Medical Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) Market

Market Overview

The Total Addressable Market (TAM) for Medical Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) was valued at USD 570.78 million in 2022. It is expected to reach USD 1,018.0 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 6.64% during the forecast period (2023–2031).

PEEK is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic composed of two repeated monomers from the ether and ketone groups. The step-growth polymerization of bisphenolate salts yields polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a member of the polyaryletherketone (PAEK) family. Polyetheretherketone, or PEEK, is frequently used in high-temperature applications where outstanding thermal, chemical, and combustion properties are necessary. A polyaromatic semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymer with mechanical properties well-suited for bio-medical applications is polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

PEEK-LT1, PEEK-LT2, and PEEK-LT3 polyetheretherketone forms have already been used in various surgical specialties, including maxillo-facial surgery, orthopedic surgery, and spine surgery. The physicochemical and mechanical properties of PEEK materials are expanded through the synthesis of PEEK composites. Different approaches to functionalizing PEEK surfaces and altering the material's structure have been suggested to enhance the material's osteoinductive and antimicrobial properties.

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Increase in Global Healthcare Spending

The national health expenditures of the United States are anticipated to increase at an average rate of 5.4 percent per year from 2019 to 2028 and to reach USD 6.2 trillion by that time, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The national GDP is expected to include healthcare at 19.7% in 2028, up from 17.7% in 2018. Healthcare spending will probably increase soon due to the country's growing awareness of healthcare issues.

The need for medical-grade PEEK is expected to rise due to factors such as the aging of the population (65 years of age and older), an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases and disorders, infrastructure improvements, and technological advancements. The rising incidence of chronic diseases and the expansion of insurance coverage in the United States are likely to be the main drivers of healthcare spending in North America. Due to increasing government investments in the infrastructure for healthcare, Mexico is anticipated to become a significant region driving the market in North America.

Alternative to Metal Implants

PEEK has many advantages over metals like titanium or stainless steel in medical applications. For instance, innovative interbody fusion cages can be made using PEEK. These can be made with hydroxyapatite or zeolite, which naturally encourage bone growth and can be further enhanced with microporous structures. PEEK is used instead of metals in applications where it is unknown how chemicals will interact with metals because it is chemically inert. PEEK is also preferred for medical equipment because it makes the device lighter. Due to some scanning devices' inability to read through radiopaque metallic parts, PEEK is preferred. Since PEEK tools can withstand high temperatures, they can be sterilized by autoclaving and reused repeatedly.

Market Restraints

High Cost of PEEK

PEEK has more advantages over other high-temperature thermoplastics despite being more expensive. However, PEEK is costly due to its high processing and machining costs. Additionally, because the manufacturing process is unique and the production has yet to reach global economies of scale, raw material suppliers can charge extraordinarily high prices. This is anticipated to hinder market growth over the forecast period.

Market Opportunities

Numerous Developments by Market Players

Market participants will have profitable opportunities due to numerous developments made by industry participants and sizeable investments made in research and development activities that further improve the applications of products. For instance, Evonik Industries AG invested in CircumFix Solutions in February 2022 to develop a sternal closure device. Similarly, Maxx Orthopedics Inc. and Invibio Ltd. decided to collaborate to complete the first total knee arthroplasty with a PEEK femoral knee component in July 2021. The growing awareness of the advantages of PEEK will also aid the future expansion of the polyetheretherketone (PEEK) market.

Regional Analysis

By region, the global medical polyetheretherketone (PEEK) market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America is the most significant shareholder in the global medical polyetheretherketone (PEEK) market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period. The largest regional market in 2021 was the North American medical polyetheretherketone (PEEK), which accounted for 39.23% of the total market volume consumption. The increasing geriatric population in the U.S. and Canada, as well as the rising per capita healthcare spending in the U.S., are two significant trends influencing the market growth in North America. The demand for medical devices is anticipated to increase, which is expected to propel the growth of the North American market during the forecast period. In addition, the population spends more on healthcare due to the rising rates of lifestyle-related disorders and diseases in the area, including diabetes and cardiac arrests. This is anticipated to increase demand for medical devices, generic medications, and healthcare services over the forecast period.

