Teleflex
(NYSE: TFX)
today announced a partnership with Shenzhen Insighters Medical Technology Co., even as its stock took a hit from an analyst downgrade.
The partnership makes Teleflex the exclusive U.S. distributor of the Insighters video laryngoscope system. Insighters designed the system to inspect the upper glottic airway and facilitate endotracheal intubation. It features interchangeable accessories and components to support a variety of intubation scenarios. The system also records real-time, high-resolution images and video.
The news comes on the same day that Needham & Co. downgraded its rating of TFX shares to Hold from a previous Buy. Senior research analyst Mike Matson wrote that Needham research found that urologists are reducing their use of UroLift due to its retreatment rates, reimbursement cuts, and increasing use of competing procedures. Matson added that Teleflex’s Manta large-bore closure device, another important growth driver, may face competition in the US as soon as 2024.
TFX shares were down more than 4% to $241.19 apiece in morning trading. MassDevice’s MedTech 100 Index, which includes stocks of the world’s largest medical device companies, was down slightly.
More about Teleflex’s partnership with Insighters
Wayne, Pennsylvania–based Teleflex said in a news release that the Insighters system’s IS6 handle works in conjunction with both a small screen and large workstation. This small screen allows for a portable video laryngoscope system. The large workstation enables routine use in the operating room. A near-field communication connector allows for a wireless connection to the large workstation. Teleflex said this provides an unobstructed view, even with limited space.
The Insighters video laryngoscope system joins the Teleflex portfolio of airway management devices. Teleflex said it supports clinicians’ use of the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Difficult Airway Algorithm in navigating challenging intubation situations. Studies demonstrated improvements in glottic view and potential airway trauma and failed intubation reductions with video laryngoscopes.
“We are excited about the partnership with Insighters Medical, as it enhances our portfolio of industry-leading airway devices clinicians use every day. The Insighters video laryngoscope system incorporates innovative technologies with interchangeable components to address a multitude of clinical preference with a single system,” said Kevin Robinson, president and GM, anesthesia and emergency medicine division, Teleflex.