A Medical Device Daily

Mindray Medical International (Shenzhen, China) reported that its Datascope Patient Monitoring Division (DPM) has received a contract renewal for a new three-year agreement with Health Trust Purchasing Group (HPG; Brentwood, Tennessee).

Under the renewed agreement, effective as of Oct. 1, Mindray's DPM division will provide its entire portfolio of patient monitoring products to HPG members, which include more than 1,300 not-for-profit and for-profit acute-care facilities, as well as ambulatory surgery centers and alternate-care sites.

DPM was one of only three vendors selected for this product category, reducing the total number of approved vendors from the prior contract periods.

"Given the inclusion of our entire DPM portfolio in the new contract and the reduced numbers of vendors selected, we believe Mindray will be able to expand its presence with HPG members and further our efforts in increasing our penetration within North America," said David Gibson, president of Mindray. "DPM's patient monitoring devices are considered best-in-class and this renewed agreement highlights the quality of our products and further strengthens Mindray's position as a leader in the sector."

Mindray is a developer of patient monitoring & life support products, in vitro diagnostic products and medical imaging systems.

In other agreements/contracts news:

• StemCor Systems, (Menlo Park, California), a company developing systems for enabling regenerative medicine, reported that it has signed an agreement with Hospira (Lake Forest, Illinois) to develop and commercialize StemCor's proprietary system for the harvest of bone marrow.

StemCor will develop the system for Hospira, and Hospira will manage the clinical trial program, leading to commercialization. The system has 510(k) clearance from the FDA and the CE mark in Europe, and Hospira plans to initiate post-approval clinical use studies in early 2009 to support product launch thereafter.

Under the agreement, Hospira will market the device to Oncologists, Hematologists and other physicians specializing in bone marrow transplantation.

• NanoPacific Holdings (Los Angeles) reported it has executed two additional licenses with the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) for nanoemulsons (including double nanoemulsions) and polypeptides.

These nano technologies are highly adaptable and may be used in a variety of applications. Under the terms of agreement between NPH and UCLA, NPH will have an exclusive worldwide license to key intellectual property.

These are integral components of NPH's nano controlled-delivery platform and provide complementary novel technologies to its porous nanoparticles, previously licensed from UCLA, capable of storing and selectively releasing guest molecules via nanoscale gates that can be opened and closed at will on the surface of the nanoparticles. This will significantly expand NPH's nano controlled-delivery capabilities.

NPH is a privately-held research and development company focused on commercializing its unique patented nanotechnology portfolio which it has exclusively licensed from UCLA.

• TomoTherapy (Madison, Wisconsin) maker of the Hi Art treatment system for advanced radiation therapy, reported that it has signed a supply agreement with Novation (Irving, Texas), the healthcare contracting services company of VHA, the University HealthSystem Consortium and Provista (all Irving, Texas).

The TomoTherapy Hi Art treatment system is the only radiation therapy solution to use a CT-style ring gantry design, CT-based image guidance and two distinct delivery modes that share an efficient, consistent treatment planning and delivery process. TomoHelical mode enables delivery from all angles around the patient in multiple, 360-degree rotations. The new TomoDirect mode allows clinicians to choose up to 12 discrete angles for treatment delivery. The choice of which modality to use for a given case depends on the nature of the tumor volume and surrounding organs at risk.

VHA is a nationwide network of more than 1,400 not-for-profit community hospitals and UHC is an alliance of leading academic health centers.

Provista, comprised of 13,000 healthcare and education customers, is a group purchasing and business solutions organization jointly owned by VHA and UHC and formed to serve organizations that are not members of either alliance.

• Premier Purchasing Partners (San Diego) reported a new agreement for cardiac ultrasound contrast media with Lantheus Medical Imaging (North Billerica, Massachusetts).

The new agreement includes the Definity cardiac ultrasound agent formerly available through Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS, New York). In January 2008, Bristol-Myers Squibb sold its medical imaging division to Avista Capital Partners; the new company was named Lantheus Medical Imaging (Medical Device Daily, March 20, 2008).

Effective Dec. 1, the 36-month agreement is available to acute-care and continuum-of-care members of the Premier healthcare alliance.