Skin replacement products and markets

The skin replacement marketplace is becoming an increasingly complex environment as both the number of problems and number of solutions are growing. The future needs for skin replacement, specifically, and wound care, generally, are likely to be significantly greater than they are today owing to demographic and epidemiological trends. The development of technologically advanced skin substitutes and wound management systems has been driven, in large part, by industry. The commercial success of various products has been modest compared to the market size. Future research and development may be impeded by the length of the FDA-approval process which increases the cost of the various products and limits investor enthusiasm.