Blood Banking & Blood Products Market to Reach US$36 Billion by 2015

San Jose, CA (Vocus) September 7, 2010
The global market for blood banking and blood products is exhibiting a healthy trend. New infections continue to take a toll on the population across the world, fueling the demand for blood banking and blood products. Regulatory, and healthcare bodies across the world are adopting stringent policies relating to blood safety. As an extension to this, manufacturers are working on developing improved, safer, and advanced blood-banking technologies for the collection, processing and delivery of blood products, further adding fuel to market growth.
The US constitutes the largest regional market for blood banking and blood products, as stated by the new market research report on Blood Banking & Blood Products. In the United States, while 2% of the population receives transfusions annually, another 15% undergo transfusion at least once in their lifetime. On an average, around 50-70 million units of blood, and blood components are transfused in developed countries every year. The developed markets are characterized by increased levels of public awareness, sophistication of blood collection technologies, and governmental support. While developed countries bank blood resources to suffice about 80% of their needs, blood supplies in the developing countries just suffice 40% of the requirements.
Increasing population in developing countries such as India and China, puts pressure on demand for blood on the blood bank segment. Governments of these countries are focused on enhancing healthcare delivery, which includes the blood bank segment. Resultantly, Asia-Pacific is projected to emerge as the fastest growing regional market over the analysis period.
Though blood and blood products provided by blood banks are free from viruses, bacteria, and other disease causing microorganisms, safety has become the main issue the world over. Risks involved in blood transfusion have also become a major issue in the blood banks, and blood products industry. Many companies are now visualizing blood decontamination as a step towards blood safety and availability. Though the process does not do away with the traditional blood screening, and donor exclusion programs, it is expected to prevent infected transmission. New processes are being developed to make blood supply safer. Areas such as blood filtration, and pathogen passivation methods are witnessing development. The need for safe, and suitable blood has been the driving force behind the blood banking, and blood products industry.
The global Blood Banking & Blood Products market is dominated by Blood Components and Plasma Products. The market for blood components and plasma products comprise of whole blood & cellular components, and plasma fractions. Equipment, blood tests, and other consumables are forecast to witness a compounded annual growth rate of more than 4.0% during the analysis period.
Leading blood banks profiled in the report include AABB, America’s Blood Centers, American Red Cross, Canadian Blood Services, Japan Red Cross Society, Lifebank Corp., New England Cord Blood Bank Inc., New York Blood Center, National Blood Foundation, among others. Major players profiled in blood bank technology and supplies space include Beckman Coulter Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, CSL Behring LLC, Daxor Corp., Fenwal Inc., Haemonetics Corp., Talecris Biotherapeutics, and ThermoGenesis Corp. Key players in plasma fractionation includes Baxter International, Bio Products Laboratory, CSL Ltd., Grifols, Kedrion, Octapharma, Sanquin, and others.
The report titled “Blood Banking & Blood Products: A Global Strategic Business Report” announced by Global Industry Analysts Inc., provides a comprehensive review of the blood banking and blood products market, current market trends, growth drivers, impact of recession on the industry, segment market analysis and potential, new product introductions/innovations, recent industry activity, and focus on major and niche global as well as regional market participants. The study analyzes market data and analytics in terms of value sales for global as well as regional markets including the US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of World. Product segments analyzed include Blood Components and Plasma Products (Whole Blood & Cellular Components, and Plasma Fractions), and Whole Blood & Cellular Components.
For more details about this comprehensive market research report, please visit –http://www.strategyr.com/Blood_Banking_and_Blood_Products_Market_Report.asp

HemCon Medical Technologies Will Appeal Patent Judgment

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HemCon Medical Technologies, Inc., announced today that it will appeal a permanent injunction entered by a US District Court in New Hampshire based on a patent held by Marine Polymer Technologies, Inc. The injunction enjoins further manufacture, use and sale of HemCon’s HEMCON® BANDAGE, CHITOFLEX® DRESSINGS, HEMCON® DENTAL DRESSINGS and any other products which are no more than colorably different from those products. HemCon intends to file a motion for an emergency stay of the injunction during the pendency of the appeal."HemCon will urge on appeal that the Marine Polymer patent is not infringed and/or is invalid, and ask the appellate court to overturn or vacate the judgment. We firmly believe that the lower court made the wrong decision and we are hopeful that the Court of Appeals will correct this and find that HemCon’s products do not infringe the patent or that the patent is invalid,” said John W. Morgan, HemCon's President and Chief Executive Officer.
Marine Polymer sued HemCon in 2006, alleging that HemCon had violated its patent covering a biocompatible chitosan compound. Marine Polymer’s patent describes a chitosan compound that is derived from the sterile culturing of marine micro algae.
HemCon uses a chitosan compound to manufacture highly effective bandages that have been used in battlefield conditions by the U.S. military, among others. HemCon does not use chitosan that is derived from sterile culturing of micro algae, as described in the Marine Polymer patent.
HemCon has separately initiated a proceeding to reexamine the validity of the patent through the US Patent & Trademark Office. In 2009, HemCon filed a request with the Patent Office to reexamine, and possibly invalidate or limit, Marine Polymer’s patent in light of prior publications about chitosan. The Patent Office granted the Request for Reexamination in November 2009. On April 1, 2010, the Patent Office issued a first office action, rejecting all claims of Marine Polymer’s patent. Marine Polymer has filed a response canceling some patent claims and arguing that the remaining claims are valid as originally issued.