Market Overview

Barrett’s esophagus is also termed as columnar epithelium lined lower esophagus or Barrett syndrome. This disorder is an irregular change in the internal lining of oesophagus (lower portion). The cells of the esophagus (stratified squamous) are replaced by the cells of the stomach (goblet cells).

This occurs due to the action of stomach acids (chronic acids). If the ring of muscles at the lower portion of oesophagus does not close tightly, stomach acids can leak into the esophagus (food pipe) which may cause damage to the esophageal cells over time and may result in Barrett’s esophagus. Symptoms of this disease are similar to that of GERD (heartburn, dysphagia, dry cough, sensation of a lump in the throat, acid reflux and chest pain).

Barrett’s esophagus is diagnosed with endoscopy and biopsy. Once the disease is diagnosed, patients are advised for the uptake of acid-suppressing medications, also known as proton pump inhibitors. Various acid-suppressing medications include omeprazole, pantoprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole and rabeprazole.

Surgeries are also performed on patients to treat Barrett’s esophagus that include ablative therapies (photodynamic therapy, radiofrequency ablation), esophagectomy and mucosal resection. People can also make dietary changes to lower the risk of Barrett’s esophagus. This can be achieved by increasing the intake of vegetables, vitamins and fruits.

With the rising incidence of the disease, the market is expected to show high growth rate during the forecast period. It has been estimated that around 1.6% to 6.8% of total global population suffers from the disease every year till date and this share is expected to increase during the forecast period.

Also increasing number of patients suffering from GERD that increases the risk of Barrett’s esophagus, will propel the growth of this market. The major players operating in the market include Effexus Pharmaceuticals LLC, Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Limited, SpectraScience, Inc., AstraZeneca PLC and Pinnacle Biologics, Inc. among other significant players.