VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - October 18, 2016) - According to a new series of reports on the diagnostic and interventional ophthalmic devices market by iData Research (www.idataresearch.com), competition from new foreign manufacturers expanding into Europe are severely undercutting prices in order to gain market share in the region. The lower pricing and reduction in market share has resulted in an overall adjustment in product average selling prices (ASPs). This is evident in the ophthalmic ultrasound and fundus camera markets, where Italian and other foreign manufacturers are entering the market with lower cost options. The overall market for diagnostic and interventional ophthalmic devices is dominated by three segments: ophthalmic viscoelastic devices (OVDs), intraocular lenses (IOLs) and ophthalmic lasers. OVDs and IOLs can attribute their share to high sales volumes, while ophthalmic lasers gain their share through a high priced capital equipment model.

"Corrective surgeries have become a driving force for the development and sale of diagnostic and surgical equipment such as phacoemulsification consoles, corneal topographers and optical biometers, all of which are used in either diagnosis of refractive conditions or surgery preparation," explains Dr. Kamran Zamanian, CEO of iData. "The phacoemulsification console market is expected to become the fastest growing segment within the ophthalmic device market because of demand placed by the increasing prevalence of cataracts."

A major trend in the ophthalmic market is the consolidation of multiple pieces of equipment into a single device. This is being driven by a desire to save space and reduce costs of devices for ophthalmologists. This prevents ophthalmologists from buying single devices from different companies and move towards purchasing a single system that covers multiple modalities. For example, optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems are being sold with fundus cameras, scanning laser ophthalmoscopes, fluorescein angiography devices and more.

Alcon is the leading competitor in the European diagnostic and interventional ophthalmic device market. Alcon leads the phacoemulsification console market with their INFINITI® Vision System and the IOL market with their AcrySof® hydrophobic IOLs family of lenses. Their strength in the IOL market has also contributed to occupying the second highest share of the OVD market.

Abbott Medical Optics (AMO) is the second leading competitor in the European diagnostic and interventional ophthalmic device market. They have a diverse portfolio of OVDs that include dispersive, cohesive and combination OVDs as part of their HEALON® line of products. AMO's OVD sales are strongly tied to the success of their IOL sales and as a result have strong OVD sales in the same countries in which they have a strong IOL presence. AMO's IOLs have particular success in the U.K. and Germany, where the company has strong relationships with ophthalmologists. Additional competitors in the European diagnostic and interventional ophthalmic device market include Carl Zeiss Meditec, Bausch & Lomb, Lumenis, Topcon, Ellex, Nidek, Hoya, STAAR Surgical Company, Haag-Streit, Oculus, Iridex, Heidelberg Engineering, Quantel, CSO, Zeimer Ophthalmic, Sonomed and Reichert among others.

For Further Information

More on the diagnostic and interventional ophthalmic devices market in Europe can be found in a series of reports published by iData Research entitled the European Market Report Suite for Interventional Opthalmic Devices. The suite covers reports on the following markets: ophthalmic coherence tomography, fundus cameras, slit lamps, perimeters, tonometers, ophthalmic ultrasound devices, corneal topographers, wavefront abberometers, optical biometers, phacoemulsification consoles, intraocular lenses, phakic intraocular lenses, ophthalmic viscoelastic devices and ophthalmic lasers.

The iData report series on ophthalmic devices covers the U.S. and 15 countries in Europe including Germany, France, the United Kingdom (U.K.), Italy, Spain, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg), Scandinavia (Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway), Portugal, Austria and Switzerland. Reports provide a comprehensive analysis including units sold, market value, forecasts, as well as detailed competitive market shares and analysis of major players' success strategies in each market and segment. To find out more about ophthalmic device market data, register online or email us at info@idataresearch.net for a European Market Report Suite for Interventional Opthalmic Devices brochure and synopsis.

About iData Research

iData Research (www.idataresearch.com) is an international market research and consulting group focused on providing market intelligence for medical device and pharmaceutical companies. iData covers research in: Operating Room Equipment, Surgical Microscopes, Robotics and Surgical Navigation, Laparoscopy, Urology, Gynecology, Vascular Access, Interventional Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Cardiac Rhythm Management, Electrophysiology, Peripheral Vascular, Dialysis, Infusion Therapy, Endoscopy, Ultrasound, X-Ray Imaging, Diagnostic Imaging, Oncology, Spinal Implants and VCF, Spinal MIS, Orthopedic Soft Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Orthopedic Trauma, Large & Small Joints, Anesthesiology, Wound Management, Orthopedics, Ophthalmics, Dental Operatory Equipment and more.