Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Website
Home Blog Page 58

Loblaw Reports 2022 Second Quarter Results

By
IHR Magazine
-
0

 

Loblaw delivered strong operational and financial results as it continued to execute on retail excellence in its core businesses while advancing its growth and efficiencies initiatives. Drug Retail performance continued to drive overall margin expansion, as sales benefited from growth in higher margin front-store categories.

The positive trend in Food Retail continued with the Company’s conventional stores performing well relative to peers and sales growth in its discount banners, heightened by the strength of the No Frills® and Maxi® hard-discount stores and the Company’s value-focused control brand no name®.

“Loblaw delivered consistent operating and financial results, as customers recognized the value, quality and convenience delivered through our diverse store formats, control brand products, and our PC Optimum loyalty program,” said Galen G. Weston, Chairman and President, Loblaw Companies Limited. “In the quarter we also continued to pursue our strategic growth agenda, with the completion of our acquisition of Lifemark Health Group, bolstering our healthcare services offering and furthering our purpose to help Canadians Live Life Well.”

2022 SECOND QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

  • Revenue was $12,847 million, an increase of $356 million, or 2.9%.
  • Retail segment sales were $12,623 million, an increase of $341 million, or 2.8%.
    • Food Retail (Loblaw) same-stores sales increased by 0.9%.
    • Drug Retail (Shoppers Drug Mart) same-store sales increased by 5.6%.
  • E-commerce sales decreased by 17.5%, lapping elevated online sales due to lockdowns last year.
  • Operating income was $742 million, a decrease of $10 million, or 1.3%. Operating income was negatively impacted by $111 million as a result of a charge related to a President’s Choice Bank (“PC Bank”) commodity tax matter.
  • Adjusted EBITDA(2) was $1,499 million, an increase of $128 million, or 9.3%.
  • Retail segment adjusted gross profit percentage(2) was 31.4%, an increase of 50 basis points.
  • Net earnings available to common shareholders of the Company were $387 million, an increase of $12 million or 3.2%. Diluted net earnings per common share were $1.16, an increase of $0.07, or 6.4%. Diluted net earnings per common share was negatively impacted by $0.25 per common share as a result of a charge related to a PC Bank commodity tax matter.
  • Adjusted net earnings available to common shareholders of the Company(2) were $566 million, an increase of $102 million, or 22.0%.
  • Adjusted diluted net earnings per common share(2) were $1.69, an increase of $0.34 or 25.2%.
  • Repurchased for cancellation, 5.4 million common shares at a cost of $607 million and invested $302 million in capital expenditures. Retail segment free cash flow(2) was $840 million.
  • Acquired Lifemark Health Group (“Lifemark”) on May 10, 2022, adding to the Company’s growing role as a healthcare service provider, with a network of health and wellness solutions, accessible in-person and digitally.
  • PC Express™ Rapid Delivery announced, to make grocery and convenience items available to customers in an expected express delivery time of 30-minutes-or-less through a collaboration with DoorDash.

See “News Release Endnotes” at the end of this News Release.

CONSOLIDATED AND SEGMENT RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following tables provide key performance metrics for the Company by segment and same-store sales.

New Study: Hinge Health Reduced Acute Pain by 73% Per Participant

By
IHR Magazine
-
0

 

Meaningful functional improvement and 2x lower pain compared to nonparticipants, according to Hinge Health, UCSF, and University of Rhode Island researchers.

The joint study with University of California, San Francisco and University of Rhode Island researchers examined pain and function outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 weeks for those with acute and subacute pain. Participants took part in Hinge Health’s Digital MSK Clinic acute program, which included video visits with physical therapists, exercise therapy, and educational articles, and were compared to a nonparticipant group.
Among the findings, the authors note that the magnitude of pain improvement was significantly higher for the participant group, and there were statistically significant associations between the Digital Musculoskeletal (MSK) Clinic program and meaningful functional improvement.

