Market Trends of Germany Diabetes Care Devices Industry
Rising Diabetes Prevalence in Germany is driving the market in forecast period.
According to the German Diabetes Centre (DDZ), about 8.5 million people in Germany are affected by diabetes. The number of people with Type 2 diabetes in Germany will continue to increase over the next twenty years. Researchers at DDZ estimate that up to twelve million people might suffer from metabolic disorders in 2040.
According to the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies 2021, Germany has the world's oldest social health insurance (SHI) system. Health insurance is compulsory. People with an income above a fixed threshold or belonging to a particular professional group can opt out of SHI coverage and enroll in private health insurance (PHI). About 11% of the population is covered by PHI and 89 % by SHI. Although coverage is universal for all legal residents, only 0.1% of the population does not have health insurance.
Technological advancements in insulin delivery devices have increased for safer and more accurate insulin administration. In April 2021, Medtronic introduced the Medtronic Extended infusion set in selected European countries as the first and only infusion set that can be worn for up to 7 days. An infusion set is a tubing that delivers insulin from the pump to the body and typically requires a set change every few days. This innovation doubles the length of time an infusion set can be worn so users can safely stay on insulin pump therapy with fewer interruptions and insertions while introducing enhanced convenience and comfort to their diabetes management routine. The set is compatible with all MiniMed 600 and 700 series insulin pumps.
German diabetes patients have some of the lowest out-of-pocket costs in the world, according to T1 International, an advocacy group for people with diabetes. Stringent government policies and favorable regulations by WHO in Germany are encouraging companies to develop innovative products. Penetration of these products in the German market supports local clinical research organizations in their clinical research trials and ensures ease of management, facilitating the discovery process.
Therefore, the market is anticipated to grow over the analysis period due to rising prevalence and the aforementioned factors.
The Self-monitoring Blood Glucose Segment Holds the Highest Market Share in the Current Year
The self-monitoring blood glucose segment occupies the highest market share of about 38.7% in the current year.
Self-monitoring has streamlined regular blood testing to assess one’s diabetes control and inform changes to enhance control. With diabetes being related to the body’s ineffective use of insulin, the disease has a high incidence rate, broad pathogenic factors, various complications, and difficulty in curing and causing other lethal hazards to human health. Traction for easy-to-use blood glucose devices has increased and is essential to prevent or detect hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Several technological advances have pushed manufacturers to introduce meters that are less painful and invasive at the time of testing and can provide robust and rapid testing with alternative-site testing and a smaller sample size, thereby enhancing the market prospects in the years to come.
Various innovations in lancing devices offer a convenient way to draw blood samples, such as Accu-Check FastClix, which has a preloaded lancet drum, so a person can load six lancets at a time rather than replacing the lancets after every use. The Accu-Chek FastClix also has a lever and a counter, so the user can easily move to the next lancet and see how many are left in the drum. Accu-Chek states that this model has 11 depth settings. There is also a locking system to prevent lancing accidents. The Accu-Chek FastClix comes with 102 lancets.
Technological advancements in blood glucose meters, including cellular-connected devices that automatically upload SMBG data to secure cloud-based databases, allow for improved sharing and monitoring of SMBG data. Real-time monitoring of SMBG data presents opportunities to provide timely support to patients responding to abnormal SMBG recordings. Such advantages can provide patients with poorly controlled T2D additional support needed to improve critical outcomes, thereby enhancing the market prospects in future years.
