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Smith & Nephew provides update on NPWT business developments in European market
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The Advanced Wound Management division of Smith & Nephew Inc. has released an update on its Negative Pressure Wound Therapy position in the European market, including the status of recent legal, regulatory and research developments.
“Recent favorable court decisions in Germany and France, combined with our upcoming listing on the U.K. Drug Tariff and our participation in an important clinical trial in Germany, are all evidence that Smith & Nephew continues to be a respected and reliable supplier of NPWT [Negative Pressure Wound Therapy] products,” Robin Carlstein, senior vice president of Advanced Wound Devices at Smith & Nephew, stated in a company release. “We look forward to continuing to provide our full range of products to the European market.”
In the courtroom, Smith & Nephew has recently won against claims of alleged patent infringement made by a competitor in courts in Germany and France. These decisions follow favorable patent litigation results in other countries, both in Europe and elsewhere. The company noted in the release that it is not restricted by any court from selling current NPWT products in any country where they are currently offered.
According to the release, Smith & Nephew’s PICO NPWT System has been granted community reimbursement status in the United Kingdom and will be listed on the U.K. Drug Tariff beginning August 1. In Germany, community reimbursement is expected by 2014 in addition to the existing hospital reimbursement. PICO will offer clinicians simplified, disposable and cost-effective treatment solutions allowing NPWT to benefit a wider group of patients with wounds, according to the release.
Smith & Nephew has also been selected to participate in a national study in Germany on NPWT for various types of wounds. Starting October 1, 2011, up to 7,000 insured individuals will be treated in a hospital or outpatient setting with this new vacuum-assisted wound closure therapy in the context of a clinical trial.