Smith & Nephew, Largo, FL, announced that its Advanced Wound Management business has acquired BlueSky Medical Group, Inc, Carlsbad, CA, thus entering the negative pressure wound therapy market. Smith & Nephew has agreed to pay a reported $15 million initially with further milestone payments of up to $95 million related to revenues and other events.
"We are very pleased to acquire this business which gives us immediate entry into the negative pressure wound care therapy market, the fastest growing segment of the wound care advanced market. This significantly improves the long-term growth prospects of the Advanced Wound Management business of Smith & Nephew," said David Illingworth, chief operating officer of Smith & Nephew.
[black up pointing small triangle] Information:http://www.smith-nephew.com
LifeCell Corporation, Branchburg, NJ, has received 501K clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration for Strattice tissue matrix, a novel soft tissue repair product. Like AlloDerm, the company's first reconstructive surgical product, Strattice is intended for use in soft tissue repair procedures, including breast reconstruction and hernia repair. The product is a sterile porcine-derived tissue matrix, processed using the company's proprietary technology.
[black up pointing small triangle] Information:http://www.lifecell.com
CryoLife, Inc, Atlanta, GA, has been awarded a US patent for BioFoam, a protein hydrogel foam for rapidly filling and sealing open wounds. The product is designed to be a hemostatic agent and tissue and organ sealant. The company continues to develop BioFoam, which contains an expansion agent to rapidly fill wounds when dispensed, as an organ and tissue sealant. Other applications may include vascular sealing and tissue augmentation.
[black up pointing small triangle] Information:http://www.cryolife.com
Greystone Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Fort Myers, FL, has signed an agreement with 3M Health Care Limited, Loughborough, England, for the United Kingdom supply and distribution of DerMax, Greystone's advanced wound care dressing. 3M plans to market the product under its own brand name, which has yet to be announced. Dermagenics Europe, BV, Greystone's European wound care products subsidiary, will manufacture the product for 3M.
DerMax is indicated for use as a wound dressing to manage stage I to IV pressure ulcers, venous ulcers, diabetic skin ulcers, skin irritations, and cuts and abrasions. It is the first wound care product permitted to claim the ability to reduce the production of the protein enzymes known as matrix metalloproteinases, which is believed to be important to the healing of many chronic and acute wounds.
[black up pointing small triangle] Information:http://www.greystonepharmaceuticals.com; http://www.3M.com
Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Vancouver, Canada, has received European approval for its Quill Self-Retaining System, a wound closure system with a helical barb design that allows surgeons to suture without using knots. Quill was launched in the United States early in 2007 and is expected to launch in Europe by mid-year. The absence of knots provides clinical and economic benefits, including the potential to improve patient outcomes by minimizing the complications associated with knots and potentially improving wound healing and enhancing cosmesis; the potential to save time in the operating room; and enhancing procedural techniques by allowing the closure of difficult wounds, suturing in tight places, and the surgeon to control tension.
[black up pointing small triangle] Information:http://www.angiotech.com
LiquiCell Technologies, Inc, Minneapolis, MN, recently signed a licensing agreement with Integral Orthopedics, allowing Integral to use LiquiCell technology in its Moller Ortho-Pedic Seat, along with other select products. LiquiCell is an ultra-thin, liquid interface that combines a low viscosity fluid and strategically placed seal points that control the flow of liquid to equalize perpendicular pressure at the point of contact, reducing pressure, soft tissue compression, skin friction, and soft tissue shear stress. When used in the Moller Ortho-Pedic Seat, LiquiCell will help prevent fatigue and discomfort without interfering with patient positioning and stability.
[black up pointing small triangle] Information:http://www.mollersupport.com
ULURU, Inc, Addison, TX, presented its nanoparticle aggregate wound dressing technology during the Regenerative Medicine and Clinical Translation II session of the Society for Biomaterials 2007 Annual Meeting and Exposition. Titled "Immediate shape-retentive wound dressings formed in situ using hydrogel nanoparticle powders," the demonstration was the first scientific presentation of this new technology, which can accelerate wound healing by allowing the controlled release of drugs and proteins trapped between the nanoparticles for more than 30 days.
Focusing on the synthesis, purification, and physical properties of the dressing, the demonstration also presented the wound healing data for porcine full-thickness and skin graft donor sites. Other attributes of nanoparticle aggregate technology include forming a film in situ that seals the wound and allows irregular wound surface confirmation, adhering to the wound without harming healing tissue, and moisture vapor and oxygen permeability.
[black up pointing small triangle] Information:http://www.uluruinc.com
DelSite Biotechnologies, Inc, a subsidiary of Carrington Laboratories, Inc, Irving, TX, has been granted a US patent (No. 7,202,066, "Combination of a Growth Factor and a Protease Enzyme") for the GelSite polymer, a growth factor (KGF) and extracellular matrix-degrading protease enzyme combination that stimulates cell proliferation and migration. The KGF works to stimulate epithelial cell proliferation while the protease clears wound debris to facilitate cell migration and wound closure.
This controlled-release drug delivery technology is to be used for protein/peptide therapeutics and vaccine products, and will target difficult-to-heal chronic wounds, including pressure ulcers, venous ulcers, and diabetic foot ulcers.
[black up pointing small triangle] Information:http://www.carringtonlabs.com; http://www.delsite.com