Tissue engineered skin substitutes (TESSs) have widespread uses in wound care for treating skin defects and injuries, primarily burns and chronic wounds like leg and diabetic foot ulcers. These products supplement or replace damaged skin by providing a scaffold for new tissue growth and have shown decreased rates of infection, enhanced cosmetic outcomes, and long-lasting results compared to traditional healing approaches. As a result, the TESS market is estimated to grow to $3 billion by 2033 from $2 billion in 2023, with acellular skin substitutes composing 62% of the market, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData attributes this market growth to the increasing prevalence of injuries and chronic diseases globally and the higher adoption of technologically advanced healthcare practices like regenerative and personalized medicine.

Ashley Clarke, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The burden of treating chronic wounds is growing rapidly due to increasing health care costs, an aging population, and a sharp rise in the incidence of diabetes and obesity worldwide. These wounds can persist for years or may never heal, resulting in high total treatment costs and prolonged patient discomfort, as well as posing a serious risk of limb- and life-threatening infection. As a result, there is substantial demand for advanced wound healing products that accelerate healing and discourage wound recurrence.”

TESSs are biological or synthetic, acellular or cellular, scaffolds that often contain biological compounds or growth factors that help to stimulate the body’s natural healing response.

Clarke continues: “These products not only supplement the growing deficiency in donor-supplied skin-grafts but also provide healing benefits that improve short- and long-term patient outcomes.”

The TESS market is highly competitive and includes numerous players of diverse sizes due to the unique features, benefits, and applications of each product. Key players include Allergan, Integra LifeSciences, MiMedx, Organogenesis, and Smith & Nephew, though no single company has yet established a dominant market position. Though some market players have higher shares than others, the TESS market remains highly fragmented with many various products.

Clarke concludes: “The TESS market is witnessing huge investments in research and development (R&D) and continuous product launches as companies attempt to identify ‘the product’ that could propel them ahead of the competition. These trends will most likely continue in the coming years as new technologies emerge and even more companies enter the market.”