Ophthalmology Drug and Device Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Ophthalmology Drug and Device Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The ophthalmology drug and device market is expected to witness a CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period.

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have a slightly negative effect on the market. In the initial days of the pandemic, several countries were in lockdown. They suspended trade with other countries and implemented travel restrictions, leading to the decline in eye diagnosis in the first half of 2020. Although SARS, COVID-19, and MERS are considered respiratory diseases due to the symptoms and resulting pneumonia, the involvement of the eye is often overlooked. SARS-CoV2 can spread from the tears of a patient with COVID-19 with conjunctivitis and, conversely, the lack of detection in COVID-19 patients without ocular symptoms. The nasolacrimal duct can provide direct entry of tears into the nasopharynx that runs continuously with the respiratory tract, and thus, there is a chance of infection. The WHO’s precautionary measures to avoid contact with eyes to reduce transmission are reasonable. Thus, ophthalmologists might be more at risk of getting infected as the proximity to patients during the examination, predisposing them to droplet transmission. Moreover, the unavoidable physical contact with patients’ eyes can result in susceptibility through direct contact. Hence, as a cautionary measure, many ophthalmologists temporarily closed their practices. In some cases, special isolated temporary clinics were opened to treat the critical cases amongst the patients.

According to a study published in May 2020 in the British Journal of Surgery, based on a particular 12-week period of disruption to hospital services due to COVID-19 in hospitals, around 28.4 million elective surgeries worldwide were canceled or postponed in 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Carl Zeiss market devices, systems, instruments, and others for ophthalmology recorded a major decline, particularly in the spring of 2020. For instance, as per the Carl Zeiss annual report 2019-2020, around 40% of revenue declined during the second quarter (April-June 2020). Additionally, there was a revenue decline compared to 2019 revenue for the year 2020.

As per iCare Finland OY annual report 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant decline in revenue in the first quarter of 2020. More than 580,000 planned surgeries in India might be canceled or delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study conducted by an international consortium in May 2020. Globally, as the number of COVID-19 cases started decreasing, the fear of visiting hospitals and ophthalmology centers is less in people.

Hence, a slight short-term negative impact was witnessed on the market, primarily due to the reduced ophthalmological services during the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. However, the market growth has been improving as COVID-19 cases getting decline across the globe.

Certain factors driving the market's growth include the impact of the prevalence of eye disease, demographic shift, technological advancements in the field of ophthalmology, and the rising geriatric population. According to the WHO, the aging population is expected to burden all areas of healthcare, and ophthalmologists provide approximately 90% of their procedure-based services to seniors. Additionally, an increase in the prevalence of presbyopia, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy is a major market driver. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2019, approximately 2.2 billion people were visually impaired across the world. Additionally, over 39 million had vision loss, nearly 188.5 million people suffered from mild vision impairment, and over 217 million people were experiencing moderate to severe vision impairment. In many countries, cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure performed, and it offers significant improvements in the quality of life of the elderly population at low costs. An increase in the elderly population and the high prevalence of ophthalmic disorders increases the demand for ophthalmological devices projects the future cataract surgery needs vital for human health resources, hospitals, and surgical center management and planning. Other factors, such as the availability of new devices and new drugs and the growing incidence of eye disease, are also expected to drive the market over the forecast period.

Key Market TrendsThe Glaucoma Segment is Expected to Show Better Growth in the Forecast Years

Globally, glaucoma is one of the most common causes of vision loss or blindness. Being irreversible, the early detection and management of glaucoma are of utmost importance. With increasing aging, the incidence of glaucoma is expected to rise in the near future, which is driving the market growth. According to a research study by Leslie L. Clark et al., published in 2019, during the 5-year surveillance period (2013-2017) in the study, a total of 37,718 incident cases of glaucoma were identified in the United States. The overall incidence rate of glaucoma was 5.9 per 1,000 population. The incidence of glaucoma diagnoses among the female population was 14% higher than that of the male population. With the high incidence of glaucoma, it is expected to drive market growth in the coming years.

Primary open-angle glaucoma is a significant public health burden in Europe, which is likely to increase the demand for devices in the near future. For instance, according to a research study by D. Kreft et al., published in BMC Public Health Journal 2019, the incidence of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in the German population was 0.38 (0.36–0.39) per 100 population. Moreover, the incidence rates were higher among German women than men, i.e., 19% higher incidence for women. Thus, the high incidence of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) can be reduced by implementing early diagnosis procedures, boosting market growth. As per a research article by Karen Allison published in 2020, glaucoma is a combination of vascular, genetic, anatomical, and immune factors. It poses a significant public health concern as it is the second leading cause of blindness after cataracts, and blindness is usually irreversible. Moreover, population over 60 years of age, diabetics, family members of those already diagnosed with glaucoma, steroid users with high myopia, hypertension, central cornea thickness of less than 5 mm, and eye injury are at an increased risk of glaucoma.

According to a research study by Gabriela Thomassiny et al., published in ARVO Journal 2020, Glaucoma remains one of the leading causes of blindness in Latin America. Latin Americans have a significantly higher risk of developing glaucoma. In the region, around 75% of the affected population is undiagnosed. In the region, Mexico is the second most populated country. The study results found that in Mexico, by the year 2030, the number of people with glaucoma was projected to reach 2.5 million while increasing to 3 million by 2040 and 3.4 million by 2050, respectively. The increasing geriatric population is also expected to increase the number of glaucoma patients as the disorder primarily affects

Thus, the high incidence of glaucoma is expected to raise demand for drugs and devices and is expected to show significant growth over the forecast period.

North America Dominates the Market, and it is Expected to do the Same During the Forecast Period

Due to the presence of well-established healthcare facilities, the rise in the geriatric population in the region, and the presence of large companies, North America is dominating the ophthalmology drug and device market. Due to the constant increase in the American elderly population and a move toward vision correction and its usage among key demographics, an absolute increase in rates for most types of eyewear was observed in the United States. In the North American region, United States holds a substantial share in the ophthalmology diagnostics market. The market is expected to grow due to the rapidly growing geriatric population and the rising prevalence of eye diseases due to high stress and unhealthy lifestyles, which can result in diseases such as diabetic retinopathy. The geriatric population is increasing, and it is more susceptible to developing eye diseases, which is further anticipated to widen the base for the market growth.

There has been a rising prevalence of eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataract, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, which is anticipated to propel the market over the forecast period. As per the statistics provided by the National Eye Institute in 2019, around 1.3 million Americans were blind, and 2.9 million have low vision. An estimated 2.2 million Americans may face vision loss, and 5 million were expected to have low vision by 2030. Hence, an increase in eye disorders will lead to the growing demand for drugs and devices.

Competitive Landscape

The ophthalmology drug and device market is moderately competitive, and it consists of major players. Companies, such as Alcon Inc., Bausch Health Companies Inc., Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Essilor International SA, Haag-Streit Group, Johnson & Johnson, Nidek Co. Ltd, Topcon Corporation, and Ziemer Group AG, are well-established in the global market.

Several developments have been taking place in the market. For instance, in March 2019, Alcon Inc. acquired Power Vision Inc., a privately-held, United States-based medical device development company focused on creating fluid-based intraocular lens implants.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

Companies Mentioned

IBM Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Internap Corporation
Packet Inc. (An Equinix Inc. Company)
Scaleway Inc.
Amazon Web Services Inc
Rackspace Inc.
CenturyLink, Inc.
LightEdge Solutions, Inc

Please note: This publisher does offer titles that are created upon receipt of order. If you are purchasing a PDF Email Delivery option above, the report will take approximately 2 business days to prepare and deliver.