Assets include the Confidence system, which consists of a proprietary delivery system and a novel polymethylmethacrylate bone cement that can be injected directly into vertebral bodies to treat compression fractures, a painful condition that occurs when one or more vertebrae collapse, usually as a result of osteoporosis.
The treatment results in significant pain reduction and the restoration of mobility in many patients. Additional acquired assets include next generation technologies in various stages of development for treating vertebral compression fractures.
Under a consent order issued in October 2007 by the US Federal Trade Commission, these assets had to be divested by Kyphon, who in December 2006 had entered into an agreement Disc-O-Tech to acquire such assets.
Gary Fischetti, president of DePuy Spine, said: “This acquisition is a significant growth opportunity for DePuy Spine in the aging spine category and fills an important place in an already extensive product portfolio. We are aggressively pursuing emerging technologies through our own R&D and with deals like this one.”