Key outcomes demonstrating the effectiveness of Hinge Health’s approach include:

Acute and subacute pain improvement: At the end of the 12-week study, Hinge Health participants reported a 73% pain reduction and a 2x lower pain score compared to nonparticipants.

A significant functional improvement over nonparticipants: 77.8% of participants reported meaningful functional improvement at 12 weeks, an increase from 54% at 3 weeks and 67% at 6 weeks for study participants. These substantial increases come in over nonparticipants reporting 39% at 3 weeks, 53% at 6 weeks, and 53% at 12 weeks.
“We’re proud of the results of this study, as they demonstrate the greatest pain improvement outcome for acute injuries in the digital MSK care industry,” said Dr. Jeff Krauss, chief medical officer, Hinge Health. “These findings contribute to the growing evidence base, and our long-held beliefs, that the holistic, clinically-validated care provided in the Digital MSK Clinic is vital in driving better outcomes for those who suffer from acute or chronic pain.”

The majority of medically treated injuries in the U.S. are MSK injuries. 1 in 3 MSK injuries are from slips, trips, and falls, with more than half of the remaining injuries stemming from traumatic events, like a car accident. Without appropriate care, acute pain from injuries can lead to disability. MSK conditions are the leading cause of disability in the U.S.

The results of this acute pain study align with published studies for Hinge Health’s chronic pain program, including a large-scale 10,000-participant study, three randomized controlled trials, and a study on long-term outcomes.

Kensing to Acquire Hopewell, VA Amphoteric Surfactants and Specialty Esters Operations from Evonik Corporation

By
IHR Magazine
-
0

 

Kensing, LLC  a leading manufacturer of natural vitamin E, plant sterols, specialty esters and high-purity anionic surfactants, and a portfolio company of One Rock Capital Partners, LLC (“One Rock”), today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Hopewell, Virginia amphoteric surfactants and specialty esters manufacturing operations from Evonik Corporation (“Evonik”).
Located in Hopewell, Virginia, the Business primarily serves the personal care market, with a focus on skincare, hair care and oral care applications. The Business is known for product quality and technical leadership, with over 50 years of experience in betaines chemistry and ships products to leading personal care and home care customers in North America.

“The amphoteric surfactants and specialty esters manufacturing operations that Kensing will acquire as a result of this transaction are complementary to our existing product portfolio derived from plant-based feedstocks,” said Serge Rogasik, Chief Executive Officer of Kensing. “Building on our leadership position in high-purity anionic surfactants, by acquiring the Business, we are expanding Kensing’s presence in personal care and home care ingredients to provide our customers with an expanded range of low-detergency product and service offerings.”

Rohan Narayan, Partner at One Rock added, “We are excited to support Kensing in its second add-on acquisition. The Business manufactures innovative, high-quality, natural raw material-based products and is a great fit for Kensing. We continue to actively support Kensing’s pursuit of acquisition opportunities aimed at further strengthening its position as a leading, global manufacturer of plant-based ingredients.”

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022.

ADM, a global leader in sustainable agriculture and nutrition

By
IHR Magazine
-
0

 

ADM, a global leader in sustainable agriculture and nutrition, today announced that Megan Britt has joined the company as vice president, Investor Relations.

Britt comes to ADM with significant expertise in the food and agriculture industries, having previously led investor relations functions at both Tyson Foods, Inc. and Corteva Agriscience. She has more than 20 years of experience in finance, investor and strategic roles.
“ADM has a great story to tell to investors, and Megan is the right person to help us tell it,” said Vikram Luthar, ADM’s chief financial officer. “We’ve transformed our company, and are advancing our strategy by building a better ADM and aligning our portfolio around major growth trends that are driving structural changes in our industry. We’re proud of our record of growth and shareholder value creation, and now we’re moving into new horizons of growth – and we’re excited to have Megan join us at this important time.”

