Medtronic's InFuse® cutting into DePuy Spine's Sales
BY ROBIN R. YOUNG CFA, APRIL 19, 2004
For the quarter ended this past March, JNJ's DePuy spine division reported that sales growth rates for that division were slowing. For 2004, we forecast, sales of spinal implants industry-wide will rise 24% from last year's $2.9 billion to $3.6 billion. Driving this growth is demographics (baby boomers with back pain), better outcomes (over 80% satisfaction rates) and such new biologic products as InFuse® or, soon, OP-1. While DePuy spine has a growing family of strong biologic products (Healos, for example), it was another biologic, Medtronic's InFuse® that, according to the company in its conference call last week, cut into DePuy Spine's growth rate.
Obviously, we await with great interest Medtronic's side of the story - due in the coming weeks.
