A BB&T

Leaders in the aesthetic medical industry gathered in early February at the 2007 Aesthetic Forum in Washington and predicted remarkable growth for this $3 billion global category, fueled by pioneering face/body treatments, increased availability and cultural mainstreaming.

Blockbuster procedures and high-growth categories dominated discussions at the annual half-day event featuring more than a dozen CEOs, scientists and thought leaders. More than 200 business executives, investors and analysts attended the private symposium.

The forum was sponsored by Medical Insight (Mission Viejo, California), a market research firm for the global aesthetic industry.

Michael Moretti, president of Medical Insight, opened the forum with a five-year forecast. “The global aesthetic market will continue to expand in a very sustainable way with an annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 13%,” Moretti said. “Facial injectables, body shaping devices, corporate aesthetic centers and aesthetic energy platforms will generate the highest CAGR over this time, accounting for more than $6 billion in revenues by 2011. Further driving this growth will be the entry of major health care and pharmaceutical companies including Johnson & Johnson, Galderma, Merz, Procter & Gamble and Pfizer.”

Jonah Schacknai, CEO, Medicis Aesthetics, characterized the medical aesthetics markets as “industry is still in its infancy” with tremendous opportunity for both core and future technologies. “The companies in this room are aggressively targeting the 1 million women who are already in this category, yet our research indicates there are 20 to 30 million women who are interested and not yet active participants.

“We need to educate the broader audience about the value proposition inherent in our products.”

In another report issued in early February, the Facial Aesthetic Marketrack results from Millennium Research Group (MRG; Waltham, Massachusetts) issued a report saying that the numbers of those using Botox and dermal filler cosmetic injectables was nearly 3 million in 2006. And it said that with a growing number of Americans choosing “elective non-surgical treatments,” the patient population seeking injectable procedures is expected to more than double by 2011.

“With a youth-oriented culture and greater accessibility to these procedures, the market will skyrocket over the next five years” said Barbara Tassa, MRG analyst. “In addition, Allergan’s new Juvederm may shake up market shares in the dermal filler market over the next few quarters and start challenging Medicis’ Restylane, the current market leader.”