The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians Hosts Annual Convention in the Central Hub of Healthcare & Research

By
IHR Magazine
-
0

 

The nation’s leading conference for licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs), which took place July 21-23 in Spokane, Wash., was a unique time of celebration and learning for over 600 physician attendees. AANP 2022 is the largest event in the naturopathic community, organized and hosted by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) – the professional association representing NDs in the United States. Each year the event brings together NDs from around the world for three days of learning, networking, and fun.

Naturopathic Physicians are whole health specialists, practicing a unique branch of medicine that focuses on preventive health and offers a whole person approach to primary care. NDs in the greater Spokane and Northern Idaho area work mostly in private clinics but are also found in federally qualified health clinics in rural communities such as Okanogan.

With the last two years being particularly demanding for physicians, the AANP 2022 theme of Restore, Revitalize, Reconnect focused on allowing the naturopathic physician community to come together (whether virtually or in-person) to experience an engaging, exciting, fun, and informative conference.

The three-day Convention included nearly 40 sessions by over 44 noteworthy speakers, including four unique hands-on clinical sessions and two keynote presentations. Topics ranged from how naturopathic physicians can heal from burnout to ways they can help their patients struggling with mental health issues, addiction, and more.

The annual event also offered an additional post-Convention half day of learning on Sunday, July 24, with a COVID clinical roundtable. Proceeds from the add-on roundtable discussion went to the Washington Association of Naturopathic Physicians, the AANP 2022 host state.
Education was not the only focus of AANP 2022; the event boasted three social functions, which included a Thursday evening Welcome Reception, and a Friday evening President’s reception, featuring an amusing game of Naturopathic Family Feud, and Saturday’s Annual Gala and Awards reception.
Saturday’s Gala included dinner and culminated with dancing and music from a local DJ. The AANP recognized several members of the naturopathic medicine community during the annual awards presentation as outstanding naturopathic physicians and supporters of the profession. Award winners were nominated by their peers and voted on by the committee. The awards with their respective winners are as follows:

• Champion of Naturopathic Medicine: Bob Bernhardt, PhD
• Corporation of the Year: Ayush Herbs, Inc.
• Louisa & Benedict Lust: Guru Sandesh Singh Khalsa, ND (posthumous)
• Physician of the Year: Iva Lloyd, ND
• True Grit: Wisconsin Naturopathic Doctors Association
• The Vis: Jill Stansbury, ND

The 2023-2024 Board of Directors election results were also announced at the AANP 2022 Convention.
The new Directors, who will begin their term on January 1, 2023, are:
• President-elect: Kasra Pournadeali, ND
• Partial Term Treasurer: Michael Traub, ND, DHANP, FABNO
• 2023-2024 Board Directors: Michael Cronin, ND; Audrey Schenewerk, ND; Brian Trainor, ª ND; Madeleine “Abena” Tuson-Turner, ND, MSIMR, MSCGH
• Partial Term Board Director: Desta Golden, ND, MS

Other AANP 2022 highlights included:
The Naturopathic Medical Student Association (NMSA) once again hosted its annual conference in tandem with AANP 2022 and held its 2022 Annual NMSA Cup Competition.
John Culton, the outreach director for Sen. Patty Murray, met with AANP leaders in order to discuss naturopathic medicine and how it can be beneficial to the senator’s constituents.
A keynote presentation delivered by Dr. Iva Lloyd, president of the World Naturopathic Federation focused on the growing role of naturopathic medicine in the World Health Organization’s growing support for Traditional & Complementary Medicine worldwide.
“There’s a growing body of evidence that the preventive, whole-patient-centred healthcare delivered by naturopathic doctors enhances health and wellness. The opportunity to meet with a representative from Senator Murray’s office was encouraging,” stated Laura Farr, executive director of the AANP, adding, “Hosting AANP 2022 in Spokane, as a central hub of healthcare, was intentional to increase awareness about naturopathic medicine as an accessible and effective model of care meeting the needs of a challenged healthcare system.”

