The rapid growth of the disposable endoscopes market will most likely cannibalize the growth potential of the reusable endoscopes market. In addition, new product lines continue to drive the expansion of the disposable endoscopes market. Sensing this opportunity, Danish company Ambu has recently launched the world’s first disposable gastroscope, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

According to GlobalData, the global market value for 9 reusable endoscope types was estimated to have been worth $6.59bn in 2021 and forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.68% through 2030.

Brian Hicks, Senior Medical Devices Analyst at GlobalData, says: “Ambu has received a 510(k) clearance by the FDA earlier this month for its aScope Gastro. The company is the sole player within this disposable gastroscopes category. The disposable endoscopes market is unlike many others as leading companies across the different types of disposable endoscopes tend to overwhelmingly dominate their respective market share. Hence, it was critical for Ambu to have launched its products before any other company.”

One notable competitor is Boston Scientific, which launched the first disposable duodenoscope and remains ahead of Ambu in this category. Despite the heavy presence of Ambu and Boston Scientific in the overall market, GlobalData expects other medical device manufacturers to continue entering this market, thus increasing its competitiveness. These may include well-established, highly diversified MedTech companies like Medtronic and Ethicon, as well as those more specialized in endoscopic devices, such as Olympus.

Hicks concludes: “For the market leaders of these devices to remain competitive in an increasingly disruptive market, the players will need to innovate and launch their own disposable endoscopes before the competitive landscape becomes overly crowded.”