As per the CII and BGG report, an analysis of global medical market growth shows that emerging markets will play a critical role, accounting for more than half of the growth over the next ten years. Besides being important markets that cannot be ignored for global companies, emerging markets are relevant innovation and manufacturing hubs with the share of registrations from emerging markets across Class I, Class II and Class III devices having doubled over the last ten years.

The global market for medical polymers is expected to reach US$7.05 billion by 2020, according to a study by Grand View Research.

accounting for nearly 50% of the global volume. Medical packaging being the second largest application is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period owing to substitution of conventional materials such as glass by PVC, PP and engineering thermoplastics.

Other applications such as active implantable devices and tissue engineering will show favourable growth over the next few years, providing interesting opportunities in the Medical Devices Industry.

Several factors are leading to growth in this market. Perhaps the most obvious is the ageing of the

Engineering Polymers (EPs) have several advantages over traditional materials, which can include weight, biocompatibility, and cost. Concerns in 2012 surrounding the wear and corrosion of metal-on-metal (MoM) hip implants have also led to a surge in the medical community's uptake of implants containing EPs. One reason why device manufacturers are looking for a shift from traditional materials to EPs is that high-performance engineering polymers —such as Poly Ether Ether Ketone ( PEEK ) - are less expensive than medical-grade metals such as titanium, have excellent chemical, thermal, and mechanical stability and are radiolucent, making implants compatible with a range of medical-imaging tools. Devices made from

Medical polymers represent a major opportunity in the medical materials market over the next few years. Many Medical Disposables Devices & Implants incorporate polymers, either as key components or as coating to improve the biocompatibility of other materials.

Modern day healthcare would simply not be possible without the use of plastics. Plastics are robust and durable, and able to withstand frequent sterilisation, severe temperatures and chemical environments. There are ongoing developments in modified and biodegradable polymers designed for use in a wide range of applications, from implants to pharmaceutical preparations and drug-delivery systems.

Medical devices and equipment is the most dominant

application segment for medical polymers population in developed nations is expanding the addressable market for polymer implants. Many polymer implants are specifically intended to assist elder patients. Opportunity in this market has also expanded because the latest technical developments in medical polymers can fine tune implant capabilities, enable better fits for implants, and increase biocompatibility. Polymer structures can also now substitute for cartilage or enable doctors to grow a patient's tissue for transplants.

The new legal protections that followed the silicone breast implant debacle have considerably reduced the risk in the medical polymer space. And as a result of all of these factors, the medical polymer business has taken off, with the emergence of new start-ups and plenty of M&A activity.

PEEK show the lowest wear rate of any counter metallic material.

Complementary manufacturing technologies - such as 3D printing—extend their capabilities, enabling custom-fit implants, which further help to drive demand for EPs in health-care applications.

Countervailing forces include strict regulatory guidelines and volatile raw material prices, which have held back the medical polymers market.

This issue highlights availability of wide range of Medical Polymers in India along with emerging new applications, technological developments, growth pattern as well as effect of changing regulatory norms as shared by leading national and international providers.