Exactech extends relationship with Hospital for Special Surgery

Pharmaceutical Business Review/Medical Devices—February 26, 2009   

Exactech, a developer and producer of bone and joint restoration products, has extended its knee development license with Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, to further advance implant designs for total knee replacement surgery.

Exactech plans to introduce a new knee implant as an evolution of its flagship Optetrak brand, as a result of this continued collaboration. Limited release of the new knee is expected in the second half of 2009.

Exactech and Hospital for Special Surgery began collaborating on knee implant development in 1992, which culminated in Exactech's licensure of Hospital for Special Surgery technologies. The resulting Optetrak comprehensive knee system has been marketed by Exactech since 1995 and represents approximately 45% of the company's sales.

It is reported that, through continued engineering and design development, Exactech and Hospital for Special Surgery defined further design opportunities for knee replacement technology and recently consummated an exclusive agreement to extend Exactech's license to manufacture and market this evolution of the Optetrak knee, which will be known as Optetrak Logic.

Dr. Thomas Sculco, surgeon-in-chief and Korein-Wilson professor of orthopedic surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery, said: "For a decade and a half, Hospital for Special Surgery has enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with Exactech. More than 200,000 total knee replacement patients worldwide have benefited from this relationship. This latest development represents an important advancement in total knee arthroplasty resulting from our partnership."