Getinge (PINK:GETI B) subsidiary Maquet Medical said it inked a pair of exclusive U.S. marketing deals for ClearFlow’s PleuraFlow chest-drainage system and InterValve’s V8 balloon catheter.
Maquet is slated to begin selling ClearFlow’s PleuraFlow active clearance technology during the 1st quarter. The system is designed to help keep chest-drainage tubes free of clots in the immediate hours following heart surgery.
“Too many patients are experiencing complications and additional procedures as a result of the common occurrence of chest tube occlusion,” ClearFlow CEO Paul Molloy said in a statement. “Meanwhile, inconsistent protocols used for wound drainage post-cardiac surgery create costs that hospitals and patients have to bear. It is our mission to reduce the incidence of chest tube occlusion by ensuring the availability of PleuraFlow ACT, and we believe that Maquet is the ideal distribution partner.”
PleuraFlow ACT was approved for U.S. use in December 2010 and received European approval in June of that year. The system was developed by Cleveland Clinic spinoff Clear Catheter Systems, which changed its name to ClearFlow in March 2014.
"Maquet’s commitment to being a trusted partner to our customers means seeking out innovation to provide superior products and for better patient outcomes. PleuraFlow ACT is unique as it is the only FDA 510(k) cleared device of its kind to effectively and reproducibly clear obstructing material from chest tubes without compromising the sterile field. We’re excited to be the only company to offer PleuraFlow ACT to our US customers and their patients," added North America president & CEO Raoul Quintero.
Maquet said it will also market InterValve’s V8 Aortic Valvuloplasty Balloon Catheter, which is used in aortic valvuloplasty and transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedures. Maquet plans to start selling the product in early 2015. The device received U.S. market approval in February 2014, according to a press release.
“Stand-alone balloon aortic valvuloplasty and pre-dilatation during transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedures have been limited today by the use of dated, conventional balloon technologies,” InterValve CEO Mark Ungs said in prepared remarks. “Our V8 balloon catheter’s figure-8 shape enables it to lock in at the annulus and beneficially hyper-extend the leaflets in a way conventional balloons can’t. We look forward to this partnership with Maquet.”
"We’re seeing our customers look to BAV and TAVR as alternatives to surgical aortic valve replacement. In particular, technology improvements, operator and team experience, and continued research have resulted in increased interest and growth in transcatheter aortic valve replacement. We’re excited to be able to offer the V8 catheter as part of our mission to support our customers in delivering the highest standards of care," Quintero added.
