United States of America Viscosupplementation Market Trends

Market Driver – Growing Prevalence of Opioid Addiction in the US

The growing opioid addiction crisis in the United States is having a significant impact on driving the growth of the viscosupplementation market in the country. As per the data shared by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 100,000 Americans lost their lives due to drug overdose in 2021 alone, with majority of the deaths being attributed to synthetic opioids. The current opioid epidemic began in the late 1990s and continues to ravage communities across America.

As opioid addiction rises, so does the rates of musculoskeletal disorders and chronic pain among addicts. Prolonged opioid use commonly leads to issues like osteoarthritis due to wear and tear of joints from years of drug misuse. It can also cause debilitating conditions like back pain from irregular posture and lifestyle factors. Viscosupplementation provides an alternative treatment pathway for managing osteoarthritis-related pain without relying on prescription painkillers. Products like hyaluronic acid injections are gaining favor among chronic pain patients with opioid addiction to avoid controlled substances.

Market Driver – Increasing Awareness About Opioid Dependence Treatment

Increasing awareness about opioid dependence treatment is significantly driving the growth of United States of America Viscosupplementation Market. As people are becoming more aware about the addictive nature and long-term health consequences of opioid dependence, they are looking for better treatment options. Viscosupplementation injections have proved to be very effective in managing pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knees without any risks of dependence or addiction.

Various government initiatives are effectively educating citizens about alternatives to opioid based therapies and benefits of viscosupplementation. As per the data by US Department of Health and Human Services, around 8.5 million American adults had substance use disorder involving prescription opioids in 2020. This shows massive potential clientele for non-opioid therapies like viscosupplementation. Several non-profit organizations are actively advocating for nationwide opioid harm reduction programs incorporating alternative treatments such as viscosupplementation.

With growing concerns around opioid crisis, healthcare providers are also increasingly recommending viscosupplementation injections to their patients dealing with chronic knee pain.

Market Challenge – Stringent Regulations for Prescribing Buprenorphine

Stringent regulations for prescribing buprenorphine are presenting challenges for the growth of the viscosupplementation market in the United States. Buprenorphine is a critical treatment option for opioid addiction but the regulations make it difficult for physicians to prescribe. Data from 2019 showed over 47,000 drug overdose deaths involved opioids, demonstrating the continued severity of the addiction crisis. However, the regulations limit the number of patients a physician can treat with buprenorphine to just 30-275 based on experience level.

With barriers to accessing addiction treatment, many patients turn to alternatives for pain relief like viscosupplementation injections. These hyaluronic acid injections help lubricate and cushion joints affected by osteoarthritis. However, the stringent prescribing limits on buprenorphine mean many physicians cannot dedicate sufficient time to both addiction medicine and orthopedic cases like joint injections. This contributes to longer wait times for patients seeking viscosupplementation treatments. Data from the CDC shows the number of arthritis-related knee replacements increased by over 60% between 2000-2015, highlighting growing joint disease burden. But with constraints on physician resources, not all patients who could benefit from earlier intervention like viscosupplementation are able to access care in a timely manner.

Market Opportunity – Scope for Enhancing Distribution Networks

Viscosupplementation products in the United States currently face barriers when reaching patients who could benefit from their use. These products, which are injected to supplement decreased viscosity of the synovial fluid in osteoarthritic knees, rely on strong distribution networks to connect manufacturers with healthcare providers. However, distribution is often fragmented regionally. Consolidating distribution under larger networks with a national reach could help increase adoption of viscosupplementation across the country.

Larger distributors would have economies of scale that allow for greater investment in sales representatives who can educate more providers about best practice usage of these products. This could expand the addressable market size. According to a 2020 Osteoarthritis Foundation report, an estimated 32.5 million US adults suffered from osteoarthritis, though only a fraction received viscosupplementation treatment. Increased awareness driven by strengthened distribution can help address this gap.

A focus on enhancing technology integration along the supply chain would also boost distribution opportunities. Distributors that offer providers convenient e-commerce platforms to order products will see greater order volumes processed more efficiently.