New Products and Industry News

HMP Communications Holdings, LLC, Acquires Nutrition411.com

  HMP Communications Holdings, LLC (Malvern, PA) has acquired Nutrition411.com, a vibrant news source and clinical resource center designed for healthcare professionals who integrate diet and nutrition into patient consultations.

  The website offers practitioners comprehensive access to late-breaking news related to nutrition and disease management; dedicated topic centers for diabetes, oncology, renal disease, wound care, and pediatrics; consultative resources including patient handouts, inservices, professional refreshers, fact sheets, newsletters, and standardized policies and procedures; and nutrition and dietetic employment resources, including salary comparisons, job postings, and searches.

  The acquisition of Nutriton411.com further strengthens HMP’s commitment to providing healthcare professionals unparalleled access to nutrition, dietetic, and culinary medicine education. Recognizing the relevance that nutrition plays in the prevention and treatment of disease, and the growing interest from their clinical audience for nutrition-based content, over the past 2 years, HMP has developed content portals dedicated to nutrition within their primary care and wound care brands.

  The company also has added nutrition to the core curriculum for their biannual Cardiometabolic Risk Summit conference and executed a partnership with Tulane University’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine for the development of a postgraduate certification program in culinary medicine.

  For more information, visit www.nutrition411.com.

New Competition Seeks, Rewards Innovative Institutions in Medtech

  Medline Industries, Inc (Mundelein, IL), seeking the next big thing in medtech, launched the 2014 Medline Innovation Challenge. The inaugural Medline Innovation Challenge aims to find and reward institutions for licensable technologies in the areas of medical devices and healthcare solutions. Inventions in medtech, including but not limited to the areas of surgical solutions, wound care advancements, infection prevention, and patient care, are the main focus. Finalists will be invited to Medline’s corporate headquarters to compete for $17,500 in cash prizes, along with an opportunity to network with medical device experts and company executives. Prizes include $10,000 for first place, $5,000 for second, and $2,500 for third.

  Entries must be submitted on behalf of an office of technology transfer affiliated with a university, a healthcare provider, or research institution. Submissions are due October 20, 2014.

  For more information, visit www.medline.com/about-us/innovation/2014-medline-innovation-challenge.

New Antibacterial Foam Earns “Top Innovation” Awards

  Hydrofera Blue Ready (Hollister Incorporated, Libertyville, IL) antibacterial foam dressing was honored as a “Top 10 Innovation in Podiatry” according to Podiatry Today and was included in OWM’s July innovation issue. This is the second year in a row a product from the company has garnered these acknowledgments from two leading wound care journals. In 2013, Endoform dermal template, a collagen extracellular matrix dressing, also was honored with both awards.

  Hydrofera Blue Ready antibacterial foam dressing is ready for use when the healthcare provider needs a convenient, effective method for managing bioburden. The product is soft out of the package and doesn’t require hydration. Its thin film backing eliminates the need for a cover dressing. With its 7-day wear time, it can be used as an adjunct therapy with compression wraps, total contact casting, and offloading devices, which are standard of care when treating chronic wounds such as venous leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers.

  For more information, visit www.hollisterwoundcare.com.

KCI, LifeCell, and Systagenix Combine to Form One Company and Rebrand

  Centaur Guernsey LP Inc (San Antonio, TX) launched Acelity, effectively rebranding itself and its subsidiaries Kinetic Concepts, Inc (KCI), LifeCell Corporation (LifeCell), and Systagenix Wound Management, Limited (Systagenix).

  As a leading global medical technology company, Acelity is focused on developing products and therapies that improve clinical outcomes while helping reduce the overall cost of patient care. The company generates approximately $2 billion in annual revenue and delivers industry-leading margins founded on its leadership positions in Advanced Wound Therapeutics and Regenerative Medicine. Products are marketed in more than 75 countries around the world. Their portfolio includes well-known brands, such as V.A.C. Therapy, AlloDerm Regenerative Tissue Matrix, Strattice Reconstructive Tissue Matrix, and PROMOGRAN collagen wound dressings.

