LONDON, Feb. 22, 2017
/PRNewswire/ -- Smith & Nephew plc (LSE: SN, NYSE: SNN), the
global medical technology business, today announces it has taken a
strategic investment and signed a distribution agreement with Leaf
Healthcare, a developer of a unique wireless patient monitoring
system for pressure ulcer/injury prevention.
This agreement supports Smith & Nephew's strategic priority
to innovate for value by delivering solutions that help healthcare
professionals better improve the life of their patients.
"Smith & Nephew is focused on providing not just products to
treat conditions, but also supporting customers through
technologies designed to support prevention as well as treatment,"
said Glenn Warner, President U.S.,
Smith & Nephew. "The Leaf Patient Monitoring System is designed
to help reduce the risk of developing ulcers/injuries as part of a
full clinical protocol, making it highly complementary to Smith
& Nephew's existing portfolio in this area such as ALLEVYN Life
prophylactic dressings and SECURA skin care products."
The Leaf Patient Monitoring System is comprised of a small,
lightweight, wearable sensor that wirelessly monitors a patient's
position and movement and uses that data to automate and document
the management of prescribed turn protocols for patients at risk
for ulcers/injuries.
Leaf Healthcare is a privately owned California-based business founded by
Barrett Larson and Daniel Shen, graduates of the Stanford University School of Medicine. As students
at Stanford, they recognized an unmet
need for a data-driven, automated solution for patient turning and
began working to develop the Leaf Patient Monitoring System.
"The benefits of patient turning and improved patient mobility
are well recognized, including the potential for shorter hospital
stays," said Barrett Larson, MD,
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Leaf Healthcare. "Aligning
with Smith & Nephew will enable us to make our award-winning
technology available to clinicians across the U.S., helping prevent
pressure ulcers/injuries to the great benefit of patients and
healthcare payers."
The Leaf Patient Monitoring System is currently available in
the United States where it is in a
limited number of hospitals that are seeking to prevent pressure
ulcer/injuries in their facilities. This partnership enables this
technology to reach a nationwide customer base and is the next step
in using technology to change the standard of care.
The Leaf Patient Monitoring System was named most innovative
pressure ulcer/injury prevention product in North America 2016 by Frost & Sullivan.
The quantum of Smith & Nephew's investment in Leaf Healthcare
has not been disclosed.
About Smith & Nephew
Smith & Nephew is a
global medical technology business dedicated to helping healthcare
professionals improve people's lives. With leadership positions in
Orthopaedic Reconstruction, Advanced Wound Management, Sports
Medicine and Trauma & Extremities, Smith & Nephew has
around 15,000 employees and a presence in more than 100 countries.
Annual sales in 2016 were more than $4.6
billion. Smith & Nephew is a member of the FTSE100
(LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN).
For more information about Smith & Nephew, please visit our
website www.smith-nephew.com, follow @SmithNephewplc on Twitter or
visit SmithNephewplc on Facebook.com.
Forward-looking Statements
This document may
contain forward-looking statements that may or may not prove
accurate. For example, statements regarding expected revenue growth
and trading margins, market trends and our product pressure
ulcer/injury preventioneline are forward-looking statements.
Phrases such as "aim", "plan", "intend", "anticipate",
"well-placed", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target",
"consider" and similar expressions are generally intended to
identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
what is expressed or implied by the statements. For Smith &
Nephew, these factors include: economic and financial conditions in
the markets we serve, especially those affecting health care
providers, payers and customers; price levels for established and
innovative medical devices; developments in medical technology;
regulatory approvals, reimbursement decisions or other government
actions; product defects or recalls or other problems with quality
management systems or failure to comply with related regulations;
litigation relating to patent or other claims; legal compliance
risks and related investigative, remedial or enforcement actions;
disruption to our supply chain or operations or those of our
suppliers; competition for qualified personnel; strategic actions,
including acquisitions and dispositions, our success in performing
due diligence, valuing and integrating acquired businesses;
disruption that may result from transactions or other changes we
make in our business plans or organisation to adapt to market
developments; and numerous other matters that affect us or our
markets, including those of a political, economic, business,
competitive or reputational nature. Please refer to the documents
that Smith & Nephew has filed with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, including Smith & Nephew's most recent annual
report on Form 20-F, for a discussion of certain of these factors.
Any forward-looking statement is based on information available to
Smith & Nephew as of the date of the statement. All written or
oral forward-looking statements attributable to Smith & Nephew
are qualified by this caution. Smith & Nephew does not
undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statement to reflect any change in circumstances or in Smith &
Nephew's expectations.
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SOURCE Smith & Nephew plc