Ethicon seals Omrix deal
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Wound management division of J&J unit gains exclusive North American marketing and distribution rights for Crosseal fibrin sealant from Belgian firm Omrix Biopharmaceuticals, adding to an exclusive European pact from June 2003. The first non-bovine sealant to launch in the U.S., Crosseal originally was cleared via biologics license application in March 2003 for use as an adjunct to hemostasis in liver surgery patients. Ethicon notes the device has a triple lumen delivery mechanism that does not mix the human thrombin and biological active component until they reach the tip - a feature that may prevent clogging seen in other sealants. Baxter's Tisseel uses aprotinin, a protein derived from cow lungs, and is Crosseal's chief competitor (1"The Gray Sheet" July 28, 2003, p. 16)...