- Unique Extrusion Printing Technology for Medical-Grade Polymers Will Expand Potential Market for Personalized Healthcare Solutions
- Regulatory approval expected this year
- The ability to produce 3D printed medical devices in PEEK helps provide optimal solutions tailored to the end user, improves patient experience
ROCK HILL, South Carolina, Feb. 23. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Kumovis, a Munich, Germany-based provider of additive manufacturing solutions for personalized healthcare applications. Kumovis solutions are based on their unique extrusion technology, specially developed for the precision printing of high performance medical grade polymers such as PEEK (polyether ether ketone). These materials are often preferred for human implants and surgical instrumentation applications and, when combined with Kumovis’ 3D printing technology, allow surgeons to achieve better, faster and more economical results for the patients. With this acquisition, 3D Systems will add unique extrusion technology to its extensive healthcare polymer printing portfolio, allowing the company to expand its potential market for personalized healthcare applications.
“As a pioneer in personalized healthcare solutions, 3D Systems is constantly seeking opportunities to expand our application offerings that will advance the delivery of healthcare,” said Dr. Jeffrey Graves, President and CEO of the management of 3D Systems. “The addition of the Kumovis team – its expertise and technology – will be highly synergistic for our medical business model. Our proven ability to deliver regulatory-approved, implantable 3D printed medical devices, customized to improve patient outcomes, to surgeons around the world through our exceptional distribution partners, will help ensure that Kumovis-based offerings PEEK can be brought to market quickly and efficiently. . Additionally, 3D Systems’ point-of-care expansion initiatives will be significantly enhanced with the inclusion of Kumovis’ unique “integrated cleanroom” printing technology, allowing hospitals and other end users to customize products to demand, in order to meet the specific needs of patients in the fastest and most resource-efficient way.
Stefan Leonhardt, co-CEO and co-founder of Kumovis added: “Additionally, by joining forces with 3D Systems, we will be able to combine their outstanding solutions with our unique PEEK printing technology to deliver efficient and end-to-end validated. workflow to produce personalized implants and improve patient outcomes. We look forward to increasing our focus on our core competencies to help accelerate the development of the next generation of implants and transform medical device manufacturing.
PEEK is a highly sought-after material for the production of medical devices because it is lightweight, resistant to thermal and ionizing radiation and has mechanical properties similar to those of human bone. The addition of Kumovis’ additive manufacturing solutions to the company’s personalized healthcare solutions portfolio will enable 3D Systems to expand its offering for the medical device and point-of-care markets for the following indications:
- Craniomaxillofacial applications have been at the center of 3D Systems’ concerns for many years. With this acquisition, the company will expand its VSP® (virtual surgical planning) to include manufacturing of PEEK implants in addition to its anatomical model and surgical guidance products for a complete solution that can be bundled for its customers.
- Bone plates for trauma is a new application area for which Kumovis is developing carbon fiber reinforced PEEK bone plates for trauma and fracture fixation applications. This has the potential to open up more opportunities for 3D Systems to enter and grow the trauma point of care medical market segment.
- Vertebral cages where 3D Systems is a leader in the development, production and sale of implanted parts and systems for in-house production.
As a renowned leader in personalized healthcare solutions, 3D Systems has worked with surgeons over the past decade to plan over 140,000 patient-specific cases and manufacture over two million implants and instruments. for more than 100 CE-marked and FDA-cleared devices from its world-class, FDA-registered, ISO 13485-certified facilities in Littleton, Colorado, and Leuven, Belgium. The company intends to integrate Kumovis technologies into these sites in symbiosis with its legacy quality systems and regulatory requirements to deliver parts to current and potential customers, as well as deploy this unique extrusion technology to service providers. medical and dental care to produce implants and surgical instruments.
3D Systems expects this transaction to close in April 2022. The Company will comment further on this growth investment during its upcoming earnings conference call, scheduled for Monday, February 28, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. EST. For more information, please visit the company’s website.
Forward-looking statements
Certain statements made in this release that are not statements of historical or current fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to differ materially from historical results or any future results or projections expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including Kumovis’s and 3D Systems’ ability to achieve the transaction as expected, 3D Systems’ ability to integrate Kumovis into its business and 3D Systems’ ability to realize the expected benefits of the transaction. In many cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “believes”, “believes”, “expects”, “may”, “will”, “estimates”, “intends”. , “anticipate” or “plan” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terms. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current beliefs, assumptions and expectations and may include comments about the company’s beliefs and expectations regarding future events and trends affecting its business and are necessarily subject to uncertainties, including many are beyond the company’s control. The factors described under the headings “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in the company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as other factors, could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected or anticipated in the forward-looking statements. research statements. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the forward-looking statements are not and should not be taken as guarantees of future performance or results, and they will not necessarily prove to be precise indications. the times at which these performances or results will be achieved. The forward-looking statements included are made only as of the date of the statement. 3D Systems undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of management, whether as a result of future developments, subsequent events or circumstances or otherwise.
About 3D Systems
Over 30 years ago, 3D Systems brought the innovation of 3D printing to the manufacturing industry. Today, as the leading additive manufacturing solutions partner, we bring innovation, performance and reliability to every interaction – enabling our customers to create products and business models never before possible. Through our unique offering of hardware, software, materials and services, each application-specific solution is powered by the expertise of our application engineers who work with customers to transform the way they deliver their products and services. 3D Systems’ solutions serve a variety of advanced applications in healthcare and industrial markets such as medical and dental, aerospace and defense, automotive, and durable goods. More information about the company is available at www.3dsystems.com.
About Kumovis
One thing in advance: Kumovis is more than just a 3D printer manufacturer. Since its inception in 2017, the Munich, Germany-based start-up has been working on industry-specific end-to-end workflows to transform medical device manufacturing and thereby improve patient care. Kumovis has developed 3D printing technology specifically for this purpose and combined it with cleanroom technology. Whether in the industrial or surgical environment, the focus is on the cost-effective production of functionalised, patient-friendly implants and instruments made of high-performance polymers. Kumovis also provides medical technology companies and hospitals with a regulatory roadmap and documentation, enabling new medical devices to benefit patients faster. For more information, visit www.kumovis.com.
