Pricing
To Chris and Wyatt, relevancy also means addressing the financial needs of the hospital/clinic. Pricing is a huge concern in the market today.
Integrity’s implants cost less to manufacturer—and that’s built into the development model.
In order to break down the hospital barrier, Integrity has made solving the cost containment issue a key strategic focus. There are, in Integrity’s view, two modes of surgeon relevancy. There’s relevancy to the number crunchers in the C-suite and then there’s relevancy into terms of the patient’s pathology.
Solve the pricing and clinical relevancy issues, THEN distribution comes into focus. With just two full time sales people, it is no surprise that Chris and Wyatt put distribution at the end of the to-do list.
The workhorse of the company is an interbody implant for both PLIF and TLIF called FlareHawk, the world’s first cage to expand in height, width and lordosis.
It is also a PEEK implant with a titanium core. Later in 2018, Integrity plans to introduce a hybrid PEEK interbody implant—which will have the same porous titanium FlareHawk does.
FlareHawk’s porous titanium was licensed from Sites Medical in 2017. The material, called OsteoSync™ Ti, delivers a high friction coefficient to FlareHawk which helps stabilize the implant.
But what really sets it apart is the open pore geometry and micro-texturing. In preclinical testing, those attributes demonstrated bone attachment strength nearly twice that of titanium plasma spray and approximately seven times that of PEEK at the five-week follow up period.
Also in the works is a solid titanium interbody implant as well as a hydrophilic materials version.
What’s Next?
Wyatt told us, “Everything we launch is going to be different. And better, more relevant.” Like an innovative lateral interbody implant that goes in 10 wide and expands to 20 wide. The kicker? It can solve the issue of neuropraxia at 4/5.
“This is an interbody thesis that give the surgeon minimal nerve retraction, maximum bone graft, unlimited bone graft delivery,” said Chris, “and which we can manufacture at a better value than the standard of care products.”
In the pipeline are new-fangled pedicle screws that will “…legitimately stand pedicle screws on their head.”
Two types of affordable biologics are also on the way including a unique form of structural allograft with fiber reinforcement.
Details and examples of Integrity’s launch plans for 2018 will be, we hope, on display at ISASS’s annual meeting this April in Toronto.
This time, in addition to the wall with the door, there will be a bigger room and more seriously cool implants and instruments to play with.
And, best of all, Chris and Wyatt will be on hand to show how it all works.
The band is back.
