Smiths Medical, Minneapolis, has formed an exclusive partnership with Boston-based Ivenix Inc. that positions the companies as the first in the United States to offer a comprehensive suite of infusion management solutions to meet healthcare needs across the continuum of care. The long-term partnership, which includes a strategic investment from Smiths Medical, unites two innovators under a common goal of revolutionizing infusion management to improve patient safety and meet the needs of healthcare providers today and into the future.
Ivenix, a medical technology company dedicated to eliminating infusion-related patient harm, developed the first and only large-volume infusion pump from the ground up to meet the latest U.S. FDA infusion pump guidelines addressing recurring safety issues with pumps. Ensuring patient safety and clinical efficiency are critical components of successful life-saving infusion management. Today, infusion-related errors account for more than 50% of the 1.5 million adverse drug events reported annually to the FDA, and infusion-related adverse drug events cost the healthcare system more than $2 billion annually.
Smiths Medical’s complementary portfolio of market-leading infusion systems CADD-Solis and Medfusion include syringe and ambulatory pumps that serve adult and neonatal critical care, operating rooms, and pain management in both the hospital and home. By adding the Ivenix Infusion System to its U.S. product portfolio, Smiths Medical will accelerate its offering into the large-volume infusion device segment, which is estimated to be over $2 billion.
“As a researcher focused on large volume IV smart pumps, I am well aware of the many safety and usability issues that exist with current products,” says Karen K. Giuliano, PhD, RN, FAAN, MBA, an associate professor and co-director of the Nursing-Engineering Center for Innovation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “Innovation in IV smart pumps is long overdue, and I am happy to see new options for acute care clinicians to consider for the delivery of life-saving fluids and medications in this very important area of patient safety.”
“The long-term partnership between Smiths Medical and Ivenix will ensure that we are bringing the next generation of infusion management solutions to hospitals across the U.S. and fulfills our commitment to helping connect patients to life-saving therapies and insights to providers,” says JehanZeb Noor, Smiths Medical CEO. “Our investment in Ivenix will help spur the research and development needed to continue building on this critical resource and provide holistic solutions for hospitals and health systems.”
The Ivenix Infusion System includes a large-volume infusion pump with administration sets, infusion management tools, and analytics to inform care and advance efficiency. The system received 510(k) clearance in 2019. The system is centered around both the patient and clinician and designed to reduce infusion-related errors and drive down the total cost of ownership.
“This partnership allows us to accelerate the commercial reach of our infusion platform, and together provide a portfolio of leading-edge infusion solutions to deliver the highest standard of safe and integrated infusion care,” says Ivenix CEO Jorgen B. Hansen.
Smiths Medical will launch the Ivenix Infusion System as part of its infusion portfolio in the summer of 2021.