Solvay and Secant Join Forces to Promote PEEK Structures
Solvay Advanced Polymers LLC and Secant Medical LLC have forged a marketing partnership to promote the development and production of implantable biomedical fabric structures made of Zeniva PEEK (polyetheretherketone) fiber.
“Our collaboration will expand Secant Medical’s offering, broaden our ability to help clients to innovate their concepts, and further expand our leadership position in biomedical textiles engineering,” said Karen West, vice president of advanced technologies for Perkasie, Pa.-based Secant Medical.
This collaboration, which also includes an undisclosed fiber manufacturer, marks the formation of a new supply chain: OEMs will have the option to develop custom implantable fabrics made of Zeniva PEEK for therapeutic devices in orthopedics, cardiovascular, tissue engineering, neurology and general surgery.
“This partnership further solidifies our position as a strategic material supplier in the health care industry,” said Shawn Shorrock, global health care market manager for Brussels, Belgium-based Solvay Advanced Polymers LLC. “This new material solution is being offered in direct response to our customer demands and meets their performance requirements.”
Svelte Medical Partners With Pan Globus
In effort to expand its European Union presence, New Providence, N.J.-headquartered Svelte Medical Systems Inc. is partnering with London, England-based healthcare business consultancy Pan Globus.
Svelte hopes the collaboration will drive market adoption of its Acrobat Sent-on-a-Wire system, which received CE Mark Approval last fall.
“We want to accelerate market penetration across select markets within Europe, and as a small company, need a flexible approach to resourcing,” said Jean De Schepper, European business director for Svelte. “This is what Pan Globus provides us.”
The system’s cross-sectional profile is about half that of conventional coronary stent systems, which allows direct access to previously untreatable lesions, downsizing of introducer sheaths and guiding catheters, and improved outcomes with transradial and bifurcation stenting. These factors, combined with a potential reduction in complications at the access site as well as adjunctive product use represent improvements in interventional cardiology.
“We have enjoyed creating quality resourcing solutions that have enabled Svelte to maximize the potential of the Acrobat Stent-on-a-Wire in Europe,” said Robert MacPhearson, managing director of Pan Globus.
IceCure Chooses Cleveland for U.S. Headquarters
Caesarea, Israel-based IceCure Medical has chosen the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center campus in Cleveland, Ohio, as the site of its U.S. headquarters. The move is not surprising, given the company’s connection to Northeast Ohio as a result of its relationship with the Bridge Investment Fund, which has invested more than $1 million in IceCure since 2008.
“The unique infrastructure for growing biomedical companies, the support we received from many organizations, and the progressive health care environment that includes institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, led us to choose Cleveland for our U.S. operations,” said Hezi Himelfarb, CEO of IceCure.
IceCure is expected to bring about 15 jobs to Northeast Ohio.
IceCure is the latest of many Israel-based companies to make a home in Northeast Ohio—Simbionix Ltd,, MDG Medical Incorporated and NI Medical Ltd. all have set up shop in and around Cleveland over the past several years.
IceCure’s lead product is the IceSense3, which is used to freeze and destroy benign breast tumors in women through cryoablation. The product received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration late last year, and the company is planning to conduct clinical trials to study its effectiveness in treating breast cancer.
Angel Medical Systems and Litron Collaborate in Product Development
Shrewsbury, N.J.-based Angel Medical Systems Inc. has tapped Agawam, Mass.-located Litron Inc. to build the Phase II implants for its Guardian implantable device.
Angel Medical Systems previously developed the AngelMed Guardian cardiac monitor and alert system, which detects and warns patients of acute episodes of cardiac ischemia related to the progression of coronary artery disease and thrombotic coronary occlusion caused by vulnerable plaque ruptures.
Angel Medical is running a Phase II clinical study of the investigational device in up to 75 sites throughout the United States. There currently are more than 200 patients participating in the study and will include more than 1,000 patients through 2012.
“AngelMed was looking for a new manufacturer for our device, one with the skills and experience to do the job as well as one capable of meeting our growing needs. After a thorough search, we found Litron and we are confident we’ve chosen the right vendor for the job,” said Steve Johnson, vice president, research and development at Angel Medical Systems.
“This particular device hits close to home,” said Mark Plasse, president of Litron. “Being a recent heart attack survivor, I know what it’s like to not know if it will happen again. The potential for this device to not only get people to the doctor sooner, but give them peace of mind from day to day is invaluable.”
Litron will manage the supply chain, develop the processes to systematically control the build, create job-specific tooling and test the investigational devices prior to final packaging and sterilization. Litron is expected to provide production units in January 2012.
Teleflex Totally Dedicated to Medical Technology
Teleflex Incorporated has discontinued operation of its cargo systems unit, and now is solely a medical device company. The move marks the completion of a multi-year process.
“With this decision, we have completed the long journey of transforming the company’s continuing operations from a cyclical, diversified-industrial conglomerate to a pure-play medical technology company,” said Benson Smith, chairman and CEO of Teleflex.
The discontinuation of cargo systems is expected to reduce 2011 annual revenue by $135 million and
cash flow by $15 million, according to the company.
Teleflex, headquartered in Limerick, Pa., also announced a $125 million prepayment of term-loan borrowings outstanding under its credit facilities, which were due to mature in 2014. The loan prepayment was completed using proceeds from the sale of the company’s senior subordinated notes completed on June 13.
