Ethicon Endo-Surgery Acquires SurgRx

CINCINNATI — Representatives of Ethicon Endo-Surgery said today that the company is acquiring SurgRx, which develops the bipolar tissue sealing system used in the EnSeal device line.

"The acquisition has the potential to expand the global availability of the EnSeal product line," Rodney Perkins MD, SurgRx chairman, said in a statement.

The acquisition gives Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon Endo-Surgery a new platform to complement its Harmonic line of ultrasonic medical devices. These devices are used to perform open and laparoscopic procedures.

Redwood City, Calif.-based SurgRx was founded in 2002 and manufactures EnSeal, which combines high compression and controlled energy delivery to quickly create strong vessel seals. The EnSeal device, cleared by the FDA in 2003, is capable of sealing vessels up to 7mm in diameter.

Ethicon develops devices for minimally invasive and open surgical procedures with a focus on interventional diagnosis in gastrointestinal health, bariatric surgery and general surgery.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Ethicon Endo-Surgery and SurgRx share a commitment to innovation, according to Karen Licitra, company group chairman and worldwide franchise chairman for Ethicon Endo-Surgery.

"Together, the combination of Harmonic and EnSeal technologies will position us to better address many different procedure needs," she said in a statement.

Source: Johnson & Johnson