Common and Orgain Founder Dr. Andrew Abraham Team Up To Inspire Vibrant Living Through Clean Nutrition

By
IHR Magazine
-
0

 

Orgain Clean Nutrition founder, CEO and food nutrition entrepreneur Dr. Andrew Abraham has partnered with Oscar-, Emmy- and Grammy-winning artist, actor, author and activist Common, as well as key wellness industry experts, to develop a content series meant to unlock the power of healthy, plant-based eating and its impact on performance and overall wellness. The three-part series will debut on the rapper’s popular YouTube channel, Com + Well. The pair will highlight various aspects of healthy living to support holistic wellness of the body, mind and soul.
  • Body via “Feel Good” (July 2022): Misconceptions about plant-based living and how mindful food choices and trusting in the power of plants can lead to a healthier, happier body.
  • Mind via “Be Good” (August 2022): The impact clean nutrition has on mood, featuring meditation expert Jesse Israel.
  • Soul via “Do Good” (September 2022): To celebrate the back-to-school season, Common and Abraham will cover how wellness-focused education can benefit young people and generations to come.

“Once I started paying attention to what I was eating and adding more plant-based foods and clean products like Orgain, I immediately felt improvement across many aspects of my life,” Common said. “Mindful, intentional eating has become my foundation to leading a better, happier lifestyle, and that’s important because how you perform in this world is truly all about how you feel.”

As an extension of his partnership with Orgain, Common will be featured in today’s episode of Orgain’s “Good Clean Nutrition Podcast,” a resource for health care professionals and health-minded consumers that spotlights trending topics in the nutrition space. In the episode, Common and Abraham discuss the power of a plant-based diet and how it can positively impact our health, well-being and culture.

“Both Common and Orgain share the same perspective when it comes to the power of good, clean nutrition. Common is incredibly open about his journey to discovering inner peace and happiness through mindful choices,” Abraham said. “For this reason, we’re thrilled to partner with him to inspire a healthy lifestyle and encourage future generations to adopt habits that will help them feel their best every day.”

Orgain offers a portfolio of more than 30 items, including the No. 1 bestselling plant-based and organic protein powder, protein shake and nutritional shake in the United States, among other products. Available in more than 20 flavours, there is something for everyone, including products specially formulated for kids and athletes.

Ocean Wise and Save-On-Foods team up to help households take action against plastic pollution

By
IHR Magazine
-
0
Save-On-Foods and Ocean Wise are teaming up to celebrate Plastic Free July and take action against plastic pollution with the #PlasticChallenge.
The challenge includes four easy steps:
1. Audit your waste – pull your trash can out to the yard and sort through it, tracking items on the Ocean Wise Plastic Challenge data card.
2. Share your findings – submit your data online and tag our social media with the hashtag #PlasticChallenge to tell people what you found, and learn about ways to reduce your waste.
3. Reduce your waste – visit ocean.org/reduce_your_waste or follow Ocean Wise social to find easy ways to reduce your waste.
4. Check your progress – go back to your trash can and conduct a second audit…find out where your household has improved and where there is still work to do Year after year Ocean Wise finds plastic waste on our shorelines.
In fact, plastic makes up 80% of all marine debris, impacting marine species due to entanglement, ingestion and habitat destruction. Scientists have found microplastics in our drinking water, food and even in our bodies, raising concerns about the impact on human health.
The issue is critical enough that on June 20, 2022 the government of Canada announced its plan to ban six single-use plastic items including checkout bags, cutlery, hard-to-recycle food containers, ring carriers, stir sticks and straws.
The plan comes into effect through 2023 and is expected to eliminate over 1.3 million tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastic waste and more than 22,000 tonnes of plastic pollution. But our ocean does not have to wait for the ban to take effect before every one of us can make a difference.
For Plastic Free July
Ocean Wise and Save-On-Foods is encouraging Canadians to take the Ocean Wise Plastic Challenge; to learn about plastic waste in their own household and make a plan to reduce that waste. The Ocean Wise Plastic Challenge is easy to do and can be found online at ocean.org/plastic_challenge.  “Our customers raise important questions and bring forward local, provincial, national, and even global opportunities for our company to make a difference. We listen to them and take action,” said Darrell Jones, president, Save-On-Foods.  “It is critical that we all do our part to protect our environment,” added Jones. “The choices we make can play a critical role in what ends up in our ocean. Grocers, like SaveOn-Foods, can also play an important role in making it easier than ever to make plastic-free choices.” As part of their commitment to sustaining our resources and reducing pollution, Save-On-Foods has offered plastic bag collection bins for over 30 years.
Through this recycling program, 450 Tonnes of plastic film and plastic bags are kept out of our landfills and waste streams every year. Save-On-Foods was also one of the first Canadian retailers to voluntarily implement a charge to consumers for single-use plastic and paper checks and bags; reducing the company’s plastic bag use by 38% in the first full year. To date, this has stopped over 250 million plastic bags from ever entering our system and ultimately hitting our landfills. A Division of Save-On-Foods Limited Partnership, a Jim Pattison business The company also recently announced its plan to stop printing their paper flyer

