SAN LUIS OBISPO, California – June 16, 2005 – FzioMed, Inc. announced today that it has signed an agreement appointing Ethicon, Inc., a global medical device company, as the exclusive distributor of FzioMed’s Oxiplex/AP, a bioabsorbable product for use in adhesion prevention in abdominal and pelvic surgeries.
Under the agreement, Ethicon will have exclusive rights to market and sell Oxiplex/AP worldwide (with the exception of Japan) for use in adhesion prevention in pelvic and general/abdominal surgeries. FzioMed will manufacture and supply the product to Ethicon. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Oxiplex/AP is a synthetic, bioabsorbable gel that is applied during gynecologic and general surgery to reduce post-operative internal scarring, also known as postsurgical adhesions. Postsurgical adhesions, a leading complication of many surgical procedures, can cause chronic pain, intestinal obstruction, infertility and the need for repeat surgery. Oxiplex/AP can easily be used in both open and laparoscopic procedures.
Oxiplex/AP is an investigational product in the United States, where a pivotal stage clinical trial is in progress. Oxiplex/AP has received CE Mark approval for sale in the European Union, where Ethicon will initially launch the product for gynecologic surgery.
“We are very excited to welcome Ethicon, with its global leadership in general surgery and in women’s health, as our exclusive marketing partner for Oxiplex/AP,” said Ronald Haynes, President and CEO of FzioMed.
FzioMed is a leader in the development and manufacture of advanced, absorbable biomaterials for surgical and medical applications. Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson company, is a leader in surgical products for wound management, women’s health and cardiovascular surgery.
“Millions of people each year undergo surgery that can result in complications due to adhesions, and yet there is no adhesion barrier product available in the U.S. for laparoscopic use,” said Richard Berg, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Development for FzioMed, Inc. “Oxiplex/AP was developed to satisfy this significant unmet need.”
FzioMed is a privately held medical company engaged in the development and commercialization of synthetic, absorbable biomaterials based on the company’s patented Oxiplex technology. FzioMed is developing products for the prevention of postsurgical adhesions, tissue augmentation and regeneration, and the delivery of drugs. Oxiplex is an innovative polymer technology with potential uses in a variety of specialties including orthopedics, gynecology, general surgery, neurosurgery and aesthetic surgery. FzioMed products include the leading adhesion barrier for spine surgery, currently marketed outside of the United States, and a cosmetic dermal filler. Other FzioMed products are in various stages of development, and are directed towards high growth markets in the field of biosurgery materials.
FzioMed® and Oxiplex® are registered trademarks of FzioMed, Inc.