HEALTHPOINT Creates HEALTHPOINT Surgical Division, Launches Oasis Wound Matrix Product to New Markets

FORT WORTH, Texas -- H. Paul Dorman, president and CEO of HEALTHPOINT, Ltd., a Texas-based market leader in skin asepsis, tissue management, and dermatology products, has announced the formation of HEALTHPOINT Surgical, a new division of the company that will further expand infection prevention research, development, and product availability and launch one of HEALTHPOINT's most innovative products, Oasis Wound Matrix, to the surgical market.

The company's former Infection Prevention division -- which has gained worldwide recognition through its patented Trizenol technology used in skin asepsis in preparation for surgery -- will be the foundation of HEALTHPOINT Surgical Division.

"We are marking the next stage in the evolution of our pharmaceutical and advanced medical and surgical device business as we further extend our skin and soft tissue capabilities," stated Dorman. "HEALTHPOINT Surgical will leverage our core competencies in liquid/semi-solid formulation and manufacturing, dermatology drug actives, and acquisition/licensing depth for the future."

In addition to Trizenol-based products such as the popular preoperative asepsis Triseptin, the brush-free surgical scrub, the new division will meet surgical marketplace demand for Oasis, an innovative biomaterial that provides a supportive environment to allow a patient's body to heal itself. The product will now be marketed so that surgeons and other specialists will have access to this breakthrough technology, a natural, extracellular matrix that can manage a variety of wounds by helping the body rebuild and repair damaged tissue.

"Wounds represent a substantial economic burden, especially to our aging society," said Paul Duesterhoft, who is heading the sales, marketing, and business development efforts for HEALTHPOINT Surgical. "Oasis has set a new standard for wound management products and provides an exciting option for managing a wide variety of wounds when placed in the hands of the surgeons and practitioners across the country."

Oasis can be used in the management of partial and full-thickness skin loss injuries from surgical and trauma wounds; autograft donor sites; second degree burns; pressure, venous and chronic vascular ulcers; diabetic ulcers; abrasions, according to the company.

SIS Technology, on which Oasis is based, works by extracting a naturally derived, extracellular matrix material from the submucosal layer of porcine small intestines, material that combines remarkable strength and flexible handling. The submucosa (found between the mucosal and muscular layers) provides strength to the intestine through a complex organization of structural and functional proteins and molecules that forms a three- dimensional matrix. It is extracted in a manner that removes all cells but leaves the complex matrix intact.

Since its inception in 1992, HEALTHPOINT has established a national presence in the research, development, and marketing of branded pharmaceuticals, over the counter drugs, and medical devices for the tissue management, dermatology, and surgical divisions. An aggressive research and development effort has brought HEALTHPOINT's unique technologies to the market, setting the pace for its highly trained national field sales organization of direct sales representatives. HEALTHPOINT, with over 250 employees, is a DFB Pharmaceuticals, Inc. affiliate company.

Based in Fort Worth, Texas, DFB provides technology-driven products, outsourcing services and licensing opportunities to the healthcare industry worldwide through its affiliate companies, contract partners, and branded marketing organizations.

Source: PRNewswire