Biodegradable stents, also known as bioresorbable or resorbable stents, are temporary tubular devices implanted into blood vessels or other hollow structures in the body to maintain patency (open passage) and support healing, after which they gradually degrade and are absorbed by the body over time. Unlike traditional metal stents that remain permanently, biodegradable stents are typically made from materials such as polylactic acid (PLA), polyglycolic acid (PGA), or magnesium alloys that safely break down into non-toxic byproducts, reducing long-term complications like chronic inflammation or restenosis. The global biodegradable stents market is experiencing steady growth, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.9% from 2025 to 2033.
Increasing Preference for Temporary Implants to Reduce Long-Term Complications
A key driver for the biodegradable stents market is the growing clinical and patient preference for temporary implants that reduce long-term complications associated with permanent metallic stents. Traditional stents, though effective in restoring blood flow, remain permanently lodged in the vessel, which can trigger chronic inflammation, late stent thrombosis, and impaired vessel healing. In contrast, biodegradable stents offer mechanical support during the critical healing period and are then gradually absorbed by the body, leaving the vessel free of foreign material. This reduces the need for prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy and lowers the risk of late adverse events. Clinical outcomes in younger patients with a long life expectancy have especially influenced this shift, as biodegradable options allow natural vasomotion to resume post-absorption. Cardiologists and vascular surgeons are increasingly adopting these devices in cases where long-term foreign body presence is undesirable, such as in peripheral artery disease among diabetic patients or in coronary interventions in younger demographics. Additionally, biodegradable magnesium-based stents have shown promise in reducing vascular injury while maintaining sufficient radial strength during critical healing. Hospitals in Europe and Asia have begun incorporating biodegradable stents into clinical pathways for select patient groups, reflecting a gradual but visible transition in clinical practice. As product designs improve and long-term data support their safety and efficacy, demand is expected to accelerate further, driven by both physician confidence and patient demand for low-risk, temporary implant solutions.
Expanding Applications Beyond Coronary Artery Disease
A significant opportunity in the biodegradable stents market lies in their expanding application beyond coronary artery disease into peripheral vascular interventions, pediatric cardiology, and gastrointestinal tract therapies. While coronary artery disease remains the primary application area, the advantages of bioresorbable stents (such as temporary support, reduced long-term inflammation, and eventual clearance from the body) make them suitable for other anatomical regions where long-term foreign materials may pose risks. In peripheral artery disease, especially in the femoropopliteal and below-the-knee segments, biodegradable stents help reduce chronic vessel recoil and restenosis while avoiding long-term metallic scaffolding that may fracture or interfere with re-intervention. Pediatric cardiology presents another high-potential segment, as children with congenital heart defects often outgrow metallic stents, necessitating additional surgeries. Biodegradable stents offer a growth-accommodating alternative, dissolving after vessel remodeling and potentially reducing the need for repeat interventions. Furthermore, in gastroenterology, resorbable stents are being explored for use in esophageal strictures and bile duct obstructions, where temporary luminal support is required without the long-term risks of migration or encrustation. Research in biodegradable stents for ureteral applications and airway management is also gaining interest. Medical device firms are collaborating with academic institutions to develop disease-specific designs and customized drug-eluting variants, further expanding use cases. As regulatory pathways become more accommodating and technological capabilities allow greater material control, the market is expected to diversify significantly, transforming biodegradable stents from a niche coronary solution into a broader category of transient therapeutic implants across multiple specialties.
High Cost of Development and Limited Reimbursement
Despite its clinical advantages, the biodegradable stents market faces a significant restraint in the form of high development costs and limited reimbursement coverage, which hinder large-scale commercialization and accessibility. Biodegradable stents involve complex manufacturing processes using advanced polymers or magnesium alloys that require precise degradation control, mechanical strength optimization, and biocompatibility validation. These stringent material requirements, combined with the need for extensive preclinical and clinical testing, drive up research and development expenses. Manufacturers must conduct long-term trials to demonstrate safety, bioresorption rates, and clinical non-inferiority to well-established metallic stents, delaying market entry and increasing costs further. Additionally, once approved, pricing becomes a challenge, as biodegradable stents are significantly more expensive than conventional drug-eluting stents, often limiting their use to premium hospital segments or self-paying patients. In many countries, national health insurance programs and private insurers do not fully reimburse biodegradable stents, citing either insufficient long-term outcome data or lack of cost-effectiveness evidence. This restricts physician adoption and patient accessibility, particularly in emerging markets where budget constraints are more pronounced. Moreover, hospitals are reluctant to stock and promote high-cost devices unless a clear reimbursement mechanism is in place. These financial and policy barriers make it difficult for manufacturers to scale production and invest in broader market education or training programs. Without substantial improvements in health economics data, reimbursement frameworks, and pricing strategies, the adoption of biodegradable stents will remain confined to select cases, slowing the market’s overall growth despite clinical benefits.