Wakunaga Introduces Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract Suitable for Vegans

By
IHR Magazine
-
0

 

This specific formulation of Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract is delivered in vegan capsules without the use of any non-vegan additives like whey or animal-sourced magnesium stearate, to meet the needs of plant-based and vegan lifestyles.

For 50 years, Wakunaga of America has provided consumers with an odourless, organically grown, and clinically researched garlic extract supplement that has been shown to support optimal cardiovascular health, immune function, and more. Each Kyolic condition-specific supplement is based on Wakunaga’s exclusive GMO-free garlic extract, which is aged for up to 20 months.

This aging process converts garlic’s harsh and unstable organosulfur compounds into the beneficial properties that distinguish Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract from other garlic supplements. The health benefits of Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract have been documented in more than 900 published scientific papers from prestigious universities and research institutes around the world.

“Garlic in its pure form is a plant, but eating enough of it to get the cardiovascular benefits described in these studies would be difficult to do,” said Carolina Schneider, MS, RD, a registered dietitian specializing in plant-based nutrition. “You would have to eat at least five and up to 28 cloves of garlic a day to get the protective health effects, which would not allow you to be very social with others due to the pungent odour. Plus, many people cannot tolerate digesting that much garlic daily.”

Schneider says supplementing garlic is ideal, but vegans often encounter another hurdle with dietary supplements.

“You have to read the ingredient labels closely because many dietary supplements contain animal-sourced ingredients in the capsules,” said Schneider. “I like Wakunaga’s Kyolic Vegan Formula 300 because it contains organic garlic, and all of the ingredients, including the ones in the capsule, are suitable for vegans or anyone moving towards a plant-based diet.”

Vegans, or those living on a primarily plant-based diet, should take extra care when selecting dietary supplements and look for ones that are 100% free of any animal products or animal-derived ingredients like whey (the liquid portion of milk obtained during cheese making after milk has been curdled and strained), beeswax and animal-sourced magnesium stearate.

All Kyolic garlic supplements undergo a proprietary aging process that results in an odourless, safe and effective garlic product. As a result of several chemical reactions that take place during this aging process, key compounds in the raw organic garlic increase significantly, thereby boosting the health benefits of natural garlic. Clinical studies have suggested that Aged Garlic Extract may help support a healthy cardiovascular system by reducing the risk factors that cause atherosclerosis, including coronary artery calcification, high cholesterol, homocysteine, and elevated blood pressure. Aged Garlic Extract has also been shown to improve immune function and assist in recovery from physical fatigue. Kyolic Cardiovascular Health Vegan Formula 300 is a clean, simple vegan formulation of Aged Garlic Extract that comes in easy-to-swallow small-size capsules (30 or 90-day supply) that is gentle on the stomach for everyday use.

