Market Trends of Preterm Birth Prevention and Management Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Preterm Birth Prevention & Management Market according to our research experts:
Tocolytics Therapy Segment Holds Significant Share Over the Forecast Period
Tocolytics are medications used to suppress premature labor. Many different classes of drugs have been used for tocolytic therapy. These include beta mimetics (ritodrine and terbutaline), magnesium sulfate, prostaglandin inhibitors (indomethacin, ketorolac), calcium channel blockers (nifedipine), nitrates (nitroglycerine), oxytocin receptor blockers (atosiban), among others.
Tocolytic therapy holds a significant share due to the various advantages and importance of the therapy. For instance, as per the report published by Cochrane in August 2022, tocolytics postpone preterm delivery and give women more time to get medications that can assist a baby to breathe and feed if they are born prematurely, and that reduces the likelihood that the child will have cerebral palsy. As per the same above-mentioned source, the study showed that betamimetics and magnesium sulfate may be effective in delaying preterm birth by 48 hours, whereas calcium channel blockers and oxytocin receptor antagonists are effective in delaying preterm birth by 7 days. Thus, tocolytic drugs or agents have significant importance in delaying preterm birth, which drives the market's growth over the forecast period.
Likewise, in April 2022, a survey was also used in a research study to better understand Taiwanese attitudes and tocolytic therapy practice patterns. 310 professionals attended, and 77 of them completed the survey, with a response rate of 24.8%. The survey found that many of these specialists would prescribe tocolytics for less evidence-based indications, such as 22% for abdominal tightness, 46% for a short cervix, 60% for maintenance tocolysis, and 89% for repeat tocolysis, with ritodrine and nifedipine preferred as first-line drugs. The study concluded that tocolysis is widely accepted and used in Taiwan.
Hence, the aforementioned factors are anticipated to help the segment grow over the forecast period.
North America Dominates the Preterm Birth Prevention and Management Market Over the Forecast Period
North America is anticipated to have a significant share of the market owing to factors such as increased demand for preterm birth prevention medications due to the growing number of preterm births, rising technical breakthroughs, and well-established healthcare facilities in the region.
According to the CDC, the preterm birth rate rose between 2020 and 2021. Preterm births increased as a share of all births by approximately 4% in 2021, going from 10.09% in 2020 to 10.49% in the United States. The preterm birth rate was highest in non-Hispanic black mothers compared with non-Hispanic white and Hispanic mothers. Similarly, according to data published in March 2022 by the Canadian Paediatric Society, preterm births account for approximately 8% of all live births in Canada, with 30% occurring prior to 34 weeks gestational age (GA) and 70% occurring between 34 0/7 and 36 6/7 weeks.
Hence, the significant cases of preterm birth in the region increase the demand for preterm birth prevention medications, which drive the market over the study period.
Furthermore, in August 2021, the US FDA granted a public hearing to discuss Makena, the only FDA-approved treatment for reducing preterm birth in indicated patients, as per Covis Group. Later, in September 2022, as a part of the hearing process, the Obstetrics, Reproductive, and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee decided to discuss whether the FDA should allow Makena to remain on the market while an appropriate confirmatory study is designed and conducted. Thus, such new developments and post-market studies will help the market grow during the forecast period.
Hence, the rising need for preventing and managing preterm births is expected to propel market growth across the region.
