Columbia, Md.-based Ambu said in a news release that it was also the only supplier of single-use endoscopes designated to participate in Premier’s Surpass and Ascend purchasing programs.
The three-year agreement creates a single-use endoscopy category specifically for the Premier membership, which, having been signed this week, becomes effective Nov. 1, 2020. Premier’s range of representation across 4,100 hospitals and health systems in the U.S., along with 200,000 other providers, is set to accelerate Ambu’s share of the single-use endoscope market, the company said.
Premier’s Surpass program offers $8.4 billion in annual supply chain purchasing with more than 30,000 acute care beds across 24 states and two U.S. territories. The Ascend purchasing program has more than 120,000 acute care beds and a combined purchasing volume of more than $18 billion.
Ambu said in the release that, as of last year, more than 600,000 Ambu single-use endoscopes were used in more than 6,000 hospitals, making it the world’s largest supplier of single-use endoscopes. The company expects to sell more than 1 million in 2020.
In July, Ambu received FDA 510(k) clearance for its single-use aScope Duodeno, following clearance for the aScope 4 Cysto in April. The company plans to introduce 12 new devices by 2022.
“The agreement allows Ambu to tap into a vast market of hospitals, health systems and healthcare providers across the U.S. with our single-use endoscopes,” Ambu CEO Juan Jose Gonzalez said in the release. “It strengthens our position in the U.S. and demonstrates the value of our portfolio in improving workflows and increasing patient safety.
“Premier is an exceptional company that we have known for years and we look forward to continue building our relationship with a company that is transforming the healthcare industry.”
