Vygon signs exclusive agreement with Medovate to distribute regional anaesthesia device

Écouen, France and Cambridge, UK, October 19, 2020 – Vygon Group, a group specializing in single-use medical devices, and Medovate, a dynamic medical device company dedicated to the development and commercialisation of innovative medical technologies, today announce that they have signed an exclusive deal to distribute SAFIRA^® (SAFer Injection for Regional Anaesthesia) across 60 countries. Vygon will start a phased launch of SAFIRA in Europe at the end of 2020, with other global markets to follow.

Developed in collaboration with UK National Health Service (NHS) clinicians, SAFIRA transforms the technique of Peripheral Nerve Blockade into a one-person procedure, giving the anaesthetist full control of the injection at all times. This pioneering technology also improves patient safety by helping reduce the risk of nerve damage, as it prevents anaesthetic from being injected at high pressures. Furthermore, economic modelling has shown SAFIRA has the potential to help generate significant time and cost savings in a medical setting.

Amid the current COVID-19 pandemic, the European Society for Regional Anaesthesia (ESRA) has recommended that regional anaesthesia be considered whenever surgery is planned for a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient. Regional anaesthesia preserves respiratory function and avoids aerosolization and the potential for transmission of COVID-19, compared to general anaesthesia. By making regional anaesthesia a one-person procedure SAFIRA helps hospitals meet these recent recommendations.

Vygon is one of the largest independent French medical device companies. It supplies more than 205 million products globally per year. A world-leader in the regional anaesthesia arena, it is perfectly placed to ensure SAFIRA – which recently attained EU CE regulatory approval – achieves its maximum reach and potential across Europe and beyond. Medovate is a medtech company that develops essential new technologies created through its development pipeline of NHS innovations, with a focus on anaesthesia, airway, critical care and surgery.

“This agreement with Vygon marks a significant milestone in the launch of SAFIRA across Europe, the US and a number of other markets,” said Stuart Thomson, Managing Director, Medovate. “This will help establish Medovate on the world stage as a recognized medical device developer and manufacturer. In addition, it raises the international profile of the UK NHS and its clinicians, who are key stakeholders in Medovate and inventors of the SAFIRA innovation.”

“This is a very exciting partnership for Vygon,” said John Kerridge, Vice President, Anaesthesia & Emergency Business Unit, Vygon. “The SAFIRA technology, in terms of its impact on patient safety and clinical end-user efficiency, is in-line with our overall objective of patient/practitioner-based healthcare solutions. The fact that in the very near future the SAFIRA technology will be available in NRFit format further supports this objective. It will enable us to offer a complete NRFit solution for those markets that demand it.”

NRFit (trademark of GEDSA) devices provide dedicated connectors, compliant with ISO 80369-6, NRFit connectors aim to reduce the risk of wrong route administration of medications associated with Regional Anaesthesia procedures.

It is estimated that ten million regional anaesthesia procedures are performed across Europe every year. As the use of regional anaesthesia continues to grow steadily across Europe, SAFIRA has the potential to make a significant impact.

About Medovate

Medovate is a UK medical device company based in Cambridge and dedicated to the development and commercialisation of innovative medical technologies created within the National Health Service (NHS) and beyond. Medovate identifies and works with high potential medtech innovations, providing the specialist management and technical resources, along with the finance required to lead innovation development through clinical trials and regulatory approval. By providing funding and support at a crucial point in the development of innovative medical technologies, Medovate accelerates innovations to market in order to benefit patient care and healthcare delivery. The company has a strong portfolio in anaesthesia, airway management, critical care and surgery. Medovate directly benefits the NHS by providing access to funding, support and expertise to enable innovations created within the NHS to reach the market; delivering commercial returns to the NHS organisations and inventors that created the technologies.

www.medovate.co.uk

About Vygon Group

Vygon designs, manufactures and markets high-tech single-use medical devices for healthcare professionals in hospital and for private and independent practitioners. Vygon is a world leader within this industry, offering a wide range of products in a number of clinical specialties. Organized in five business units (Intensive Care – Obstetrics Neonatology Enteral – Intravascular Therapies – Cardiovascular & Surgery – Anesthesia & Emergency), Vygon combines local and international in-depth expertise and know-how in each individual field. With expertise right along the value chain, from product design to the delivery of training for medical personnel, Vygon provides health care professionals with effective and innovative products tailored to their needs and those of their patients, for optimum use and safety.

The company distributes over 205 million products a year in more than 120 countries through its network of 26 subsidiaries and 331 distributors. Vygon products display the CE and/or FDA mark and are manufactured in the group’s eight factories in Europe, the USA and Colombia.

A family company founded in 1962, Vygon is based in Ecouen, in France’s Greater Paris region. It is a mid-sized business employing 2,350 staff worldwide. The turnover in 2019 was €338 million ($396M), with 81% of this derived from Vygon’s international business.

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