SmartTRAK reports that challenging conditions lead to minimal innovation in Paris.

It was third time lucky for the approximately 3,500 attendees of the 2022 European Wound Management Association (EWMA) conference in Paris. Although not yet back to a pre-pandemic number of participants, it was encouraging to see an international presence without the barrier of COVID-19 restrictions. Previous dates in 2020 and early 2022 fell to the pandemic, so great credit goes to the organizers and exhibitors for persevering and delivering a positive and engaging event.

Among the many topics covered in this SmartTRAK perspective article, which you can download here, are:

• MDR Consuming R&D Resources
• Clouds over Germany - Is There a Silver Lining?
• Establishing a European Foothold
• The Trend in Using Fewer Layers in Compress

Surgical matrices procedures appear back to near pre-pandemic levels, with revenues on the rise

With elective procedures in the United States mostly back at pre-pandemic levels, the US Surgical Matrices Market returned to what had been normal growth in Q122, gaining +5.7% YoY according to SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard. AbbVie* continued to lead the Surgical Matrices Market, though it was approximately flat, while Becton Dickinson* (BD) grew strongly.

Among the many topics covered in detail in our comprehensive Q122 US Surgical Matrices Market Recap* are:

WW Advanced Wound Care growth settles to a traditional mid-single digit growth rate as global wound care moves past COVID-19.

SmartTRAK investigates recent trends in hernia repair clinical trials and how these trends relate to competition in the hernia repair market. Using a new SmartTRAK tool to analyze data in clinicaltrials.gov, SmartTRAK describes shifting trends in hernia repair research with company-sponsored studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs)

WUWHS – a hybrid event with a local touch

Back Into the Water
After having been postponed several times, the World Union of Wound Healing Societies (WUWHS) finally took place in Abu Dhabi in early March and SmartTRAK was there. Mölnlycke* came in hot, launching Avance Solo* in the region, whereas most other companies were represented by local distributors. SmartTRAK noted that the hybrid format was an interesting concept, unfortunately, impacted by technical issues.

The Olympics of Wound Care
WUWHS is similar to the Olympics in the sense that it is an event with a global focus held every fourth year, every time by a new organizer. Like the Olympics, the WUWHS was postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19, the last one was held six years ago, and the pandemic also impacted both attendance and format. A negative COVID test was required both to enter and leave Abu Dhabi, which likely made attendees participate online rather than in person. SmartTRAK estimates that 20% to 30% of the participants were there in person and 70% to 80% participated online. Unfortunately, the event was full of technical issues and there were also many speakers missing when they were supposed to present, which brought down the overall experience for those who attended in person.

Mölnlycke Launches Avance Solo in the Region
Mölnlycke overshadowed all other companies at the event. It had the largest exhibition, an Innovation Area lounge, a high international presence, held the most lunch symposia and was the only company doing a major product launch.

The Company launched its ...

Jack Kalavritinos, Former HHS/FDA Senior Official and Principal of JK Strategies, discusses the importance and benefits of government affairs in medtech

Jack Kalavritinos is the Founder and Principal of JK Strategies, a communications and public policy firm that helps organizations develop winning communication and policy strategies. Jack is also a former senior government official and appointee in HHS, FDA and DOL. Jack has decades of Washington, DC government, political and business experience including in the medtech sector with Covidien.

In this interview with SmartTRAK, Jack shares his thoughts on the benefits to medtech commercial leaders of developing collaborative relationships with their government affairs colleagues. Specifically, SmartTRAK’s interview with Jack covers the next phases of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the potential impact of the midterm elections and ways companies can work with the FDA.

To find out more, including Jack’s take on how medtech commercial leaders can develop relationships with their Representatives and Senators, click on the following video recorded live via Zoom. Outlined below are specific interview topics by the minute. To download a complete transcript of the interview, click here.

Emerging from the COVID-19 era, wound care innovation is driven by smaller companies

In April, the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Spring 2022 returned to an in-person format for the first time since 2019. Though the turnout was below expectations, attendees enjoyed reconnecting with clinicians, engaging with vendors and catching up with colleagues and competitors.

Despite being three years since the last SAWC Spring, large wound care companies like Smith+Nephew* (SNN), Mölnlycke*, 3M* and others were oddly without major product introductions. SmartTRAK has learned that extended FDA review timelines and supply challenges may be playing a significant role in this reality. Companies have publicly commented that innovation and new product launches are planned for 2022, but timelines must have slipped past the SAWC Spring deadlines.

Regardless, innovation was not completely absent from SAWC Spring as smaller companies introduced new products and more companies exhibited IT-driven diagnostic, measurement and data-capture technologies.

(The SmartTRAK team will be attending the upcoming European Wound Management Association (EWMA) event May 23-25 in Paris. We would love to schedule some time to meet and hear your perspectives and views and discuss how SmartTRAK can help you make more informed strategic business decisions.)

In this article, SmartTRAK highlights new products and novel technologies exhibited at SAWC Spring 2022.

Increased wound prevalence meets new software and solutions at WCT 2022.

There was a positive energy in the room at the 5^th Wound Care Today (WCT) conference as industry and clinicians came together in Milton Keynes. COVID-19 infection rates remain high in the UK but this is not being reflected in hospitalizations or deaths, leading to a national determination to move forward without restrictions. The pandemic has, however, shaped the priorities of those present and in a range of discussions. SmartTRAK encountered a commercial eagerness to make up for lost time and a looming burden of chronic wounds.

The SmartTRAK team will be attending the upcoming European Wound Management Association (EWMA) event May 23-25 in Paris. We would love to schedule some time to meet and hear your perspectives and views and discuss how SmartTRAK can help you make more informed strategic business decisions.

Jason Winkler, Sales VP of cybersecurity startup Device Authority, discusses the state of cybersecurity in healthcare in an interview with SmartTRAK.

To find out more, including the devices most vulnerable to cybersecurity threats and how medical device manufacturers should think about designing cybersecurity measures into their connected products, click on the following video to listen to the full interview (17:29 min). A link to download the complete transcript of the interview is also provided below.

Macroeconomic headwinds are projected to continue through the first half of 2022.

Supply chain headaches and inflationary pressures significantly impacted wound care companies in 2021. Though Advanced Wound Care revenue rebounded +11.5% in 2021 according to SmartTRAK’s Financial Dashboard, it was not without strong headwinds of higher input costs, logistical nightmares and labor shortages.

To understand how these macroeconomic trends affected wound care companies, SmartTRAK reviewed quarterly and fiscal year earnings reports from FY21 to see how various wound care companies reported the company-specific impact. From troubles sourcing materials to higher input costs and the need to raise prices, SmartTRAK uncovered a consistent trend of macroeconomic pressures affecting many global and regional wound care manufacturers.