Surmodics has acquired the business of Alta Biomed, expanding its portfolio of hemocompatible and biocompatible surface technologies and adding specialized testing capabilities for blood- and tissue-contacting medical devices.
Carlsbad, California-based Alta Biomed specializes in medical device coating and testing services for vascular and other medical devices.
A key component of the acquisition is Alta Biomed’s proprietary PzF thin-film surface modification technology, which provides Surmodics with an additional anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory and pro-healing surface technology.
PzF is an ultra-thin polymer surface modification designed to improve hemocompatibility for materials and devices that come into contact with blood and tissue.
The technology has more than 20 years of history in medical device applications and has received six FDA clearances and one premarket approval. It is currently commercialized in cardiovascular and embolization technologies.
PzF can be applied across substrates including metals, polymers, medical fabrics and tissue. Potential device applications include stents, grafts, catheters, filters, nitinol devices, ePTFE products and PET or polyester materials.
The acquisition also expands Surmodics’ analytical testing operations. Alta Biomed’s Carlsbad facility has expertise in coating integrity assessment, acute particulate testing and dynamic human blood loop testing used to compare coated and uncoated medical devices.
Surmodics has assumed Alta Biomed’s ongoing Carlsbad operations, giving the company a West Coast location closer to medical device developers throughout California and surrounding markets.
Existing Alta Biomed programs will continue as the PzF technology and testing capabilities are integrated into the broader Surmodics organization. Chris Nocera, Alta Biomed’s Vice President of Engineering, will lead the Carlsbad site.
The acquisition supports Surmodics’ strategy of building a broader portfolio of coatings, surface modification technologies, specialty biomaterials and technical services that can support device developers from early feasibility and technology selection through testing, process development and commercialization.
KEY QUOTES:
“As medical device innovation advances in neuromodulation, brain-computer interfaces, neurovascular, structural heart, and venous and arterial technologies, engineers and scientists need a broader range of surface technology options to address increasingly complex blood-contacting applications. PzF gives our customers another proven thin-film surface modification to consider as they develop the next generation of devices.”
Charlie Olson, President of Surmodics Coatings, Biomaterials and Catheter Technologies
“This acquisition is a natural and exciting next step for our team. Joining Surmodics provides the scale, established leadership and global access to reach more patients with our advanced coating technologies.”
Chris Nocera, Vice President of Engineering at Alta Biomed
