzes the worldwide and US market. Apart from providing a
competitive landscape of the market, the report also profiles the major
companies, with a discussion of their key business strategies. It also
analyzes the major technological developments in the heart valve market.