Distribution agreement should reduce kidney injury in A/NZ

Osprey Medical has announced an agreement with medical distribution company Regional Health Care Group (RHCG), which will see RHCG exclusively distribute Osprey’s DyeVert contrast minimisation devices across Australia and New Zealand for the first time.

The technology is designed to reduce the amount of contrast dye required in heart procedures by an average of 40%, allowing healthcare professionals to address the rising problem of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) following heart imaging procedures in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Approximately 25% of patients presenting for heart procedures are at risk of having a CI-AKI event — which frequently leads to negative patient outcomes, longer hospital stays and, in some cases, kidney failure and death — and it is a fast-growing problem because of the global increase in obesity and diabetes.

With over 40 years of experience in supplying medical equipment, contrast media and medical consumables to the radiology and cardiology imaging sector across Australia, RHCG is well placed to add Osprey Medical’s products to its portfolio. The three-year agreement complements the strategic alliance announced by Osprey earlier this year with GE Healthcare, which provides for its exclusive distribution of Osprey’s product portfolio in Europe, Russia, Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and Turkey.

“We are excited to enter this agreement with RHCG, which will see the Australian-developed technology coming to the Australian and New Zealand markets,” said Osprey President and CEO Mike McCormick. “Our technology originates from Australia and it has been a long-held desire to offer it to Australian healthcare professionals. This agreement is the first step in addressing the rising issue of CI-AKI as a result of heart imaging procedures in patients with CKD.”

“Regional Health Care Group has unrivalled experience of representing medical technology that supports clinicians in the areas of cardiology, radiology and nephrology,” added RHCG General Manager Stephen Doorey. “We are excited about the DyeVert technology and the impact it will have on reducing the numbers of CKD patients with CI-AKI and ultimately reduce the cost of these patients on hospitals across Australia and NZ.”

Chris Nave, CEO of the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF), highlighted the significance of Osprey Medical’s technology and its introduction into the Australian and New Zealand markets.

“The technology is the only FDA-approved product that reduces the amount of dye which reaches the kidneys in coronary procedures, the cause of contrast-induced kidney injury, and despite challenges with the share price, we believe that the company’s fundamentals remain strong and that its future is bright,” Nave said.

“It is fantastic that this technology will now be available to protect patients in Australian hospitals undergoing procedures requiring angiography, particularly as it was invented locally by Professor David Kaye, a world-renowned heart failure specialist from Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital and Baker Heart and Diabetes Research Institute.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Sergey Nivens

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