DePuy Synthes/JNJ Acquiring BioMedical Enterprises

DePuy Orthopaedics has acquired BioMedical Enterprises (BME), a manufacturer of Nitinol-based orthopaedic implants for small bone fixation used to treat bunions, hammertoes, hand and wrist deformities, etc.

The acquired technologies will be integrated into DePuy’s trauma portfolio, which was a declared area of strategic focus for the company, specifically called out during its 3Q15 earnings call.

BME, founded more than a decade ago, was among the first U.S. manufacturers of Nitinol metal implants for musculoskeletal fixation. It is based in Texas and serves the U.S. and select ex-U.S. markets. Its implants are packaged as sterilized and pre-loaded on a disposable insertion tool; the company also offers bone void filler, allograft and demineralized bone matrix.

The company’s first FDA-cleared product was a bone and marrow collection system in 1996; a steady cadence of clearances and launches have followed. Within 2015 alone, BME commenced U.S. launch of:

• The Speed Titan™ Nitinol Bone Fixation implant
• Speed Triad™ Nitinol Bone Fixation for use in distal 1st metatarsal osteotomies
• The Speed™ Hand and Wrist instrument system
• The BME Elite® Nitinol Bone Fixation system, designed to offer high strength, stiffness and rotational stability for high-load applications

In 1Q14, BME entered into a partnership with CellRight Technologies to support development and market penetration of OI® 100% human osteoinductive bone morphogenetic protein. Matrix OI is intended to support simple insertion and anchorage into irregularly-shaped gaps and voids, mitigating the chance of migration.

DePuy’s next-most-recent acquisition occurred in 1Q15 with the purchase of Olive Medical, a Utah-based, privately-held provider of high definition visualization systems for minimally invasive surgery.

Sources: DePuy Synthes Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Biomedical Enterprises, ORTHOWORLD Inc.