Headwinds increased in Q2 as COVID-19 shut down elective procedures and stay-at-home orders impacted trauma volumes, but by the end of the quarter tailwinds picked up and it was smooth flying.

Q220 started out in a stall and continued to nosedive, as the Trauma segment experienced decreased admissions in April and May due to stay at home orders that caused a decrease in daily activities, including limited driving for most of the US. The US Trauma Market was down -14.2% YoY, with WW revenues declining -16.2%.

In June tailwinds picked up as stay at home orders began to lift and activities resumed, which boded well for the Trauma segment. Trauma procedures started to rebound in June, as most hospitals resumed surgeries depending upon PPE and OR time and resources. 

Among the many topics covered in the comprehensive Q220 Trauma Market Recap* are:

The US Surgical Matrices Market collapsed in Q220, achieving sales of $227.3MM, off -39.4% YoY, as the effects of COVID-19 became evident with many delayed or canceled surgeries. The problems were evident everywhere, where Breast Matrices dropped -46.4 YoY to $69.6MM in Q220, while Hernia Matrices fell off -35.7% YoY to $157.7MM.

With COVID’s toll on delayed and canceled elective surgeries affecting all participants in the market, the US Surgical Matrices Market yielded -39.4% YoY, according to BioMedGPS’ SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard. Allergan* held on to its lead despite the effects of the pandemic, giving back -46.9%. Becton Dickinson* (BD) lost less than Allergan, declining -36.8%. However, Medtronic* announced that its hernia business was recovering faster than it expected.

Among the many topics covered in the comprehensive Q220 US Surgical Matrices Market Recap* are:

The US market for Hemostats and Sealants dropped precipitously by -32.4% YoY in Q220, as the effects of COVD-19 became evident with many delayed or canceled surgeries.

With COVID’s toll on delayed and canceled elective surgeries affecting all participants in the market, the US Hemostats and Sealants market dropped -32.4% in Q220 according to SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard, a decrease that was presaged in Q120 earnings reports. Baxter* led the decline in Q220, down -42.1% YoY, with the Company’s sealants experiencing the worst YoY shrinkage. Cryolife* was close behind as its BioGlue* franchise saw cardiac surgeries postponed nationwide. In Q220, Ethicon* remained the market leader, followed by Baxter.

Among the many topics covered in the comprehensive Q220 US Hemostats and Sealants Market Recap* are:

As the COVID-19 continues to affect every aspect of life, the MedTech industry perseveres in its attempt to adapt and continue moving forward. SAWC and the Wound Healing Society held the SAWC Spring 2020 as a virtual experience on July 24-26. In their words "At a time when so much else is canceled, the work to treat, manage, and prevent chronic wounds and improve patient care cannot stop. Hope must go on."

The following is a small sampling of the updates compiled, reviewed and posted in real time last week by our SmartTRAK analysts, including many from SAWC 2020. We constantly monitor the worldwide MedTech industry, sifting through the noise to present to our subscribers the most relevant international news, trends, financial data and competitor developments in the global Life Sciences industry.

The US Surgical Matrices Market treaded water in Q120, up +1.6%, as the impact of COVID-19 began to be felt broadly at the end of a quarter that had initially started with good growth.

In Q120, the US Surgical Matrices Market grew +1.6% YoY according to BioMedGPS’ SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard. Allergan* maintained its lead despite the slowdown in breast augmentation and reconstruction surgeries due to COVID-19, gaining +3.4% YoY. Becton Dickinson* (BD) also had been growing well until COVID-19 slowed hernia surgeries, and, like many other companies, warned that Q220 would be far worse since the impact of COVID-19 would be felt at the beginning of the quarter.

Among the many topics covered in the comprehensive Q120 US Surgical Matrices Market Recap* are:

Q120 remained a bright spot showing positive growth with modest disruption from COVID-19 for the quarter.

For Q120, according to BioMedGPS’ SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard, the US Infection Prevention - Vascular Access Adjunct Products market was up +4. 4% YoY. The prevention of Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs) continues to drive measures and practices to reduce Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs) and is creating demand for products that can address these issues. Numerous programs and educational tools are being developed to provide measures and strategies that assist healthcare providers in the prevention and reduction of infection in acute care and other settings.

Among the many topics covered in the comprehensive Q120 Infection Prevention: Vascular Access Adjunct Products Recap Market Recap* are:

The US market for Hemostats and Sealants grew +6.1% YoY in Q120, up from the pace of Q419 despite the late appearance of COVD-19 in the last few weeks of the quarter. Growth was slightly higher in the Hemostats market, with +6.8% growth driven by relative strength in thrombin hemostats.

As reported in SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard, the US Hemostats and Sealants market had a growth rate of +6.1% in Q120. Leading the way in Q120 was Baxter* with +11.6% YoY growth and continued strength from Tisseel* and Artiss* fibrin sealants. Becton Dickinson* (BD) also posted strong gains as its relaunched Progel* and continued its resurgence in Q120. However, all manufacturers predicted that second-quarter results would be much worse since the full effect of surgery deferrals would be felt for the entire quarter. Some manufacturers warned that revenues were reduced as much as...

Among the many topics covered in the comprehensive Q120 Hemostats and Sealants Market Recap* are:

In Q120, the US and EU AWC markets experienced modest gains, offset by ROW (China) hit early in the quarter with COVID-19.

For Q120, according to BioMedGPS’ SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard, WW Advanced Wound Care (AWC) revenues for Advanced Dressings, External Devices and Biologics was up +2.2% YoY. Many companies commented on the impact of COVID-19 on their business performance. Overall, the impact in Q120 was limited, as the pandemic hit in March in most countries, whereas Jan and Feb were more business as usual. All are expecting a more severe impact in Q220, and almost all companies have withdrawn their FY20 projections.

Among the many topics covered in the comprehensive Q120 Advanced Wound Care Market Recap* are:

.SmartTRAK discusses a new biomaterials opportunity for medical devices with Michael Ziebell, President and CEO of trū Shrimp.

Shrimp is the most popular seafood in the US with an annual consumption of 1.6 billion pounds and 90% sourced outside the US. trū Shimp has developed a unique aquaculture for raising shrimp that allows production to occur anywhere in the US, even in Minnesota. Michael Ziebell explains the unique features of the process and its ability to produce a novel biomaterial that may be tailored to meet the needs of the medical device industry.

A transcript of SmartTRAK’s interview with Michael Ziebell is below. To listen to the audio interview, click on the video (10:39 minutes). The full transcript, with a link to download a PDF, is provided below.