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2000s

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 2007
  • December: Smith & Nephew announces international launch of new ALLEVYN◊ Gentle and ALLEVYN◊ Gentle Border wound dressings.

    Smith & Nephew launches new ALLEVYN◊ product range at European Customer Conference

    Smith & Nephew Endoscopy expands line of CLEAR-TRAC◊ surgical cannulas.
  • October: Smith & Nephew wins prestigious Manufacturer of the Year 2007 award.

     New collaboration to develop orthopaedic adult stem cell therapies.

    Smith & Nephew announces international launch of new ALLEVYN◊ Ag antimicrobial dressing range.
  • September: Smith & Nephew Endoscopy’s KINSA◊ RC Suture Anchor Designed for Secure Repair of Rotator Cuff Injuries.

    York-based company to pioneer skin repair for cancer sufferers.
  • July:Smith & Nephew launches JOURNEY◊ DEUCE◊ knee system.
  • June:Smith & Nephew Endoscopy Launches the 560 Series – A Complete, End-to-End High Definition Surgical Camera System.
  • May: Smith & Nephew enters the negative pressure wound therapy market through the acquisition of BlueSky Medical Group, a privately-held company headquartered in Carlsbad, California, for an initial payment of $15 million.

    Sir Christopher O’Donnell retired as Chief Executive after 10 years in post. David Illingworth has been Chief Operating Officer of Smith & Nephew since February 2006, is to Chief Executive with effect from July 1st 2007.  Prior to his appointment as Chief Operating Officer he was President of Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics division.
  • March: Smith & Nephew plc, the global medical technology business, announced today that it has agreed the purchase of Plus Orthopedics Holding AG ("Plus") a private Swiss orthopaedic company for a total of CHF◊ 1086 million ($889 million) in cash, including assumed debt.  The product range is highly complementary to Smith & Nephew's and includes threaded acetabular cups and revision products for hips, hinged fixed and mobile bearing designs for knees. Plus has manufacturing facilities in Switzerland and China.
 
 2006
  • September:Two of the Company's new products were recognized by the Wall Street Journal's 2006 Technology Innovation Awards.
  • July: Smith & Nephew plc announced today its acquisition of privately-held, Texas-based, OsteoBiologics, Inc. (OBI). OBI markets innovative bioabsorbable bone graft substitutes (BGS) in Europe to repair cartilage defects in the knee and offers the TruFitTM BGS Plugs in the U.S. as a bone void filler..
  • May: Smith & Nephew plc receives approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use of the BIRMINGHAM HIP◊ Resurfacing system in the United States..
  • April: Smith & Nephew plc, announces its results for the first time in US dollars.

    Orthopaedic Reconstruction announced the launch of the JOURNEY◊ Bi-Cruciate Stablized Knee System, the first knee replacement system designed to restore natural knee motion.

    US Food and Drug Administration approved the BIRMINGHAM HIP◊ resurfacing system for use in the United States.
  • March: Endoscopy division announced the release of the CONDOR◊ Control System for operating rooms, a surgical command centre that puts medical staff in control of the devices, patient information and even the lighting and temperature of the operating room.
  • February: John Buchanan, deputy Chairman, will take over as Chairman following the retirement of Dudley Eustace at the AGM on 27 April. David Illingworth promoted to Chief Operating Officer and Board director.

    Completion of sale of 50% interest in BSN medical to Montagu Private Equity.
 
 2005
  • December: Smith & Nephew and Beiersdorf AG announced that they signed an agreement to sell their 50/50 joint venture BSN medical, Hamburg, to Montagu Private Equity for €1.030 billion.

