Industry and Product News

Partnership Strengthens Vascular Care Franchise Market Position

BSN medical (Hamburg, Germany) and Ortopédicos Futuro (Bogota, Colombia) announced a joint venture agreement to strengthen their market position in compression garments in Colombia, Ecuador, and neighboring markets. In their joint effort, the companies will push for national and international expansion. As part of the collaboration, BSN medical provides a relevant product portfolio as well as capabilities and resources. Ortopédicos Futuro contributes its No-Varix^® compression garments assortment and customer proximity through their 23 shops in Colombia and Ecuador. The joint venture will operate in Colombia as Ortopédicos Futuro Colombia SAS and in Ecuador as Ortopédico Futuro SA, and it includes the company’s current operations in Colombia, Ecuador, and its export markets.

The partnership matches BSN’s strong focus on emerging markets, especially Latin America. BSN will also access to Ortopédicos Futuro’s distributional network in Colombia and Ecuador., which allows BSN to position its assortments in an established retail channel, significantly increasing its market penetration in one of its strategically prioritized regions. In addition, BSN becomes the exclusive promotion partner for the No-Varix compression garments. The newly formed trading companies in Colombia and Ecuador will profit from the former owner of Ortopédicos Futuro, José Álvaro Pongutá, as he will be a member of the Board of Directors and serve as a consultant.

Visit www.bsnmedical.com for more information.

Laser Combination Therapy Promising for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Research conducted by Andrew Basnett, MD,  Tuyet A. Nguyen, BS, Christopher Cannavino, MD, and Andrew C. Krakowski, MD, “Ablative Fractional Laser Resurfacing With Topical Paromomycin as Adjunctive Treatment for a Recalcitrant Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Wound,” was selected as Editor’s Choice in the December 2015 issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (LSM).

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease found in parts of the tropics, subtropics, and southern Europe. It is caused by an infection with leishmania parasites, which are spread by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies. There are several different forms of leishmaniasis in people. The most common forms are cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), which causes skin sores, and visceral leishmaniasis, which affects several internal organs such as the spleen, liver, and bone marrow. Despite an estimated 2 million cases annually due to increased global travel with imported cases (particularly CL) becoming more common in developed, nonendemic countries, current treatment options are still limited. Ablative fractional laser resurfacing represents a treatment option and may address challenges commonly encountered in CL treatment.

Visit aslms.org/professional/lsmeditorschoice to view the complete manuscript.

Matrix Device FDA Approved for Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Integra LifeSciences Corporation (Plainsboro Township, NJ) received FDA approval for its Integra^® Omnigraft™ Dermal Regeneration Matrix to treat certain diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). The matrix device, which is made of silicone, cow collagen, and shark cartilage, is placed over the ulcer and provides an environment for new skin and tissue to regenerate and heal the wound.

An estimated 29 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and about 25% of them will experience a foot ulcer during their lifetime. The FDA first approved the product in 1996 for the treatment of life threatening burn injuries when an autologous skin graft was not possible. In 2002, it was approved for a new indication to treat patients undergoing reconstructive surgery for burn scars when they cannot have skin grafts. Now, Omnigraft is approved to treat certain DFUs that last longer than 6 weeks and do not involve exposure of the joint capsule, tendon, or bone, when used in conjunction with standard diabetic ulcer care. This new indication is based on a clinical study that demonstrated the matrix device improved ulcer healing compared to standard DFU care. In the study, 51% of patients treated with Omnigraft had healed ulcers after 16 weeks compared to 32% of patients treated with standard DFU care alone.

Visit www.integralife.com for more information.