The Market

Scar Reduction in Skin

Scars result primarily from elective surgery (hospital and minor/office based), cosmetic, plastic and reconstructive surgery and trauma (including accident and emergency and burns). Scars can cause debilitating aesthetic, functional and psychological effects and are a significant area of unmet medical need. With the increasing emphasis on aesthetic appearance, there is also a high consumer demand for scar preventing and reducing pharmaceuticals. According to external research performed for Renovo by The Mattson Jack Group, in the US alone there were at least 42 million procedures in 2004, which could have benefited from products that prevented or reduced scarring in the skin.

Likewise, recent market research performed for Renovo by MedTech Insight (a brand of Elsevier Business Intelligence) and TforG indicates that in the EU there are 41.8 million surgical procedures to the skin each year which could benefit from a drug that improves the appearance of the scar. Research published by Renovo in 2009 (Young & Hutchison Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 2009 Vol 124(1):256-65) shows that following a wide variety of surgeries approximately 60% of patients regardless of age, sex or race are dissatisfied with their scar appearance.

There are currently no prescription drugs for the reduction of scarring in the skin marketed in the US and Europe. Based on market research by The Mattson Jack Group and the Company, Renovo believes that effective anti-scarring drugs will be in demand by patients, surgeons and physicians.

Scar Reduction in Tendon and Ligament Injuries

Following injury to tendons and ligaments, e.g., trauma, scarring causes adhesions between the tendon and surrounding tissues (tendon sheath) resulting in a marked loss of function. Tendons in the fingers and hand are frequently lacerated following accidents or trauma. There are approximately half a million operations to repair lacerated digital tendons each year in the USA and another half a million in Europe. Scarring and adhesions between the tendon and tendon sheath result in debilitating restriction of movement such that 30% of patients require a second operation to surgically release the adhesion (tenolysis surgery).

Accelerated and improved skin healing

The accelerated re-epithelialisation market is potentially very attractive covering skin graft donor sites, patients undergoing skin peels and laser resurfacing and patients with burns and granulating wounds. Skin graft donor sites result from the harvest of grafts used to treat burns, chronic ulcers, after lesion removal and for skin loss in trauma. Following deep and medium chemical peel and laser resurfacing procedures patients are restricted in their activities until their face has healed and new skin formed. Clinicians and patients have expressed high interest in a product that actively accelerates re-epithelialisation in the healing period. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported around a million chemical peels in the US during 2007.