Balancing Mechanical Strength with Controlled Degradation
A major challenge in the biodegradable stents market is achieving the optimal balance between mechanical strength and controlled degradation to ensure that the stent provides sufficient support during the healing phase without degrading prematurely or remaining longer than necessary. Unlike metallic stents that offer permanent structural integrity, biodegradable stents must maintain radial strength long enough to prevent vessel collapse or restenosis while ensuring predictable bioresorption afterward. Variations in patient biology, inflammation response, and localized blood flow can affect the degradation timeline, leading to inconsistent outcomes. For instance, premature degradation may result in vessel recoil or incomplete healing, while delayed degradation can trigger chronic inflammation or embolic complications from residual fragments. The choice of materials, whether polymeric or metallic (such as magnesium), directly influences these performance characteristics but also introduces trade-offs in flexibility, deliverability, and drug release profiles. Additionally, manufacturing biodegradable stents with uniform wall thickness, precision coatings, and reliable drug-elution properties is technically demanding and requires advanced production and quality control capabilities. The lack of long-term clinical data across diverse patient populations and anatomical sites further complicates the refinement of degradation profiles. These technical limitations impact regulatory approval timelines and physician confidence, making product development more resource-intensive and slower than conventional stents. Addressing this challenge requires continuous innovation in biomaterials science, real-time degradation monitoring, and iterative clinical feedback loops : actors that demand sustained R&D investment and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Until these engineering hurdles are fully resolved, the widespread use of biodegradable stents will remain restricted to carefully selected clinical scenarios.
Market Segmentation by Stent Type
In 2024, coronary artery stents accounted for the highest revenue share in the global biodegradable stents market owing to the high global prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and the extensive clinical adoption of minimally invasive stenting procedures for treating arterial blockages. Coronary stents are widely used in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) to restore blood flow in patients suffering from angina or myocardial infarction, with biodegradable options gaining traction for their ability to provide temporary scaffolding while minimizing long-term foreign body risks. Cardiologists favor biodegradable coronary stents for younger patients and those with high restenosis risk, where long-term vessel patency and natural healing are desirable outcomes. Major healthcare systems across North America and Europe have begun adopting these stents selectively based on clinical trial data that support reduced late thrombosis and improved endothelial function recovery. However, peripheral artery stents are expected to register the highest CAGR from 2025 to 2033 due to increasing incidence of peripheral artery disease (PAD), particularly among diabetic and aging populations, and the rising demand for vascular interventions in the lower limbs and renal arteries. Biodegradable peripheral stents are preferred in femoropopliteal and infrapopliteal segments where vessel mobility is higher and long-term metal implants pose fracture and restenosis risks. The demand is further supported by growing awareness among vascular surgeons regarding the advantages of temporary scaffolds, especially in complex lesions and below-the-knee procedures. In regions like Asia Pacific and Latin America, where lifestyle changes are contributing to PAD prevalence, the adoption of biodegradable peripheral stents is anticipated to rise sharply, supported by government-funded screening programs and improved access to endovascular care. While coronary artery stents will continue to dominate in absolute market value due to high procedure volumes and broader clinical familiarity, the peripheral segment will see faster growth as clinical acceptance broadens, product innovations improve flexibility and deliverability, and reimbursement policies evolve to support alternative stenting options for complex peripheral interventions.
Market Segmentation by End-User
In 2024, hospitals held the highest revenue share in the global biodegradable stents market, driven by their central role in performing high-volume cardiovascular and vascular interventions and their ability to manage complex patient cases with integrated surgical and post-operative care. Most biodegradable stents are currently deployed in tertiary care settings where catheterization labs are embedded within hospital infrastructure, enabling multidisciplinary oversight, access to imaging systems, and immediate intervention in case of complications. Hospitals also benefit from established procurement channels, training programs, and participation in clinical trials, which facilitate the adoption of advanced stent technologies. Moreover, hospitals in developed countries have greater access to reimbursement mechanisms and budgets that support the acquisition of high-cost medical devices, including next-generation biodegradable stents. However, cardiac catheterization laboratories are expected to register the highest CAGR from 2025 to 2033 as outpatient-based interventional cardiology procedures continue to rise due to improvements in device design, shorter recovery times, and patient preference for less invasive settings. Specialized catheterization labs are increasingly performing elective procedures such as stenting for stable angina or mild PAD, and the ability to integrate biodegradable stents into these streamlined workflows is making them a preferred destination for select cases.
