The patent foramen ovale closure market has continued to mature in 2009, with the latest round of developments reported at the 2009 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics meeting, recently held in San Francisco. Over 60 presentations related to PFO closure or atrial septal defect closure were presented at TCT this year, more than double the amount of PFO-related talks presented in 2008.

The PFO (patent foramen ovale) closure market has certainly traveled a long and twisted road over the years. And the journey isn't over yet. Although some large companies have pulled back on their US commercialization efforts or decided to exit the field entirely, othrs continue to stick it out, hoping the eventual opportunity will far outweigh the risks and costs involved. In Europe, where percutaneous PFO closure following stroke/TIA is more widely accepted and performed, there are nine CE marked PFO closure devices available from eight different manufacturers, with two more devices expected to be added to the mix in the near future. But despite widespread European acceptance, manufacturers have so far failed to achieve the ultimate goal: US regulatory approval.

A short summary of recent product developments in the Orthopedics/Spine, Aesthetics, Stent, Surgery, and Vascular Markets.

As many as half of severe migraine sufferers do not achieve adequate relief with prescription drug therapy, and many of these patients may be candidates for emerging device treatments for migraine. Sales of migraine drugs in the U.S. total more than $2 billion per year, but some analysts believe that the potential market for device-based treatment may be even larger. The question at the moment is whether the devices in development can produce the kind of results that migraine patients are looking for. Clinical trials are currently underway on a number of fronts, and based on early data, the answer looks promising.