Obesity & Diabetes
Buffet of treatment options represents
a multi-billion dollar market
One in three in US struggle with obesity: The prevalence of obesity as a percentage of
the US adult population in the last 20 years has grown to over 33%, or 76M people, from
approximately 23%, or 40M people. Globally, there are over 400M obese adults.
Near-term $2 billion market opportunity in fighting fat: Using an extremely conservative
average ASP of $5,000 per device, we derive a $2 billion market estimate for obesity
procedures in 2010. We assume increasing procedure volumes driven by improving
reimbursement and new products offering long-term efficacy and improved safety.
Capitalizing on unmet needs – filling the massive product void: In the US, options are
limited to invasive bariatric surgical procedures and laparoscopic adjustable gastric
banding. We have identified a number of minimally invasive, impactful, lower-risk
products being developed for obesity, designating them to one of the following primary
mechanisms of action: Volume Restriction, Flow Control, Space Occupation/Filler,
Appetite Suppression, and Malabsorptive.
Who will pay? Everybody: Expanded coverage by CMS beginning in 2004 has driven
public and private reimbursement for bariatric surgery in treating morbid obesity.
Furthermore, we believe there is the opportunity for a cash pay market to develop as
new, minimally invasive and temporary devices are commercialized.
Killing two (or more) birds with one stone = multiple drivers for adoption: We believe
outcomes proving resolution of type 2 diabetes and other co-morbidities such as
hypertension, along with successful weight reduction, will be a factor in the ultimate
adoption and reimbursement of new technologies for the treatment of obesity.
Feeding at the trough - lots of winners expected due to menu of options available for
patients: We believe there will be more than one winner in the obesity space as the
risk/reward profiles for the different approaches being developed will have varying
levels of appeal to the patients across the +30 BMI spectrum.