The United Kingdom (UK)’s continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device market is set to reach $45.5m by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 10.3%, prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to GlobalData, a data and analytics company.

Aliyah Farouk, medical device analyst at GlobalData, says in a release, “Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the use of CPAP machines as life support devices for coronavirus patients needing intensive care has been trialed in countries such as Italy and China. The UK followed course with Mercedes F1 and mechanical engineers at University College London, as well as clinicians at University College London Hospital (UCLH), collaborating to produce these re-engineered machines as a less invasive alternative to ventilators.”

Previous National Health Service (NHS) recommendations advised against the use of CPAP for COVID-19 patients. However, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has given its approval for the device’s use as approximately one hundred of the machines have been rolled out for clinical trials at UCLH, and many more have been planned to be distributed across the country.

Farouk says, “The CPAP machines market is currently driven by an aging population and increasing prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases/obstructive sleep apnea. However, the use of the machines for coronavirus patients will result in increased production creating a shift in market outlook in the coming months.

“The non-invasive nature of CPAP machines is advantageous for patients as the intubation and sedation required for ventilation can be avoided. Additionally the cost effectiveness of the device allows mass production, therefore addressing the limited supply of ventilators faced by many countries who are combating the COVID-19 outbreak.”