Thought Leader Gary Vaynerchuk Joins MaryRuth Organics’ Board of Directors

By
IHR Magazine
-
0

 

MaryRuth Organics, a portfolio company of Butterfly, announces that Gary Vaynerchuk will join the board of directors; Gary will bring a new perspective from e-commerce to business strategy.

MaryRuth Organics (“MaryRuth’s”), a leading digitally native health and wellness brand operating in the premium vitamins, minerals, and supplements (“VMS”) industry, today announced that entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk is joining the company as a member of its board of directors.

Gary, who currently serves as Chairman of VaynerX, CEO of VaynerMedia, and Creator and CEO of VeeFriends, is renowned for his attunement to business trends and consumer behaviour. Widely recognized as a forward-thinking leader in business, Gary made early investments in some of the most influential companies of the 21st century such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Venmo, Snapchat, Coinbase and Uber, and is attributed with revolutionizing marketing in the digital age. Drawing on his business acumen and expertise in digital marketing, Gary understands how to bring brand relevance to the forefront.

As a member of the board, Gary will advise MaryRuth on digital marketing, brand building and Web3, as the company continues its robust growth trajectory. Founded in 2014 as a digitally native brand, MaryRuth’s has experienced a meteoric rise to become one of the leading VMS brands in its online business as well as its budding retail business. With Gary as a member of the board, MaryRuth’s will continue pursuing its strategy to expand aggressively, enabling the company to see continued growth in online channels, achieve significant distribution gains in retail, and increase brand awareness. By leveraging his expertise in digital media, vast influential network, and experience in partnering with founders to scale best-in-class brands, Gary will help advance the company’s goal of using nutrition to live longer and healthier lives while solidifying MaryRuth’s position as a leading VMS brand.

MaryRuth Ghiyam, Founder and CEO of MaryRuth’s, was personally an avid consumer of Gary’s content for many years as she was building her business. For MaryRuth, it’s a full circle moment from listening to Gary’s Facebook content when she was in debt and just starting out, to now having built this wellness company and having Gary join her board of directors.

Something that was also in alignment with MaryRuth’s company culture and ethos is how Gary’s content also focuses on the softer side of the business – teaching the importance of community, humility, and empathy. Gary’s most recent book, Twelve and a Half outlines the twelve traits (and one that he’s still working on, thus the “half”) that Gary feels have most led to his success and happiness over the years – gratitude, self-awareness, accountability, optimism, empathy, kindness, tenacity, curiosity, patience, conviction, humility, ambition, and kind candor.

MaryRuth Ghiyam said: “I have watched and learned from Gary for years and truly see him as a business leader who leads from empathy and kindness all the time. Gary is an example of someone who is showing the world that people can be successful in business for decades and consistently be kind while doing it.”

Gary Vaynerchuk said: “MaryRuth is a super-nova entrepreneur surrounded by incredible intuition, emotional intelligence and consumer-centric DNA. She is exactly the kind of person and company I seek to do business with and support in all shapes and sizes. Occasionally, a person strikes me so much that I want to be involved even deeper at a Board level and this is one of those cases. I am thrilled, honoured, and humbled to be a part of the team.”

In August 2021, MaryRuth’s partnered with Butterfly Equity, a leading private equity firm that specializes in the food sector with a particular focus on high-growth, on-trend categories. Butterfly has a history of partnering with founder-owned, disruptive businesses like MaryRuth’s – its brand portfolio includes the likes of Chosen Foods, Orgain, Pete and Gerry’s Organics, and Bolthouse Farms. Adam Waglay, Butterfly Co-Founder and Co-CEO and board member of MaryRuth’s added: “Gary is an entrepreneur at heart and an expert in building brand awareness through creative digital marketing. We are excited to work alongside Gary as we continue to disrupt the traditional VMS landscape.”

