Medovate signs exclusive agreement with Vygon to distribute regional anaesthesia device

Medovate and Vygon Group have signed an exclusive deal to distribute SAFIRA (SAFer Injection for Regional Anaesthesia) across 60 countries. Vygon will start a phased launch of SAFIRA in Europe at the end of 2020, with other global markets to follow.

Developed in collaboration with UK NHS clinicians, SAFIRA transforms the technique of Peripheral Nerve Blockade into a one-person procedure, giving the anaesthetist full control of the injection at all times. This technology also improves patient safety by helping reduce the risk of nerve damage, as it prevents anaesthetic from being injected at high pressures. Furthermore, economic modelling has shown SAFIRA has the potential to help generate significant time and cost savings in a medical setting.

The European Society for Regional Anaesthesia (ESRA) has recommended that regional anaesthesia be considered whenever surgery is planned for a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient. Regional anaesthesia preserves respiratory function and avoids aerosolisation and the potential for transmission of COVID-19, compared to general anaesthesia. By making regional anaesthesia a one-person procedure, SAFIRA helps hospitals meet these recent recommendations. 

Vygon is one of the largest independent French medical device companies. It supplies more than 205 million products globally per year. Medovate is a medtech company that develops essential new technologies created through its development pipeline of NHS innovations, with a focus on anaesthesia, airway, critical care and surgery.

Medovate MD Stuart Thomson said: “This agreement with Vygon marks a significant milestone in the launch of SAFIRA across Europe, the US and a number of other markets. This will help establish Medovate on the world stage as a recognised medical device developer and manufacturer.”

John Kerridge, Vice President, Anaesthesia & Emergency Business Unit, Vygon, added: “This is a very exciting partnership for Vygon. The SAFIRA technology, in terms of its impact on patient safety and clinical end-user efficiency, is in-line with our overall objective of patient/practitioner-based healthcare solutions.”

It is estimated that ten million regional anaesthesia procedures are performed across Europe every year. As the use of regional anaesthesia continues to grow steadily across Europe, SAFIRA has the potential to make a significant impact.