A new report from Business Insights examines the potential of this burgeoning market by identifying areas of unmet need and the companies looking to cater to this demand with new product development.
The growing, aging population and the fact that healthcare systems across the globe are under financial pressure are driving interest in this emerging area. Research is, for example, investigating the possibility that integrating nutrition in therapeutic schedules for cancer might improve treatment outcomes.
The potential rewards for introducing new products for use by patients with specific diseases are significant, as demonstrated by the billion dollar pharmaceutical markets they represent. However, considerable challenges to this growing market exist—as yet, no market definition exists and regulatory requirements remain unclear.
Clinical trials for medical nutrition products are necessary to demonstrate the efficacy and tolerability of new products and to provide support for any labeling claims, according to the report. They usually follow standards set in the pharmaceutical arena, including elements such as randomization, the use of controls and double blinding and must stand up to peer review.
The report explores the medical nutrition market as it stands and assesses its future potential; identifies factors affecting the future growth of the market; identifies the key therapeutic areas in which there are established products or that represent areas of active interest for the future; understands how medical nutrition products are developed, regulated and reimbursed; and identifies the key market players and their interest in the future growth of the medical nutrition sector.