Europe is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period. The demand for medical devices is anticipated to increase in the European region due to an aging population and the prevalence of chronic diseases. This is anticipated to fuel the PEEK demand in the medical equipment industry. The demand for medical devices is anticipated to be driven by rising government investments in the healthcare industry and the expanding home healthcare market, both of which are anticipated to positively impact the medical polyetheretherketone (PEEK) market over the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period. China, India, and other developing nations' economies are responsible for this increased growth. Due to rising healthcare costs, hospitals in developed nations like China, India, and Singapore are seeing an increase in demand for high-quality medical equipment and parts. The medical polyetheretherketone (PEEK) market in Asia-Pacific is anticipated to be driven by hospitals' rising service and safety standards over the forecast period. The existence of significant economies with expensive healthcare and rising government spending on both public and private healthcare systems are anticipated to have a positive impact on market growth. In addition, growing private investment in the healthcare sector is anticipated to improve healthcare infrastructure and provide high-quality care in nations like China, Japan, India, Singapore, and Australia, among others.

The healthcare sector in Central and South America has grown slowly over the past few years as a result of decreased healthcare spending in significant countries like Brazil and Colombia. Brazil's economy has been negatively impacted by ongoing political unrest, dwindling consumer confidence, and tightening monetary policy, which has affected the country's healthcare sector. As a result, the Central and South American medical polyetheretherketone (PEEK) market is anticipated to grow gradually over the forecast period. In Central and South America, healthcare spending is anticipated to increase in the upcoming years gradually. Despite financial restrictions, the governments of the various nations in the region are implementing several initiatives to improve their public healthcare systems. In order to improve the current healthcare infrastructures in important nations like Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Venezuela, several measures are also being taken to attract more private investments in the region's healthcare sector.

The Middle East and Africa are expected to have a high demand for medical polyetheretherketone (PEEK) polymer due to the region's expanding population, rising per capita income, rising rates of lifestyle-related illnesses, and ongoing healthcare infrastructure development initiatives. In the upcoming years, the Middle East and Africa are expected to experience a sharp rise in demand for medical devices built with advanced technologies. It is anticipated that this will lead to rising demand for advanced plastic materials. Consumers in the Middle East spend a small percentage of their income on healthcare, even though the governments of the region's countries invest a significant sum of money in their respective healthcare systems.

Segmental Analysis

The global medical polyetheretherketone (PEEK) market is segmented by application.

By Application Analysis

Based on the application, the global medical polyetheretherketone (PEEK) market is bifurcated into trauma fixation, cardiovascular, orthopedic, and dental implants and fixtures.

The orthopedic segment is the highest contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period. The orthopedic is subdivided into spine implantation, knee, and hip implantation. PEEK spinal cages or spacers are utilized by patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis, degenerative disk disease, spinal stenosis, degenerative scoliosis, and other spinal deformities. Spinal fusion is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures to treat chronic neck and back pain in patients who do not respond to conservative treatment. In the past, spinal fusion instruments were made of metallic biomaterials like titanium alloys and stainless steel. However, diagnostic imaging methods like MRI and CT scans cannot be used with these metals to track changes to the spinal cord and soft tissue structures of the spine.

PEEK, also known as polyetheretherketone, has a high temperature and electrical resistance, good radiopacity, and biocompatibility, and is simple to sterilize. It can be extruded into small diameter tubes for vascular catheters using melt processing. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), preferred for making tubes and catheters, is used more frequently in vascular medical devices than other medical polymers like polyimides. Ablation catheters, transfemoral heart valve implantation, stent placement, and minimally invasive ventricular enhancement all use polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Cardiovascular procedures like Less Invasive Ventricular Enhancement (LIVE) require polyetheretherketone (PEEK). This procedure restores the heart after myocardial infarction. It is preferred to Surgical Ventricular Restoration (SVR), a procedure requiring the surgeon to stop the heart and make several small incisions. In LIVE, two anchors are placed over the left ventricle, and a PEEK tether is used to connect them. This stabilizes the ventricle and enables normal heart function.

Recent Developments

• December 2022- Nexxt Spine announced the completion of enrolment and six-month clinical data collection comparing the Nexxt Matrixx 3D-printed titanium interbody family to polyetheretherketone (PEEK) devices.
• June 2022- A new generation of interbody fusion devices was created thanks to an established strategic partnership between Beijing Fule and Invibio Biomaterial Solutions. This is the first high-performance material medical fusion cage product based on PEEK-OPTIMATM HA Enhanced polymers in China.