Advances in medical science have changed the way humans are able to live, work, and battle diseases. Illnesses that were often life threatening in the past are now either curable or easily manageable due to newer medical devices and therapies. One such area that has allowed people with medical conditions such as ulcers, infection, incontinence, bowel and bladder cancer to live their lives normally is ostomy. Ostomy redirects the flow of stool from the intestine to the anus to a bag that is located on the patient’s abdominal wall. It covers different body organs such as the colon, large intestine, and small intestine, with the exact use depending on the nature of the disease an individual is suffering from.
Like several medical sectors, the stoma industry also suffered during the coronavirus pandemic as hospitals and healthcare providers shifted their attention away from surgeries and other illnesses to patients with the virus instead. This led to a 19.5% drop in ostomies between March 2020 and February 2021 according to Mordor Intelligence, but at the same time also led to an uptick in demand for ostomy bags as people shifted indoors and required more products to meet their needs. The research firm estimates that between 2018 and 2028, the global ostomy market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.25%, with North America being the fastest growing region.
A research report from Fortune Business Insights estimates that the global ostomy market was worth $2.8 billion in 2018 and that it will grow at a CAGR of 5.2% by 2026 to sit at an estimated $4.23 billion by the end of the forecast period. It outlines that for most patients, ostomy is not a permanent feature of their daily lives, as many, especially those that have undergone surgeries for colorectal cancer, use the bags temporarily until their body fully heals. The main surgeries that require the use of ostomy bags afterward are colostomies, ileostomies, and urostomies. Out of these, colostomies and ileostomies are the predominant ones, accounting for 43% and 41% of the share, respectively. In terms of user categories, people who require the bags at their homes form the largest portion of the market, and in terms of geography, Europe was the largest user of ostomy bags in 2018 as it accounted for $1.8 billion of the total market.
Growing awareness about ostomies has started to reduce the stigma surrounding bag usage, which is important since according to estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) colon and rectum cancers account for the second largest cancer deaths in the world after lung cancer. Canadian model Jessica Grossman shared her experiences of using an ostomy bag after her surgery, and explained in an interview with Yahoo Canada that she has lived with an ostomy bag since she was 13 years old and that the conversation and acceptance surrounding ostomies and ostomy bags have changed for the better since then.
Today, we’ll take a look at some of the largest ostomy bag suppliers and manufacturers in the world, with the top picks being Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (FRA:HEN3.DE), B Braun SE, and 3M Company (NYSE:MMM).
Photo by philippe spitalier on Unsplash
Our Methodology
We sifted through industry research reports to pick the companies that play a dominant role in the ostomy supply market. Then, these were ranked according to their latest revenue figures. Since several of the companies are private, their revenue quoted here is an estimate provided by ZoomInfo, and might not be accurate. For public companies, their latest available figures are used.
15. Cymed Healthcare
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $5.1 million
Cymed Healthcare is an American company headquartered in Sarasota, Florida. The firm makes and sells several kinds of ostomy pouches, alongside its registered Microskin adhesive that glues the pouch to the human body to provide an effective flow of waste products into the pouch. The firm sells both one piece and two piece ileostomy and colostomy pouches, alongside ostomy accessories such as adhesives, tubes, and seals. It also sells products for pediatric use.
Along with 3M Company, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (FRA:HEN3.DE), and B Braun SE, Cymed Healthcare is one of the biggest ostomy suppliers in the world.
14. Nu-Hope Labs
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $8.4 million
Nu-Hope Labs is an American firm based in Pacoima, California. The firm sells both ostomy pouches and accessories. Its pouches include those with different openings and others that either have their barrier pre attached or require attaching one before use. Additionally, Nu-Hope’s accessories include belts, valves, tubings, connectors, tapes, thinning solvents, drain bags, and caulking strips.
13. Marlen Manufacturing & Development Co.
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $10.9 million
Marlen Manufacturing & Development Co. is one of the older companies on our list since it was set up in 1952. The firm is currently headquartered in Bedford, Ohio. It makes and sells a variety of ostomy pouches such as drainable products, closed end pouches, and urostomy pouches. The firm’s urostomy products are one piece systems and those for ileostomy are two piece pouches. Marlen also sells ostomy pouch accessories such as barriers, odor guards, and belts, alongside other products such as catheters and ostomy rods. It has operations in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and other countries.
12. Flexicare (Group) Limited
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $14.1 million
Flexicare (Group) Limited is a British company headquartered in Mountain Ash, the United Kingdom. The firm has its own manufacturing facility and sells its products in more than a hundred countries. The firm sells closed pouch clear film bags, leg bag holders, drainable pouches, and accessories such as clamps, belts, and cleaners.
11. Qufora A/S
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $18 million (1DKK = 0.14USD)
Qufora A/S is a Danish medical devices company headquartered in Lillerod, Denmark. The firm sells urinary bags, catheter valves, and bowel irrigation products for a wide variety of use cases such as those in the toilet, in the bed, and for dexterous and non dexterous users.
10. CLINIMED
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $35.6 million
CLINIMED is a health care product provider headquartered in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. The firm sells ostomy accessories such as adhesive removal sprays, liquid adhesive remover sachets, adhesive removal wipes, and flange extenders. It also provides primary ostomy products including colostomy, ileostomy, and urostomy bags. These include one piece and two piece closed and flushable bags, night drainage bags, and drainable products.
