Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB:QMDT) announced today that its
licensee, Derma Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:DSCI), has entered into an
exclusive distribution agreement with Medline Industries whereby Medline
will market and sell BIOGUARD™ wound dressings with Quick-Med’s
proprietary NIMBUS antimicrobial technology. The agreement covers the
acute care segment of the health care market, which includes nearly
6,000 hospitals in the United States plus surgery centers, wound care
centers, and other associated health care facilities. Sales under this
new agreement are expected to start later this month.
Medline is America's largest privately-held distributor of health care
products. With more than 800 sales representatives nationwide, Medline
is a leading distributor of medical products to hospitals, extended care
facilities, surgery centers, home care dealers and agencies. Medline
serves as the primary distributor to more than 250 major hospitals and
health care systems and is the second largest distributor of traditional
wound care products to acute care facilities. Its sustained record of
growth has earned the distinction of being the fastest growing
distributor of medical and surgical supplies in the U.S. over the past 5
years.
The new arrangement with Medline is expected to take account of the
newly expanded range of wound dressing product formats included in
Quick-Med’s recently announced amendment to Derma Sciences’ NIMBUS
license. According to Derma Sciences, BIOGUARD will be a key new product
introduction in 2010 for Medline, adding to Medline’s list of
proprietary wound care products in the United States.
"Quick-Med is delighted that Derma Sciences is partnering with Medline
to bring our unique NIMBUS technology to the acute care market,” said J.
Ladd Greeno, Quick-Med’s CEO. "We are thrilled that Medline’s vast sales
organization will be promoting BIOGUARD dressings with NIMBUS
technology. Medline’s established market leader position with many Group
Purchasing Organization agreements already in place will facilitate and
accelerate adoption of our innovative NIMBUS technology.”
Derma Sciences has also announced that it will double its own sales
force from 10 to 20 sales representatives during 2010 with continued
focus outside of acute care. With this expanded sales team, Derma
Sciences will continue to directly market and sell BIOGUARD dressings in
its core market segments.
Commenting on this new contract, Derma Sciences’ CEO Ed Quilty stated,
"With almost 6,000 hospitals in the US, a very large specialty sales
force is necessary for optimal penetration into this market. Medline is
a proven leader in acute care, both in traditional and advanced wound
care. They are a perfect partner for us to maximize BIOGUARD sales.”
Quick-Med expects NIMBUS to become an important technology in the $14
billion global wound care market as wound care companies and health care
professionals look for more effective and efficient ways to prevent
infections and avoid cross-contamination. The aging population will
continue to drive significant growth in the wound care market while
continuing attention on reducing hospital infection rates will
accelerate the push for cost-effective antimicrobial dressings.
NIMBUS is the first non-leaching antimicrobial available in a wound
dressing. It received U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance in
February, 2009 and Derma Sciences introduced its BIOGUARD dressings in
June 2009. BIOGUARD dressings are the first wound care products to
feature Quick-Med’s novel, FDA-cleared NIMBUS technology. The dressings
serve as a barrier to infection, kill germs absorbed into the dressing,
and do not interfere with tissue healing. The NIMBUS active agent
maintains effectiveness even in the presence of large amounts of
proteinaceous exudates.
The Company believes that being the only non-leaching antimicrobial
dressing is an important distinction; other antimicrobial dressings rely
on the release of chemicals to the wound bed that can impede the wound
healing process. By design, NIMBUS poses no risk of bacteria developing
resistance. NIMBUS technology is protected by nine U.S. patents and
patents pending and 24 foreign counterparts.
Further information about the amendment to the Patent and Technology
Licensing Agreement will be available through a Current Report on Form
8-K to be filed on or before Friday, February 19, 2010.
About Quick-Med Technologies, Inc.
Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. is a life sciences company that is
developing innovative technologies for the healthcare and consumer
markets. Quick-Med is developing NIMBUS applications in several other
advanced wound dressing formats including adhesives, foams, hydrogels,
films, and hydrocolloids. For more information, see: www.quickmedtech.com.
© 2010 Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. NIMBUS®
is a registered trademark of Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. BIOGUARD™
is a trademark of Derma Sciences, Inc.
Forward-looking statements (statements which are not historical
facts) in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For this
purpose, any statements contained in this release that are not
statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking
statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such
as "may", "will", "to", "expect", "plan", "believe", "anticipate",
"intend", "could", "would", "estimate", and/or "continue" or the
negative or other variations thereof or comparable terminology are
intended to identify forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties, including those risks that are discussed in the Company's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which may
be accessed at the SEC's Edgar System at www.sec.gov.
