CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 9 (UPI) -- Tepha said Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its TephaFLEX absorbable suture product.
The TephaFLEX suture, which has 50 percent greater tensile strength than current monofilament absorbable sutures, offers surgeons improved flexibility and prolonged strength retention when implanted, Tepha said.
TephaFLEX is made from a member of a new class of biopolymers that the company says has properties that make it ideal for implantable medical devices.
"The company's novel biopolymer technology can now be further applied to the development of a range of medical devices to meet unmet clinical needs," said Simon Williams, Tepha's president and CEO.
Tepha has partnered with several firms that are pursuing a number of applications for the TephaFLEX material, including surgical meshes for orthopedic and hernia repair, anti-adhesion films, intra-cardiac devices, absorbable stents and drug delivery.
