Imported materials are 2.8 times more expensive and still fail? Domestic bone materials have proven themselves in the face with their strength

In recent years, the statement that "imported bone repair materials are definitely better than domestic ones" has almost become a default consensus in the orthopedic circle. Some people even think: If you question the quality of imported goods, then you are just not an expert!

But if you chat more with clinical doctors, you will find that the once highly regarded imported bone repair materials are now being ridiculed by more and more doctors as "not worth the price".

A common bone defect repair surgery, using imported calcium sulfate artificial bone, costs over ten thousand yuan, which is 2.8 times the price of domestic products. However, in actual use, problems keep emerging - some doctors have directly stated at academic conferences that for the same batch of materials, some break into pieces within three weeks, and the scaffold collapses before the new bone can grow steadily. Some do not degrade for half a year. Not only does the inflammation recur, but the risk of a second operation is nearly 30% higher than expected. Ironically, the much-hyped "long-acting drug delivery" function actually does not last for more than two weeks with sustained antibiotic release, forcing doctors to administer large doses of systemic antibiotics to patients. As a result, the number of liver and kidney damage cases has increased by 40%.

I've seen many people say that imported goods are more reliable because in the early years, domestic materials did have a gap in terms of process stability and clinical data accumulation. This is also why hospitals would rather spend 2.8 times the price to purchase imported calcium sulfate artificial bones - at that time, there was no better option, and imported goods did indeed solve many clinical problems.

However, the recent approval of a domestic material may change the landscape of this matter. This domestic bone repair material has actually outperformed imported products in many key indicators.

This situation of "high price and low energy consumption" is being broken by a domestic material.

The most notable aspect of the recently approved calcium sulfate artificial bone is that it is the first calcium sulfate artificial bone in China to be verified through large-scale clinical trials. This statement may sound simple, but its significance is considerable. It's like giving clinicians a peace of mind.

Not only is its price astonishingly lower than that of imported products, but it also comprehensively surpasses in degradation stability, compressive strength and drug loading efficiency

• A precise degradation cycle of 2 to 3 months (exactly matching the growth rate of new bones)

• Its compressive strength is six times that of cancellous bone in the human body

• Antibiotics can be sustainably released for 5 to 6 weeks (just covering the critical period of infection control.)

• The local drug concentration is 11 times that of systemic administration.

he "hegemony" of imported bone materials has actually shown cracks long ago.

• Apart from the drawbacks of degradation and drug loading, the design of the operation is even more intolerable to doctors: it takes a long time to shape and cure.

• What's even more frustrating is the specification gap. Between 3cc and 15cc, everything is blank. Often, several more packages have to be opened to meet the required quantity, which is not only wasteful but also increases the risk of infection.

• Even so, in the past, hospitals could only use it with a pinch on their noses - after all, there were no domestic substitutes that could compete.

What has enabled domestic materials to catch up and surpass others?

This predicament of "having no choice" has precisely become the breakthrough point for domestic materials. The R&D team did not follow the old path of "low price and low quality", but instead focused on the clinical pain points:

• In the past, the degradation rate of calcium sulfate materials was like "opening a blind box", all depending on luck. But this one is different. It uses high-purity α -crystalline hemihydrate calcium sulfate with a purity of over 98%. Its compressive strength is six times that of human cancelous bone and more than twice as strong as many imported products.

• Through the design of a porous structure, the sustained-release time of antibiotics has been extended from 2 weeks for imported products to 5-6 weeks.

• The shaping time has been further compressed to 3 minutes and the curing time reduced to 15 minutes.

• The "Chinese Guidelines for Open Fractures" lists it as a recommended option

More importantly, starting from November 2023, artificial bone repair materials have participated in the national centralized procurement, and the price advantage of imported goods has vanished. This domestic material is reasonably priced and comes with a complete set of tools ranging from 3cc to 15cc. It can be used for both minor wounds and major surgeries. Even grassroots hospitals can easily purchase it without having to wait anxiously for imported products.

What does this matter mean for the industry?

Some people might think, "It's just a new material. Why be so serious about it?" But just take a look at the data and you'll know how rapidly the number of bone defect repair surgeries has risen in recent years - from over 900,000 in 2017 to 1.8 million in 2022, doubling. It is expected to reach 4.95 million by 2028. With such a huge market, it's definitely not a problem to be constantly held back by imported goods.

The approval of this material actually clears the name of domestic bone repair materials - it's not that domestic ones are bad, but that there was a lack of products that could truly solve clinical pain points and had been strictly verified before. Now that the first one has taken the plunge, there will surely be more domestic innovations to follow.。有

Of course, disputes still exist. Some veteran doctors are worried that "long-term stability remains to be verified", after all, the effect of orthopedic implants needs to be observed for several years.

But the trend can no longer be stopped: Under the centralized procurement policy, the procurement costs of hospitals have dropped by 35%. The profit margin of dealers is even more stable than when they were dealing with imported goods. Patients no longer have to pay for expensive materials. In this game of chess, everyone is winning.

Epilogue

Nowadays, more and more distributors are quietly adjusting their strategies and listing this domestic material as a "strategic single product". If you also want to know:

• What exactly are its long-term clinical data like?

• How can the dual-base production capacity ensure supply during peak seasons?

• What customized solutions are there for different departments?

Leave a message in the comment section saying "Domestic bone materials" to directly obtain the channel connection method. At the critical juncture of the reshuffling in the orthopedic device market, those who have a clear understanding of the trend have already begun to make their plans.

Note: The above content is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice. The relevant interpretations of official policies in this article only represent the views of this platform. The content is subject to official documents.