Kensey Nash Corporation, a medical device manufacturer specializing in absorbable biomaterials, has announced a partnership with OraPharma, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company with an initial focus on the periodontal market, to distribute Kensey Nash Corporation's absorbable Epi-Guide(R) Periodontal Barrier Matrix and Drilac(R) Surgical Dressing products in the United States and Canada.
The polymer-based Epi-Guide(R) membrane is indicated in periodontal restorative procedures to maintain space around teeth to allow the proper healing of the bone and periodontal support tissues. It utilizes a proprietary three-layer design, beneficial in the vigorous uptake of fluid and the encouragement of cellular attachment and proliferation within the membrane. The structure acts as a soft tissue barrier for a minimum of 14 weeks before absorbing over time.
Drilac(R) Surgical Dressing is a unique product indicated to prevent a painful condition called dry socket following the removal of third mandibular molars.
Over the last 18 months, OraPharma has become a leading developer and marketer of a specialty pharmaceutical in the periodontal field. The Company's initial offering, Arestin(TM), is a locally delivered antibiotic launched in the U.S. in April 2001. In the 16 months since the product's launch, Arestin(TM) has been sold to more than 14,000 dental practitioners.
"OraPharma has an excellent infrastructure to reach the target U.S. market for our periodontal/oral products," commented Joe Kaufmann, president and CEO of Kensey Nash Corporation. "We believe OraPharma's lead product offering constitutes a highly complementary sale for our Epi-Guide(R) membrane and Drilac(R) surgical dressing. We plan to work closely with OraPharma to explore the development of additional biomaterial-based products to address other opportunities in the periodontal/oral field. We are looking forward to a successful and growing relationship," he said.
Michael D. Kishbauch, president and CEO of OraPharma, Inc., added, "Kensey Nash is a leading developer of biomaterial-based medical devices. We are proud to have a strategic relationship with them, and to be able to offer our customer base additional proprietary product concepts. We hope to expand this relationship and to distribute additional Kensey Nash products in the future," he concluded.
