Contracts

55 years and counting: the old Synthes/AO collaboration is cemented for the future

Stryker Corporation and NeuroLogica have entered into an exclusive partnership agreement under which Stryker will promote and sell NeuroLogica’s BodyTom portable full body computed tomography (CT) scanner for the specialties of neurosurgery, spine surgery, orthopaedic surgery, and trauma surgery in conjunction with the Stryker NAV3i™ Surgical Navigation Platform.

Echo Therapeutics will receive a $10 million cash investment from MTIA and Platinum Partners as part of a new strategic collaboration that will see its interests in a chunk of the Far East devolved to MTIA.

These two OR household names have agreed to buddy up at a sales level. While coordinating their collective devices into one “turnkey” OR system makes a lot of sense, it’ll be interesting to see how their non-exclusive sales agreement works out in the field.

Verasense™knee technology developer, OrthoSensor™, has partnered with Valtronic for the contract manufacture of the devices to satisfy its growing customer list. A first unit has been shipped under the agreement.

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. and Megadyne®, Inc have both issued press releases, confirming that they have entered into a collaboration agreement. The deal will see customers offered a contracting solution that incorporates the two companies’ combined product offerings, increasing choice and access to a broad energy portfolio.

It seems OrthoSensor has the technological capability to make knee prosthesis manufacturers’ implants look really good. Now Zimmer has signed up with the company to co-market the Verasense system alongside its own knee systems.

Silicon Nitride has strong claims to be the perfect implant material. Its characteristics make it suitable for spinal fusion devices, and K2M will now commence distribution of Amedica’s unique device offering in Europe.

One of those promotional hook-ups that makes perfect sense sees Covidien agree to start distributing Vida Diagnostic’s interventional pulmonology diagnostic and planning software alongside its own i-Logic advanced bronchoscopy system.

Biomet and OrthoSensor will co-promote Biomet’s Vanguard® Complete Knee System and OrthoSensor’s VERASENSE™ in a new deal, of which details have not been disclosed. Coupling the two technologies is expected to result in improved surgical and financial outcomes.

CV device company TriReme has announced the signing of a comprehensive agreement with Weihai Weigao Medical Devices, Ltd for the distribution of its products in the People’s Republic of China. Weigao will act as TriReme’s master distributor by selling TriReme products directly to hospitals as well as connecting TriReme products into its vast nationwide distribution network.

A surgeon in Canada has employed a firm of lawyers to help him in a breach of contract dispute with NuVasive. In what looks like an unusual strategic move (at least to us Europeans The lawyers have issued a press release which looks designed to draw all of our attention to the alleged breach. Surely this stuff should stay in the courtroom, no?

Misonix says it is acting in a manner consistent with its business strategy by electing to sell its products under its own label via its own proprietary sales organization. With its now defunct distribution agreement less than 2 years old, Aesculap might be a little aggrieved.

Will they, won’t they? The current standoff between St.Jude and AorTech, the supplier of its seemingly rather effective Optim ICD coating material will either end in tears of nuptial joy or something rather more ugly as St.Jude wins its injunction against AorTech’s threatened termination of their supply agreement.

St.Jude and AorTech’s disputes are developing into an interesting story as the two parties home in on what looks like an inevitable termination early next month. Or, in what may look like rather a long shot at the moment, it may end up as an acquisition.

What could have provoked Scottish company AorTech issue proceedings against a St.Jude division? Whatever it was, S.Jude will be keen to draw a line under it, given that the agreement relates to the polymer used in its Durata lead coating.