US Marketing Rights for Iodosorb™ and Iodoflex™ to Transfer in April

       Smith & Nephew Inc. (Largo, Fla) announces that effective April 1, 2006, US marketing rights for the Iodosorb™ and Iodoflex™ brands will transfer from Healthpoint (Fort Worth, Tex) to Smith & Nephew Wound Management.
       Smith & Nephew currently owns and markets Iodosorb and Iodoflex outside of the United States. For the past 10 years, Healthpoint has had exclusive marketing rights in the United States. With this transfer, Smith & Nephew will consolidate exclusive rights to market these brands worldwide.
       Iodosorb and Iodoflex are indicated for use in cleaning wet ulcers and wounds, such as venous stasis ulcers, pressure ulcers, and infected wounds. Iodosorb assists in protecting the wound area and reducing microbial load in the wound environment. The products also help deslough and absorb exudate from wet wounds and ulcers.
       Perstorp Specialty Chemicals AB will continue to manufacture the products. Customers will continue to receive the same product with the same indications with no changes to the ingredients, the manufacturing process, or the product performance.
       The packaging will be changed only to reflect the Smith & Nephew corporate branding and the new product codes.
       Smith & Nephew is advising its customers of this change now in order to ensure the appropriate lead time for planning a smooth transition in supply and service to distributors, clinicians, and patients. Orders for these products will continue to be processed by Healthpoint until March 31, 2006.
       Call 800-876-1261 for more information.

CMS Awards NPWT codes to BlueSky Versatile 1® Wound Vacuum System

       BlueSky Medical (La Costa, Calif) announces the company has received reimbursement approval from the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under HCPCS code E2402 for the company’s Versatile 1® Wound Vacuum System.
       Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is used to treat chronic, nonhealing wounds. BlueSky Medical is the second manufacturer to receive CMS coding for NPWT, now giving caregivers and patients a choice in treating wounds.
       Home care and acute care patients receiving NPWT will now benefit from the simplicity, flexibility, and minimal discomfort offered by the Versatile 1 Wound Vacuum System.
       Visit http://www.blueskymedical.com or http://www.npwt.com for more information.

Covalon Receives Approval for Sale of Wound Dressings in Canada

       Covalon (Mississauga, Ontario) announces it has received Health Canada Therapeutic Products Directorate Medical Device licenses for 3 products: ColActive Collagen™ wound dressing, ColActive Ag™ antimicrobial collagen wound dressing, and CovaClear Ag™ antimicrobial collagen/hydrogel wound dressing.
       The company can now expand sales by entering the Canadian acute and chronic care markets with an increased product offering across a greater range of treatment indications including pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, ulcers caused by mixed vascular etiologies, venous ulcers, first- and second-degree burns, donor and graft sites, abrasions and lacerations, dehisced surgical wounds, and traumatic wounds healing by secondary intention.
       Visit http://www.covalon.com or call (905) 568-8400 for more information.