Industry Insider News

Organogenesis Acquires Amniotic Product Company

Organogenesis Inc., Canton, MA, a leader in regenerative medicine, recently acquired NuTech^® Medical, Birmingham, AL, and its diverse portfolio of amniotic products for wound care and surgical biologics, according to company officials. NuTech reportedly will continue its current operations as a new division of Organogenesis and focus on surgical biologics. The new division will develop and distribute its products in its existing facilities and will grow its surgical sales network to expand sales capabilities, officials said. NuTech Medical’s portfolio includes amniotic products for soft tissue and bone applications for multiple markets, such as wound healing and surgery. The new division’s products include Affinity,^® a fresh amniotic allograft; NuShield,^® a dehydrated, sterilized amnion-chorion layered allograft; and NuCel^® and ReNu, both cryopreserved human amnion and amniotic fluid-based allografts. The portfolio also includes the company’s proprietary BioLoc and AlloFresh processes for preserving amniotic tissues. For more information, visit www.organogenesis.com.

Officials at Organogenesis also recently announced a clinical research program with multiple studies and a nationwide patient registry for PuraPly^™ Antimicrobial, a bilayered, purified type I collagen sheet with the broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride. The prospective studies will take place at Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, NY, and Northwell Health,^® Great Neck, NY, and will follow patients treated with the purified collagen matrix to better understand its uses as an antimicrobial wound management product and subsequent healing outcomes across a variety of wound types. 

Smith & Nephew Reaches New Investment & Distribution Deal

Smith & Nephew, Fort Worth, TX, has signed a distribution agreement with Leaf Healthcare, Pleasanton, CA, to increase the availability of the Leaf Patient Monitoring System, according to company officials. The product, a small, lightweight, wearable sensor, wirelessly monitors a patient’s position and movement, using that data to document management of prescribed turn protocols for patients at risk for pressure injuries. The system is currently available in the United States in a limited number of hospitals. The partnership allows the technology to reach a national customer database seeking to take the next step in using technology to change the standard of care, officials said. Visit www.smith-nephew.com for more information. 

Clinical Trial Uses Tilapia Skin to Bandage Burns

Doctors in Brazil are testing the skin of tilapia for use as a bandage for second- and third-degree burns. According to a report on STAT.com, tilapia is widely farmed in Brazil and the skin is often considered trash; however, the clinical trial will utilize sterilized tilapia skin to provide collagen proteins, tension, and moisture to healing burns. In patients who have experienced deep second-degree burns, the tilapia bandages are changed multiple times over several weeks of treatment, though much less often than the current standard of gauze and silver sulfadiazine cream, according to the report. The treatment reportedly reduced healing time by up to several days and reduced the use of pain medication. For more information on this report, visit www.statnews.com/2017/03/02/brazil-tilapia-skin-burns.