Regional Insights
In 2024, North America accounted for the highest revenue share in the global biodegradable stents market, primarily driven by a high burden of cardiovascular disease, well-established interventional cardiology infrastructure, and rapid adoption of advanced stenting technologies in the United States and Canada. The presence of leading manufacturers, supportive regulatory frameworks, and a robust reimbursement environment contributed to high product penetration, particularly in urban tertiary care centers and academic hospitals. Hospitals and catheterization labs in the U.S. adopted biodegradable stents for complex coronary cases, high-risk younger patients, and select peripheral interventions, supported by clinical trial participation and physician preference for innovative therapies. Europe followed closely in revenue contribution, with countries such as Germany, France, the UK, and the Netherlands showing consistent demand, driven by rising prevalence of coronary artery and peripheral vascular diseases, government-backed screening programs, and favorable health insurance coverage. The European Medicines Agency’s guidance and the region’s mature regulatory pathways facilitated market access for CE-marked biodegradable stents, especially in countries emphasizing value-based healthcare.
Competitive Trends and Key Strategies
In 2024, the biodegradable stents market featured a competitive landscape with a mix of global medtech giants and specialized developers focusing on innovation in resorbable scaffold design, drug-delivery optimization, and geographic expansion. Boston Scientific, Inc. maintained a leading position through continued refinement of bioresorbable platforms and targeted clinical studies that supported broader acceptance of its next-generation devices. Abbott leveraged its experience in bioresorbable vascular scaffolds to reposition products with improved safety profiles and expanded physician education programs, while focusing on global market re-entry strategies. Elixir Medical Corporation focused on gaining traction with its advanced magnesium-based stent platforms by emphasizing clinical outcomes and scalability across coronary and peripheral indications. KYOTO MEDICAL PLANNING Co., Ltd. emphasized its expertise in biodegradable design and manufacturing precision, focusing on the Japanese and broader Asia Pacific markets through direct physician engagement and local regulatory alignment. Biotronik strengthened its presence with a focus on patient-specific technologies and collaborative research to develop bioresorbable solutions tailored for vascular restoration therapy. Terumo Corporation invested in R&D partnerships and pipeline diversification, targeting the development of combination products with drug-eluting properties and faster resorption timelines. Biosensors International Group concentrated on product innovation in Asia and the Middle East, using region-specific clinical validation to promote adoption. ELLA - CS, s.r.o. specialized in biodegradable esophageal and peripheral stents, supporting product differentiation and addressing niche applications beyond coronary indications. SMT focused on scaling its manufacturing capabilities and expanding presence across India, Southeast Asia, and Africa, offering cost-effective biodegradable solutions supported by growing cardiology networks. From 2025 to 2033, key strategies are expected to include next-gen material development using magnesium and polymer hybrids, expansion into non-coronary therapeutic areas, long-term outcome validation through global registries, and partnerships with academic centers to build clinical trust. Manufacturers are also expected to increase focus on regulatory harmonization, value-based pricing strategies, and supply chain localization to enhance access in emerging markets, while simultaneously investing in physician training, simulation-based deployment techniques, and AI-driven imaging compatibility to optimize patient outcomes and accelerate commercial adoption globally.
Historical & Forecast Period
This study report represents analysis of each segment from 2023 to 2033 considering 2024 as the base year. Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for each of the respective segments estimated for the forecast period of 2025 to 2033.
The current report comprises of quantitative market estimations for each micro market for every geographical region and qualitative market analysis such as micro and macro environment analysis, market trends, competitive intelligence, segment analysis, porters five force model, top winning strategies, top investment markets, emerging trends and technological analysis, case studies, strategic conclusions and recommendations and other key market insights.
Research Methodology
The complete research study was conducted in three phases, namely: secondary research, primary research, and expert panel review. key data point that enables the estimation of Biodegradable Stents market are as follows:
Market forecast was performed through proprietary software that analyzes various qualitative and quantitative factors. Growth rate and CAGR were estimated through intensive secondary and primary research. Data triangulation across various data points provides accuracy across various analyzed market segments in the report. Application of both top down and bottom-up approach for validation of market estimation assures logical, methodical and mathematical consistency of the quantitative data.
| ATTRIBUTE | DETAILS |
|---|---|
| Research Period | 2023-2033 |
| Base Year | 2024 |
| Forecast Period | 2025-2033 |
| Historical Year | 2023 |
| Unit | USD Million |
| Segmentation | |
Stent Type
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Material Type
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End-user
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Region Segment (2023-2033; US$ Million)
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Key questions answered in this report
