Meeting Embolization Experts at SIR to Test a New Embolic Agent
Recruiting 16 experienced interventional radiologists can take weeks. At SIR, it took three days.
A manufacturer wanted to understand the current embolization market and get reactions to a profile for a new embolic agent. Key questions included which embolics are used for which procedures, where unmet needs lie, and whether physicians would switch.
Interviews were held at the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) annual meeting, giving efficient access to an experienced, nationally spread group.
The final sample was 16 interventional radiologists from 13 states, including Florida, North Carolina, and California. Twelve worked in academic or university hospitals, three in public or community teaching hospitals, and one in a private hospital. The mean experience was 13 years post-fellowship, ranging from early-career to more than 20 years.
Screening confirmed that every respondent was an active user of a broad range of embolic agents:
All used detachable coils and microspheres
Nearly all used gelatin sponge particles and vascular plugs
All used liquids for peripheral hemorrhage, and most for vascular malformations, preoperative tumor embolization, and aneurysms
Because each physician used several agents across several indications, breadth of experience mattered, as they could compare options directly and judge where a new agent might fit.
The study gave the client a clear picture of current practice and a focused view of where the new agent could meet unmet needs.