  The company is the global leader in negative pressure wound therapy, the number one provider of tissue matrices used for breast reconstruction and hernia repair and the market leader in collagen wound dressings. The company is poised for success as a geographically diversified, multiplatform entity with world-class wound care and biologics franchises.

  The company consists of two business segments, Advanced Wound Therapeutics and Regenerative Medicine, and a separate commercial unit focused on driving emerging markets growth for both business segments.

  Centaur has changed its name to Acelity L.P. Inc. The KCI, LifeCell, and Systagenix subsidiaries will continue to exist as legal entities and will each operate as Acelity companies.

  For more information, visit www.acelity.com.

New President and CEO Appointed

  Spiracur (Sunnyvale, CA) appointed Chris Fashek as President and Chief Executive Officer. With two decades of experience leading healthcare companies, Fashek will oversee execution of the company’s development and growth strategies as it expands its global presence as a preferred provider of innovative wound healing technologies.

  Before joining the company, Fashek served as president and vice chairman of Kinetic Concepts, Inc (San Antonio, TX) and managed businesses in the pharmaceutical and consumer product markets for Sterling Drug, a division of Eastman Kodak in the United States and internationally. He currently serves as chairman of the Board of Directors for Spiracur, and director of the IDN Summit, the World Craniofacial Foundation, and other commercial and charitable boards.

  For more information, visit www.spiracur.com.

Successful Programs Recognized for Improving Skin Integrity

  3M Critical & Chronic Care Solutions Division (St. Paul, MN) and the Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing (WOCN) Society recognized Lourdes Specialty Hospital (Burlington County, NJ) with the 3M Award for Excellence in Skin Safety.

  Lourdes Specialty Hospital is a 69-bed long-term acute care hospital designed to provide intensive care to patients who have ventilator-dependent, medically complex conditions such as extensive nonhealing wounds, infections, system failure, and surgical complications. The facility’s wound care program was selected for its mission to ensure prevention of new wounds. The program features outstanding wound monitoring, tracking, and reporting methods; comprehensive staff training; and extensive patient education. Each patient has an individualized plan of care.

  In its third year, the 3M-sponsored competitive award is provided to promote and recognize healthcare facilities and their WOCN Society members who have implemented a patient care regimen designed to prevent skin injuries and improve skin integrity. The winning team received financial support through an unrestricted educational grant to attend the annual WOCN conference in Nashville. Previous recipients of the award are Strong Memorial Hospital (Rochester, NY) and Northwest Medical Center (Tucson, AZ).

  To compete for the award, facilities were invited by the WOCN to submit summaries of skin care programs that have achieved measurable and sustained results in the area of skin integrity. The programs also had to demonstrate best-in-class prevention protocols; comprehension, accessibility, and user-friendliness of product formulary; interdisciplinary participation; senior leadership engagement and front-line autonomy; and creative and effective staff and patient education. A panel of WOCN members selected by the WOCN Society judged entries.

  For more information, visit www.3M.com.

Controlled Release Skin Barrier Emulsion Offers Dosing Flexibility

  PuraCap Pharmaceutical (South Plainfield, NJ) has added the EpiCeram 225g Airless Pump to its EpiCeram product line. The airless pump gives patients more cream to treat any size area of atopic dermatitis. The special dispensing system allows for more control, delivering the cream consistently and precisely in a convenient, portable, pump-action dispenser. The airless pump also offers cost savings with BID dosing and a controlled release, long-lasting formulation.

  EpiCeram Controlled Release Skin Barrier Emulsion is a prescription product that helps relieve the burning and itching associated with skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis/eczema. It is the only topical agent formulated with three essential lipids (ceramides, free fatty acids, and cholesterol) in a physiologically balanced ratio that mimics the lipid concentration found in the skin. In addition, the cream, FDA-cleared for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, is designed with a patented, controlled-release technology that delivers 24-hour barrier repair benefits with twice-daily application.

  For more information, visit www.epiceram-us.com.

This article was not subject to the Ostomy Wound Management peer-review process.