“In the long run, these moves should better position Teleflex to reinvest in faster growing, more profitable medical segments, ultimately helping the company achieve long-term sales and profit goals,” according to a research note from Leerink Swann LLC analysts Richard Newitter and Rick Wise.
Sagentia Expands Massachusetts Presence
As a result of its growth in North America, Sagentia Inc. is expanding its presence in Cambridge, Mass. The expansion should add up to 25 jobs.
Sagentia’s North American business now accounts for more than 50 percent of its global revenue stream. In the first half of this year, Sagentia—a technology management and product development company—struck up partnerships with U.S. clients for 15 new projects, the majority of which are centered in Massachusetts and the greater New England area.
“We are thrilled to increase our North American client base and help to coordinate all phases of product design and development, from meeting the challenges of product innovation to ensuring companies adapt their product offerings for the global marketplace,” said Brent Hudson, CEO. “Our team remains committed to guiding each client through every stage of the process with the intent of delivering competitive products to customers.”
The company expects to gain an additional 20 projects by the end of 2011, and anticipates moving to a larger office space within the Cambridge or Boston, Mass.-area. Sagentia has forged ties with the British Consulate in Boston, and has been a client of the British Consulate’s U.K. Trade & Investment team for several years.
Sagentia’s global headquarters are in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Ranfac Reaches Out With Redesigned Website
Ranfac Corporation has revamped its website as part of its integrated marketing campaign.
“The website and integrated marketing program highlight Ranfac’s nearly 125 years as an industry pioneer in precision medical instruments and increases the focus on our manufacturing capabilities and engineering services,” said Harlan Adler, director of marketing and Ranfac spokesperson. “As a single-source supplier, our products are designed, developed, manufactured, inspected, distributed and serviced at our 40,000-square-foot facility.”
The website, which targets physicians, healthcare facilities and medical device companies, provides quick access to information on Ranfac’s line of medical instruments for surgery, orthopedics, hematology, radiology and other applications. The new site also attempts to simplify the ordering process.
Ranfac is headquartered in Avon, Mass.
Ximedica Opens Branch in Minnesota
Ximedica, a full-service medical device product development firm based in Providence, R.I., has opened a regional office at the University Enterprise Laboratories (UEL) Center in Minneapolis, Minn.
The new location is the company’s third facility and will serve as a central hub for its healthcare client base in the Midwest, company officials said. The firm also has an office in Hong Kong, China, to support its Asia supply chain operations.
“Ximedica has always been a trusted partner to its clients,” said Stephen Lane, CEO and co-founder of Ximedica. “We have earned this by collaborating with them to deliver sophisticated medical devices built for today’s healthcare environment. By joining our clients in Minnesota—a community rich with medical device companies, leading academic research and clinical institutions—we are able to build upon this trust and grow together.”
Staff for the new location will include such specialties as industrial design, human factors and engineering.
David Copeland, director of Human Factors Industrial Design at Ximedica, will lead the new Minneapolis location.
“I am delighted to champion efforts to expand our breadth of expertise to the Midwest,” said Copeland, who has 18 years of experience in product development for Fortune 500 medical companies. “There’s nothing more important to us than helping our clients develop innovative, safe products that improve patient outcomes.”
The Minnesota facility is expected to be at full capacity this fall. As part of the company’s expansion and regionalization strategy, it also is expanding its Providence location to 100,000 square feet of integrated product development space.
Resonetics Relocates and Continues Expansion
Following the significant growth of its medical division, Resonetics LLC moved to a new facility on June 1 that is 50 percent larger and a short distance from its former home in Nashua, N.H. Now, the company is outgrowing that space, too—so they have reserved surrounding land to accommodate future growth (which is expected as soon as next year).
“Over the last few years, our company has executed the strategic plan to build a medical device component business, culminating in moving to a new facility to accommodate the growth,” said Cliff
Gabay, president of Resonetics.
Gabay also said that the company chose to remain in Nashua because of the support it has received from the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development and local towns. A desire to maintain close proximity to existing staff also kept the company from leaving theGranite State.
“New Hampshire has a winning economic strategy in place which has made us one of the most business friendly states in the nation and a great place to grow a business,” said Governor John Lynch. “I am very pleased that Resonetics continues to grow and will do it right here in New Hampshire.”
News that Resonetics would be sticking around also pleased Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau, who said the decision was proof that manufacturing can thrive in the state.“I’m thrilled that they have chosen to launch their next phase of growth here in Nashua,” Lozeau said.
Toxikon Expands Efficacy and Surgical Research Wing
Toxikon Corp., a preclinical contract research organization, is expanding a portion of its Bedford, Mass., campus for efficacy and surgical research services. The modifications, which will provide the company’s research and product development clientele with resources typically found only in academic settings, should be complete by the end of summer. The facilities also will be equipped for physician trainings and demonstrations, both physically and remotely.
“Along with two vivariums (for large and small animal models), there are surgical and procedure spaces outfitted with the latest in surgical equipment, monitoring and imaging equipment,” said Curtis Schondelmeyer, director of preclinical veterinary services.
In April, Toxikon announced a new brand identity to reflect its preclinical drug and device development capabilities.
“Our new and expanded capability for efficacy and surgical research reinforces our commitment to the development of tomorrow’s life saving medical devices and drugs,” said Laxman S. Desai, M.D., presidentand CEO.