9. Welland Medical Ltd
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $41.7 million
Welland Medical Ltd is a British company headquartered in Crawley, West Sussex. The firm provides urostomy, colostomy, and ileostomy bags. Some of its products include closed colostomy bags, flanges, flat flanges, flushable bags, stoma caps, and one and two piece drainable bags. Welland Medical also provides ostomy products for children.
8. Salts Healthcare Ltd
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $44.1 million
Salts Healthcare Ltd is a British firm headquartered in Birmingham, the United Kingdom. The firm is the oldest company on our list since it was set up in 1700. It makes and sells stoma bags and other ostomy products. These include one and two piece closed and drainable bags as well as urostomy products. Salts Healthcare also sells ostomy accessories such as adhesive removal sprays, adhesive removal wipes, moldable seals, aloe vera infused seals, flange extenders, and rings, flanges, stomas, flange extenders, belts, stoma pastes, and other support wear products such as boxer shorts for both men and women.
7. Hollister Incorporated
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $237 million
Hollister Incorporated is an American firm headquartered in Illinois, the United States. The firm is a diversified medical device manufacturer, with its products ranging from ostomy, wound care, critical care, and continence care. Out of these, the ostomy section has more than a hundred products under its belt. These include 39 one piece pouching systems, 32 two piece pouching systems, as well as seven pediatric pouches. Hollister Incorporated is also one of the few firms that make and sell a one piece ostomy pouch for newborns.
The firm’s ostomy accessories include catheter access ports, stoma caps, drain tube adapters, wound collectors, skin barriers, belts, irrigator sleeves, odor eliminators, cleaners, remover wipes, stoma powders, irrigator kits, collection bags, barrier rings, adhesive removal sprays, protective wipes, and barrier extenders. Hollister Incorporated is also an employee owned company.
6. ConvaTec Group Plc (OTCMKTS:CNVVY)
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $2.5 billion (1GBP = 1.22USD)
ConvaTec Group Plc (OTCMKTS:CNVVY) is a British firm headquartered in Reading, the United Kingdom. The firm provides wound dressings, skin care products, ostomy devices, catheters, insulin pumps, and monitors for urine production. Its ostomy products include skin barriers, lubricating deodorants, moldable and drainable pouches, fecal management catheters, and catheter tubes. ConvaTec Group Plc sells its products in more than a hundred countries, makes its own products through several manufacturing plants, has sold over one billion products to date, and has thousands of employees. The firm announced in March 2023 that it has partnered up with an NGO to increase healthcare access to underserved communities in the U.S., Mexico, and Peru.
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (FRA:HEN3.DE), ConvaTec Group Plc, B Braun SE, and 3M Company are some of the biggest ostomy companies in the world.
5. Coloplast A/S (OTCMKTS:CLPBY)
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $3.4 billion (1DKK = 0.14USD)
Coloplast A/S (OTCMKTS:CLPBY) is a Danish company headquartered in Humlebaek, Denmark. The firm provides ostomy pouches, catheters, urine bags, irrigation systems, and other medical products. Coloplast A/S’s ostomy products include one and two piece pouches, adhesive removal wipes and sprays, skin barrier wipes and sprays, deodorants, support bags, rings, skin cleaners, click barriers, stoma caps, and pediatric products.
4. Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN)
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $5.2 billion
Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN) is a British firm headquartered in Watford, United Kingdom. It provides ostomy support products such as tincture, adhesive removers, protective wipes, and protective sprays.
Despite gradual recovery in the global chip supply chain and the personal computing industry facing adequate supply but inadequate demand for semiconductors, Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN)’s CEO warned in February 2023 that his firm was still struggling to cope with semiconductor supply shortages. By the end of last year’s fourth quarter, ten of the 943 hedge funds polled by Insider Monkey had bought the firm’s share.
Out of these, Peter Rathjens, Bruce Clarke, and John Campbell’s Arrowstreet Capital is Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN)’s largest shareholder. It owns 2.6 million shares that are worth $70 million.
3. B. Braun SE
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $8.5 billion (1EUR = 1.07USD)
B. Braun SE is a German company headquartered in Melsungen. The firm has thousands of products in its portfolio, hundreds of subsidiaries, and more than 66,000 employees worldwide. It is also another old company on our list since it was set up in 1839. B. Braun SE’s therapy portfolio also includes ostomy care products which include one piece pouches, urostomy bags, bag coupling systems with both mechanical and adhesive functions. Other products include high flow bags, flow collectors, flow collectors, adhesive removers, barrier films, and clamps.
2. Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (FRA:HEN3.DE)
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $11.77 billion (1EUR = 1.07USD)
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (FRA:HEN3.DE) is a German company headquartered in Dusseldorf. The firm serves the needs of the ostomy sector primarily through its adhesives division. This division sells medical tapes for ostomy bags allowing users to secure them properly to the body. Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (FRA:HEN3.DE)’s adhesive division earned $11.77 billion in revenue during its latest twelve month period.
1. 3M Company (NYSE:MMM)
Latest 12 Month Revenue Estimate: $34 billion
3M Company is an American industrial company headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. Its healthcare division sells ostomy barrier films.
Insider Monkey’s Q4 2022 survey of 943 hedge funds revealed that 52 had bought the firm’s shares. Out of these, Ken Fisher’s Fisher Asset Management is 3M Company’s largest investor through a $771 million stake that comes via 6.4 million shares.
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This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.