CardioTech International, Inc, Wilmington, MA, has donated Hydromed and Algimed wound dressings to victims of the recent tsunami disaster. Many of the victims experienced dermal wounds, such as abrasions, contusions, lacerations, and bleeding sores, which can be treated with these types of dressings. The Hydromed hydrogel dressing from the company's DermaPhylyx line of wound care and dermal enhancement products is used to treat dermal and pressure ulcers, blisters, and superficial burns. The Algimed dressing is intended to treat lightly bleeding wounds.
Information:http://www.cardiotech-inc.com
National Healing Corporation (NHC), Boca Raton, FL, has become an official partner of the Wound Healing Research Program at the Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus. The agreement, worth more than $1 million, includes clinical trials at NHC centers; creation of a second NHC wound healing center at OSU to open this year; and sponsorship of international wound healing conferences, personnel costs, and direct support.
The goal of the new partnership is to improve ways of delivering cost-effective wound care, especially in the face of rising rates of vascular diseases and diabetes, which are among the leading causes of chronic nonhealing wounds in the nation's aging population.
Information:http://www.nationalhealing.com
IsoTis OrthoBiologics, Lausanne, Switzerland, and Irvine, CA, has sold its wound management activities to DFB Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Fort Worth, TX, for an undisclosed amount. Through its subsidiary, HEALTHPOINT, Ltd, DFB Pharmaceuticals is among the leaders in the United States in advanced wound care, dermatology, and surgical products.
In 2003, IsoTis OrthoBiologics and DFB Pharmaceuticals entered into a worldwide exclusive licensing agreement for Allox, a cell-based product for the treatment of chronic skin wounds. Allox is the lead product of a wound management portfolio that also includes EpiDex, a solution for the treatment of recalcitrant skin ulcers, and AcuDress, a burn wound treatment.
Information:http://www.isotis.com
The Food and Drug Administration has approved Enablex (darifenacin) extended-release tablets (7.5 mg and 15 mg) for the treatment of overactive bladder with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and frequency. The once-daily medication is manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Basel, Switzerland, and is expected to be available early this year. Enablex works by blocking the M3 receptor, which is mainly responsible for bladder muscle contraction. The muscarinic receptor antagonist helps reduce incontinence episodes, increases the amount of urine the bladder can hold, reduces the frequency of urination episodes, and decreases the pressure or urgency associated with the urge to urinate.
Information:http://www.novartis.com
Hill-Rom, Batesville, IN, has signed a new license agreement with BG North America, Glendale, CA, that enables BG North America to develop and manufacture a therapeutic support surface for Hill-Rom's new VersaCare Bed System. Hill-Rom expects the agreement to help provide a greater choice of surfaces that will best meet the therapeutic needs of patients.
Information:http://www.hill-rom.com
Consorta, Inc, Schaumburg, IL, has awarded Medline Industries, Inc, Mundelein, IL, a sole source agreement for traditional wound care products. Valued at more than $18 million, the 3-year agreement will provide wound care products at significant savings to Consorta's membership of more than 2000 health care facilities in the United States. The agreement, which took effect January 1, 2005, covers a wide range of products, including gauze sponges, abdominal pads, and gauze bandages.
Information:http://consorta.com; http://www.medline.com
HEALTHPOINT Ltd, Fort Worth, TX, has signed an agreement with Costa Rica-based Elcom to market and sell OASIS Wound Matrix and OASIS Burn Matrix. OASIS is a biomaterial that can be used in the management of partial- and full-thickness skin loss injuries, such as pressure, venous, and chronic vascular ulcers; diabetic ulcers; surgical and trauma wounds; partial-thickness burns; abrasions; and autograft donor sites. The agreement grants Elcom exclusive distribution rights for OASIS products in Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Panama.
Information:http://www.healthpoint.com
U.S. Surgical, Norwalk, CT, a business unit of Tyco Healthcare, has been awarded contracts by Novations, the supply company of VHA, Inc, and the University Health System Consortium (UHC). Under these awards, U.S. Surgical and its Syneture and Autosuture divisions will offer VHA and UHC member health care organizations access to flexible purchasing options for an array of suture, topical adhesive, surgical stapling, and laparoscopic instrumentation. The contracts, which are part of a multisource award for wound closure and endomechanical products, take effect on April 1, 2005, and run through March 31, 2008.
Information:http://www.tyco.com
Integra Life Sciences, Plainsboro, NJ, has acquired the Newdeal group of companies for approximately $53 million. Based in Lyon, France, Newdeal is a developer and manufacturer of specialty implants and instruments specifically designed for foot and ankle surgery. The group's offerings include a wide range of products for the forefoot, the midfoot, and the hind foot, including the Bold Screw, Hallu-Fix plate system, and the HINTEGRA total ankle prosthesis. Newdeal's products are used primarily by orthopedic surgeons specializing in injuries of the foot, ankle, and extremities and podiatric surgeons.
Integra expects to benefit from the synergy between Newdeal's reconstructive products and its own regenerative products, such as the INTEGRA Dermal Regeneration Template, the INTEGRA Matrix Wound Dressings, NeuraGen, and NeuraWrap, which are used in the treatment of chronic and traumatic wounds of the foot and ankle.
Information:http://www.Integra-LS.com