    Launch of the LEGION◊ Revision Knee System, featuring Smith & Nephew's proprietary material OXINIUM◊, oxidized zirconium alloy. 
  • September: Smith & Nephew awarded the ASM International 2005 Engineering Materials Achievement Award for its OXINIUM◊ technology.
  • August: Launch of AchieveCAS◊ for computer-assisted knee implant surgery. AchieveCAS◊ is a computer system with custom designed software, infrared camera and surgical instruments. The system is designed to allow the surgeon to navigate a total knee during surgery, allowing surgeons to more precisely place implants, particularly within smaller incisions, through enhanced guidance and visualisation.

  • February: Multi-speciality digital operating room launched thus creating more efficient, cost effective and technologically advanced operating rooms for surgical centres worldwide.

    PERI-LOC◊ Periarticular Locked Plating System introduced, a trauma plating device used to treat lower extremity bone fractures. 
 
 2004
  • March: Acquisition of leading hip resurfacing business, MMT and their BIRMINGHAM HIP◊ Resurfacing product.

    Endoscopy division announced the launch of a new camera system, including the medical device industry's first progressive scan autoclavable camera for use in endoscopy surgery.
  • February: Smith & Nephew acquires VERSAJET◊ surgical debridement product from HydroCision Inc to add to its growing range of advanced wound bed preparation products.
 
 2003
  • November: Smith & Nephew launches new Advanced Wound Management product GLADASE◊ as a replacement for SANTYL in the US.
  • August: Smith & Nephew agrees to sell its 21½% interest in AbilityOne Corporation for £49m in cash.
 
 2002
  • November: Completion of $12 million acquisition of the DERMAGRAFT◊ joint venture from Advanced Tissue Sciences Inc.
  • March: Sale of Rehabilitation business to AbilityOne, a portfolio company of one equity partners. AbilityOne is a leading supplier in the US of Rehabilitation products to hospitals, nursing homes and clinics. Smith & Nephew retains a 21.5% interest in the business.
  • February: Purchase of ORATEC announced, a medical device innovator in the use of thermal energy to treat joint and spine disorders.
 
 2001
  • October: The FDA approves the Pre - market Approval Application for DERMAGRAFT◊ for the treatment of chronic foot ulcers in patients with diabetes. DERMAGRAFT◊ can now be made available for sale in the US.
  • May: Smith & Nephew acquires burns business and exclusive licence to new woundcare technology from Westaim Biomedical. ACTICOAT◊ is a nanocrystalline silver-based dressing used for the treatment and prevention of infection in burns. With the majority of its sales in North America, it will be rolled out globally through the Smith & Nephew sales network and the technology has the potential to expand into the treatment of chronic wounds.

    Smith & Nephew sells Ear, Nose & Throat business to Gyrus Group plc, for £65m, a company that designs, develops and markets medical devices for minimally invasive surgery.
  • April: Another major step was taken in the transformation of Smith & Nephew as the BSN Medical joint venture with Beiersdorf commenced trading. This £300m global business with over 3000 employees, combines the strength of the partners' traditional woundcare, casting & bandaging and phlebology product ranges.

    At the same time, the purchase of Beiersdorf's advanced woundcare business was completed, adding critical mass to Smith & Nephew's wound management business in key markets, particularly Germany, the second largest healthcare market in the world.
 
 2000
  • November: Purchase of Orthopaedic Biosystems Ltd Inc. This rapidly expanding US business sells highly effective, simple to use devices to surgeons to reattach muscle and ligaments to bone in the shoulder. This addition strengthens Smith & Nephew's endoscopy business in the field of arthroscopy and sports medicine.
  • June: A major step in restructuring the Smith & Nephew business into an advanced medical devices group was taken by the completion of the sale of the company's consumer products business. The feminine hygiene and Simple toiletries products were sold to a management buyout team backed by ABN AMRO Capital, trading as Accantia Health & Beauty Ltd. Elastoplast first aid dressings were sold to Beiersdorf AG who also took over the Nivea distribution business in the UK.
  • February: Acquisition of the COLLAGENASE◊ product of BASF Pharma, Germany, representing a major addition to the Group's Wound Management business.

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