SAFIRA: Medovate, a UK-based medical device development company, has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Mercury Medical for exclusive distribution of the FDA-cleared device SAFIRA® (SAFer Injection for Regional Anesthesia) across the whole of the United States (US).
The agreement also includes the newly launched SAFIRA® Palm Operator which has been launched in the US market to offer anesthesiologists more versatility and choice when using the SAFIRA® regional anesthesia system.
In California Mercury Medical will also be distributing the SAFIRA® NRFit™ syringe, which provides an alternative to the Luer connection syringes with which the SAFIRA® system was originally introduced, further enhancing the system’s revolutionary benefits for patient safety.
Stuart Thomson, Managing Director of Medovate, said: “As our company grows, it has been our vision to centralize our USA distribution with a primary distributor to streamline processes and provide a single contact point for clinicians in the US interested in SAFIRA®. Mercury Medical has positioned themselves as a US leader in providing technological advances for clinicians in both airway solutions and anesthesia – a philosophy that aligns very well with Medovate and SAFIRA®. We are excited to this partnership with them as the primary distributor of our SAFIRA® system in the USA and look forward to entering this next phase of our journey.”
Developed with clinicians working in the UK’s NHS to promote safer injection during single-shot regional anesthesia peripheral nerve block procedures, the SAFIRA® system transforms regional anesthesia into a one-person procedure, giving the anesthesiologist full control of the injection at all times. It also includes a built-in safety mechanism to automatically limit injection pressure helping to reduce the risks of nerve damage, promoting patient safety.
Medovate has a co-promotional partnership agreement with Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas Inc. to promote best practice in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia across the US. Mercury Medical is also an appointed distributor for the Konica Minolta SONIMAGE HS2 portable ultrasound system, complementing their appointment as primary distributor of Medovate’s SAFIRA® technology.
Dr. John Gargaro, President and CEO at Mercury Medical, said: SAFIRA represents a superior solution by providing efficiency with integrated safety features designed to improve outcomes for patients receiving regional anesthesia. As a company, Mercury Medical has rich experience in introducing and training clinicians on innovative, clinically differentiated medical devices. We are well-positioned to provide the central point of contact for all of Medovate’s US sales and distribution requirements for a product offering that perfectly aligns with our mission.”
This year Mercury Medical will be attending the 47th Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting, organized by the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA), to showcase the SAFIRA® system. The meeting is one of the largest events for regional anesthesia professionals in the US and will be held March 31 – April 2, 2022, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Over 20 million regional anesthetic nerve blocks are performed each year throughout the EU and US (1). As the use of regional anesthesia continues to grow globally, the SAFIRA® system for safer injection during regional anesthesia provides a unique offering to anesthesiologists and their patients and has the potential to make a significant impact on improving patient safety in the US.
1. Fong-Soe-Khioe R. Health Economic report Medovate commissioned written by a health economist from the University of East Anglia (UEA)