Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation is a global medical device manufacturing company headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey.[3][4] Founded in 1989, the company manufactures products for skin regeneration, neurosurgery, reconstructive and general surgery.[3] Integra artificial skin became the first commercially reproducible skin tissue used to treat severe burns and other skin wounds.[5][6]
History
Integra LifeSciences was founded by Richard Caruso in 1989 after Caruso licensed Integra artificial skin technology from Harvard–MIT and acquired Colla-tec, a subsidiary of Marion Laboratories.[3][7] The company became publicly traded under the NASDAQ ticker name IART.[7]
In 1996, Integra artificial skin was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.[8] The artificial skin, manufactured and patented as Integra, is now used on patients with extensive burns.[5] In 1999, the FDA approved Integra LifeSciences’ DuraGen, an absorbable implant used in neurosurgical and spinal procedures.[9]
In 2001, NMT, a company acquired by Integra in 2002,[10] received FDA approval for Licox, a brain tissue oxygen and temperature monitor.[11][12] Licox is used to treat patients in critical care, including those suffering from traumatic brain injuries.[11]
In 2002, the FDA approved the use of Integra Dermal Regeneration Template for reconstructive surgery of burn scars.[13] In 2016, IDRT received premarket approval from the FDA for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.[14]
In 2018, Integra LifeSciences was included in Fortune’s list of Fastest Growing Companies.[15]
In 2023, Integra ranked #59 on Medical Design and Outsourcing’s list of largest medical technology companies in the world.[16]
Integra artificial skin
In 1969, John F. Burke, a surgeon and Harvard Medical School professor, and Ioannis V. Yannas, a mechanical engineering professor of fibers and polymers at MIT, began working on a new form of artificial skin.[5] They created the first commercially reproducible artificial skin, later patented and manufactured as Integra.[5]
Integra is used to treat patients with severe burns.[5][6][8] The top layer, made of thin silicone, protects the patient from infection and dehydration, common causes of death after being severely burned.[5][8] The bottom layer, made of animal tissue, acts as scaffolding where new skin will grow.[5][17] Compared to traditional skin grafts, the use of Integra reduces pain and scarring.[5][8][17][6]
Integra is also used in plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, and to treat some forms of cancer and other skin wounds.[6][18][19][20]
Acquisitions
In October 2014, Integra LifeSciences acquired instrumentation lines from Medtronic for $60 million.[21] In January 2014, the company bought Covidien’s Confluent Surgical line of sealants and shields.[22]
In July 2015, Integra LifeSciences acquired TEI Biosciences and TEI Medical and began manufacturing their SurgiMend and PriMatrix product lines.[23][24] Primatrix, a dermal repair scaffolding product, is used to treat diabetic foot ulcers, burns, and in other procedures.[25][26]
In January 2017, Integra Lifesciences acquired Derma Sciences for $204 million.[27] Their TCC-EZ Total Contact Cast, used to treat diabetic foot ulcers, reduces pressure and shortens application time compared to a conventional total contact cast.[27][28][29]
In October 2017, Integra LifeSciences acquired Johnson & Johnson’s Codman Neurosurgery business for $1.045 billion.[30] The Codman Hakim valve was developed as a new way to treat hydrocephalus.[31][32]
In January 2021, the company acquired regenerative medicine firm, ACell, for $400M.[33][34]
^Gunderman, Richard; Lopez, Gloria (2019-01-17). "Who was Hakim?"(PDF). Journal of Radiology and Medical Imaging. ISSN2637-885X – via MEDDOCS Open Access Publisher.