Dustin Beck, Butterfly Co-Founder and Co-CEO and board member of MaryRuth’s said: “We are beyond excited to have Gary join the MaryRuth’s team as the company continues its rocket-ship trajectory. We’ve been following Gary’s story for years – his phenomenal work in both marketing and entrepreneurship gives us the utmost confidence that he will provide a unique, value-add perspective. We look forward to our partnership as we embark on the next leg of this fast-paced and thrilling journey together.”

Atrium Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute First in the World to use Implantable Fish-Skin Grafting in Reconstructive Surgery

By
IHR Magazine
-
0

 

From the battlefield to the operating room, new technology is offering hope to patients.

Atrium Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute has received a Center of Excellence designation from Kerecis®, the company pioneering the use of fish skin and fatty acids in cellular therapy, tissue regeneration and protection. Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute surgeon Dr. Hector Crespo Soto is the first physician in the world to use SurgiBind implantable reinforcement fish skin commercially. With this designation, Crespo Soto and the team at Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute can continue to lay the groundwork for centers around the country to utilize innovative technology to improve patient care and quality of life.
“The Center of Excellence designation and being the first in the world to use this type of graft technology in reconstructive surgery allows us to do more research and have more technology available to continue to use this technique to help patients,” said Crespo Soto.

Kerecis received authorization from the FDA to market Kerecis Omega3 SurgiBind™ in October 2021. Before the product was approved for civilian use, the technology had been used in the military to help heal wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Crespo Soto was involved in a pilot study in 2019 at Atrium Health Pineville to evaluate the new technology. Results of the study found the product decreased the need for patients to be admitted or undergo a skin graft operation, decreased the surface area of the wound, reduced pain and shortened healing and recovery time.

This technology, which is the first FDA-certified fish-skin implantable, uses the skin of North Atlantic cod. When grafted onto damaged human tissue, the fish skin recruits the body’s own cells and ultimately is converted into living tissue. The product is intended for implantation to reinforce soft tissue where weakness exists, such as in patients requiring soft tissue repair or reinforcement in plastic or reconstructive surgery.

Crespo Soto said this innovative technology creates an environment for the patient’s own tissue to regenerate. “The material resembles human skin – but it’s robust, pliable and tear-resistant. It can be easily cut or meshed for application and only requires brief hydration with saline before use,” said Crespo Soto.

The fish-skin device is Kerecis’s first implantable medical device created for the surgical market to help physicians better manage the risk of complications and improve results. The company has several fish skin products on the market that all are indicated for topical use. SurgiBind is the company’s first implantable product.

“We have seen very good clinical outcomes at Atrium Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute,” said Fertram Sigurjonsson, founder and CEO of Kerecis. “The partnership that we have with Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute is based on the principles of innovation and surgical excellence, both of which are very important for us. With the designation of excellence, we want to award facilities that put compassion in the spotlight by aiming for improved surgical outcomes for all patients.”

While the product can be used in a variety of ways, it is notably used to prevent amputation where the wound is located. Soto said the technique has had a tremendous impact on patients who are involved with Sanger’s innovative limb salvage program, which was launched in 2012 to reduce unnecessary or preventable amputations and save patients’ limbs.

Crespo Soto said since the study began in 2019, the fish-skin technology has been used in 200-300 cases a year where it has been used to treat patients and help drive positive outcomes.

“The team at Atrium Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute has been instrumental in making a great effort to take care of our patients,” said Crespo Soto. “I think this helps us expedite the care our patients need and helps us give our patients a better quality of life by allowing wounds to heal faster than they would with standard care.”

1...575859...392Page 58 of 392

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

© 2026 IHR Magazine | Canada's Natural Health Industry Authority | Le guide de l’industrie canadienne de la santé naturelle