US medical device company Pluromed bought by Sanofi

Pharmaceutical giant Sanofi is set to purchase Pluromed, an American medical device manufacturer.

It is thought that Sanofi will attempt to commercialise Pluromed’s surgical gel LeGoo, a move which will also allow the company to expand its presence in the biosurgery sector.

Sanofi said the acquisition is still subject to regulatory approval and “customary closing conditions.”

It is unknown how much the purchase has cost the pharmaceutical company, as no financial details have been released yet.

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Pluromed’s LeGoo is a surgical gel that is used to temporarily stem and control bleeding during surgical procedures.

The polymer-based gel is largely used in cardiovascular surgery and has received approval from European health regulators and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

LeGoo acts as a type of injectable plug and is inserted into blood vessels during operations to allow surgeons to work cleanly.

In a statement that released by Sanofi, William Cohn, a member of the Pluromed board, was quoted as saying: “I believe this technology will be widely adopted in cardiovascular surgery and perhaps in other fields in the future.”

Also commenting on the acquisition was Alison Lawton, the senior vice president and general manager at Sanofi Biosurgery.

She said: “The acquisition of Pluromed underscores Sanofi's commitment to strengthen its biosurgery portfolio.

“LeGoo is a breakthrough technology with the potential to change the paradigm of vascular and cardiovascular surgical procedures, by providing fast, temporary control of blood flow while avoiding vessel trauma associated with standard of care.”

It has been a busy week for Sanofi, who earlier this week launched a new gadget in the UK, the iBGStar, which enables diabetes patients to control and manage their blood sugar and glucose levels using their iPhone or iPod Touch.

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