CareFusion and Terumo team up to cash in on catheters

Japanese medical device giant Terumo has inked a deal with CareFusion ($CFN) to jump-start U.S. sales of its IV catheters, counting on its partner's experience and share of the market to boost its stateside revenue.

Under the 8-year deal, the San Diego-headquartered CareFusion will market and distribute Terumo's SurFlash and SurFlash Plus, devices designed to ease catheter placement that have been shown to boost first-attempt success rates by 20%. Neither company is disclosing financial details, but the partners believe combining Terumo's technology with CareFusion's existing vascular access portfolio will spell profits down the line.

"CareFusion's world-class clinical and commercial presence in acute care infusion will accelerate the U.S. market impact of these safety products faster than Terumo might otherwise achieve," Terumo CEO Hideo Arase said in a statement. "The synergies are clear."

SurFlash and SurFlash Plus are safety devices that encapsulate catheterization needles to avoid unwanted sticks, all while providing visual confirmation of when both the needle and catheter enter a patient's vessel, slashing the risk of failed attempts, the partners said.

Terumo, already Japan's largest medical device outfit, has been on an expansion quest over the past year, buying its way into Turkey in the fall after bolstering its R&D operation in Ireland and teaming up with BSD Medical to grow its share of the cardiovascular market.

- read the statement