Georgia's Femasys will use international device giant Smith & Nephew ($SNN) to advance national distribution in the U.S. of one of its signature women's health diagnostic devices.
Smith & Nephew said it will become the sole U.S. distributor of Femasys' FemVue Saline-Air Device, which is designed to help evaluate a women's fallopian tubes to determine if she can become pregnant.
Neither side is disclosing financial terms. But Smith & Nephew said it became interested in the product because it complements the company's Truclear system, a uterine care device designed to remove polyps or fibroids. FemVue could help detect both growths, which can cause infertility. Another gain: Smith & Nephew gets to buttress its women's care options, beyond the company's focus on orthopedic reconstruction, advanced wound management, sports medicine and trauma.
Femasys--which launched in 2004 and is based in Atlanta--will gain a larger reach for FemVue thanks to Smith & Nephew's sophisticated distribution system.
"We are excited to begin this partnership with Smith & Nephew and are confident FemVue's reach will be greatly expanded," Femasys President and CEO Kathy Lee-Sepsick said in a statement.
FemVue is also the latest product meant to offer cost-effective treatment options. It's designed to be used in the doctor's office and help supplant more expensive diagnostic procedures typically performed in the hospital or radiology center. And in an era where providers and insurers are focused on controlling cost, FemVue has a chance to reach a wide audience, and Smith & Nephew gains from its association with the product.
Back in June 2012, Femasys secured a $4 million loan from GE Capital's healthcare financial services arm to help advance development work and product commercialization efforts.
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