Surgical Specialties Corporation Awarded Three Year Suture Products Agreement with Premier, Inc.

BRAINTREE, MA, March 9, 2015 /CNW/ - Surgical Specialties Corporation, a leading provider of branded,  private label , and OEM medical devices for advanced surgical wound closure and ophthalmology, announced today it has been awarded a group purchasing agreement with Premier, Inc. to provide its recently expanded portfolio of suture products to Premier's extensive network of 3,400 hospitals and 110,000 healthcare providers.  

"We are thrilled to work with Premier to provide our new Sharpoint Plus™ Surgical Suture portfolio to its members," said Brennan Marilla, Chief Commercial Officer of Surgical Specialties Corporation. "The addition of these recently enhanced and expanded, yet more affordable suture product lines are consistent with Premier's goal of providing high quality outcomes at a lower cost. This award represents an important milestone in our goal of increasing customer access to our products."

The three year agreement will be effective on April 1, 2015. 

The start of this new contract coincides with the planned expansion of the Sharpoint™ line of sutures for use in more advanced surgical procedures, in addition to the current micro and ophthalmic surgery offerings. The new Sharpoint Plus™ Surgical Suture incorporates a new needle design and expanded options, created for and with the support of multi-specialty surgeon users.   The upgraded needles offer smooth penetration on first and multiple passes, a desired quality for more advanced wound closure applications, such as plastic surgery. 

Sharpoint Plus™ Surgical Suture joins Sharpoint™ Microsuture and Opthalmic Suture, and Quill™ Knotless Tissue-Closure, a market leading barbed suture device, to allow for a comprehensive portfolio of advanced wound closure products to be purchased by Premier members from Surgical Specialities Corp and its' nationwide network of authorized distributors.

About Premier, Inc.
Premier, Inc. is a leading healthcare improvement company, uniting an alliance of approximately 3,400 U.S. hospitals and 110,000 other providers to transform healthcare. With integrated data and analytics, collaboratives, supply chain solutions, and advisory and other services, Premier enables better care and outcomes at a lower cost. Premier, a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient, plays a critical role in the rapidly evolving healthcare industry, collaborating with members to co-develop long-term innovations that reinvent and improve the way care is delivered to patients nationwide. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Premier is passionate about transforming American healthcare. Please visit Premier's news and investor sites on www.premierinc.com; as well as Twitter, Facebook,LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Foursquare and Premier's blog for more information about the company.

About Surgical Specialties Corporation
Surgical Specialties Corporation has developed and manuactured branded, private label, and OEM surgical instruments for over 40 years. Surgical Specialties Corporation offers one of the most comprehensive portfolios of blades and sutures available, including innovative products such as the Quill™ Knotless Tissue-Closure Device.  Headquartered in Braintree, MA, Surgical Specialties Corporation devotes itself to exceeding the needs of the specialty surgery market, having trusted partnerships within dental, ophthalmic, plastic surgery, dermatology, orthopedics, urology, microsurgery, veterinary and trauma specialties.  Visit us at www.surgicalspecialties.com.

SOURCE Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Daniel Sutherby, Surgical Specialties Corporation, [email protected]