New Products and Industry News

New surgical dressing monitors drainage

SteadMed Medical (Fort Worth, TX), a provider of acute and chronic wound care products, announced a new dressing with their core Drawtex Hydroconductive Dressing Technology that assists in the management of surgical incisions. Drawtex®, a patented wound dressing with LevaFiber™ Technology, provides effective wound bed preparation via 3 active mechanisms — capillary, hydroconductive, and electrostatic. The combined use of these 3 mechanisms results in the ability to draw excessive wound exudate, harmful bacteria, deleterious cytokines, and necrotic debris from the wound. 

The surgical dressing is constructed with a clear hydrocolloid and film for easy drainage monitoring. The contrast of unwanted discolored drainage and the white dressing further allows early detection of potential concerns. The hydrocolloid also provides a waterproof barrier that allows the patient to resume most day-to-day activities, including showering. 

For more information, visit: www.steadmed.com. 

APMA Seal of Approval granted for allografts

MTF Wound Care (Edison, NJ), a division of the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation (MTF), received the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Approval for its AmnioBand® family of placental allografts and AlloPatch® Pliable tissue forms. The APMA grants its Seal of Approval to products that are beneficial to foot health after evaluating their safety, quality, and effectiveness.

The allografts are derived from dehydrated human placental tissue comprised of the amnion and chorion layers. They are offered in a variety of sizes in a package-to-patient configuration. This family of products is used as a foundation for the treatment of chronic, nonhealing wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, and pressure ulcers. The acellular human dermal graft also supports repopulation and revascularization in host tissue. With an open architecture derived from a deeper layer in dermal tissue, this product is aseptically processed to preserve the graft’s natural structure.

For more information, visit: www.mtfwoundcare.org. 

Allograft is now covered by insurance

MiMedx Group Inc (Marietta, GA), a regenerative medicine company, received coverage from Aetna Inc (Hartford, CT) for EpiFix®, effective December 23, 2016. This extends coverage to 17.5 million Aetna commercial members across the country. The product, a dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane allograft composed of a single layer of epithelial cells, a basement membrane, and an avascular connective tissue matrix, enhances healing, modulates inflammation, and reduces scar tissue formation. 

For more information, visit: www.mimedx.com. 

Medicare Q-code assigned

Organogenesis Inc (Canton, MA), a global advanced would care product company, received permanent Q-codes for PuraPly™ and PuraPly Antimicrobial (AM)™ wound management products from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Starting January 1, 2017, both products will be billed as Q-code Q4172 under the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, expanding coverage to private physician offices. The new Q-code replaces the current C-code used in hospital outpatient and ambulatory surgery center settings.

Both wound matrices are US Food and Drug Administration 510(k)-cleared Class II medical devices indicated for the management of acute and chronic partial- and full-thickness wounds, pressure ulcers, surgical wounds, trauma wounds, and venous and diabetic ulcers. 

For more information, visit www.organogenesis.com. 

Health care company acquired 

BSN Medical (Luxembourg City, Luxembourg), a global integrated medical therapy solutions provider, was acquired by Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget (Stockholm, Sweden), a global hygiene and forest products company, for ?2.7 billion. The agreement is subject to customary antitrust clearance, and the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2017.

For more information, visit www.bsnmedical.com. 

Surgical portfolio sold 

Acelity (San Antonio, TX), a medical device company, sold their LifeCell Brand to Allergan (Dublin, Ireland) for $2.9 billion. Upon completion of the transaction, the surgical brand’s profile will be combined with Allergan’s portfolio of medical aesthetics and breast implants and tissue expanders. The acquisition will give Allergan a stronger commercial channel, R&D pipeline, and manufacturing capability.

LifeCell specializes in applications for plastic and reconstructive surgeries and abdominal wall procedures. The company products include regenerative and reconstructive acellular tissue matrices for soft tissue defect repairs and fat-grafting solutions. One of the leading products is ALLODERM™ Regenerative Tissue Matrix, a human allograft tissue matrix. The surgical profile will continue to be managed by the seller until the transaction is finalized in the first half of 2017.

For more information, visit www.acelity.com. 

NPWT system recognized

Smith & Nephew (Fort Worth, TX), a global medical technology business, received the 2016 French Galien Award for PICO, a single-use negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) system. Prix Galien (Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) acknowledges therapeutic innovations for health care and pharmaceutical research. The prize, from the Medical Disability Compensation and Return to Social Life category, highlights the company’s dedication to improving the daily lives of patients and professionals in wound care.

The system is a canister-free, single-use system offering portable, accessible, affordable NPWT, addressing many of the disadvantages of conventional devices. The technology absorbs and locks exudate while moving it away from the wound, aiding fluid evaporation. The system can be used up to 7 days and includes 2 dressings.

For more information, visit www.smith-nephew.com. 

New podiatric meeting coming in October 2017

The inaugural Advance by Podiatry Today meeting will be held October 13–15, 2017 in Chicago, IL. In addition to providing the clinical insights and practice pearls seen in the monthly publication, the newest podiatric meeting will feature rapid-fire panel discussions, controversial debates, and case presentations on current topics of interest to podiatric surgeons and physicians, which will allow the audience to have more direct involvement.

The meeting is sponsored by the North American Center for Continuing Medical Education (NACCME). Conference Co-Chairs are Michael Downey, DPM, FACFAS; Ryan Fitzgerald, DPM, FACFAS; Tracey Vlahovic, DPM, FFPM, RCPS (Glasg); and Stephanie Wu, DPM, MSc, FACFAS. 

For more information, visit www.podiatrytoday.com/advance. 

Ultrasound “patch” dressing approved in Canada

NanoVibronix Inc (Elmsford, NY), a medical device manufacturer, gained marketing clearance to sell WoundShield in Canada. The product is a patch-based device that facilitates soft-tissue regeneration and wound healing by using ultrasound to increase local capillary perfusion and tissue oxygenation.

For more information, visit www.nanovibronix.com.