AlloSource®, one of the nation’s largest non-profit tissue bank cooperatives, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Melville, New York-based Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) to distribute AlloGro® demineralized bone matrix (DBM) – the only demineralized cortical bone powder that is routinely assayed* for osteoinductive activity. Henry Schein will distribute AlloGro® DBM through its state-of-the-art distribution network that serves customers across the United States.
According to Tom Cycyota, president and chief executive officer of AlloSource, as the human allograft industry continues to grow, a need for innovative ways to meet market demand is evident. “As the largest provider of healthcare supplies to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets, the new partnership with Henry Schein is a natural fit for AlloSource,” Cycyota said. “Henry Schein’s preeminent position in the oral surgery and periodontal markets offers us an exceptional vehicle to expand our distribution of AlloGro® DBM, ultimately allowing AlloSource to further its mission of returning high quality products to its donor areas and providing the industry with better solutions for bone grafting.”
Due to favorable handling characteristics and potentially osteoinductive properties, processed allograft putties have garnered rapid market acceptance in recent years. AlloSource’s AlloGro® DBM can help to provide osteoinductive properties. In a study published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, the AlloSource bioassay showed a strong correlation between AlloGro® DBM and new bone formation in a recognized animal model of osteoinductivity.
AlloSource Company Information
AlloSource brings together four of the country’s most reputable organ and tissue procurement groups – Mid-America Transplant Services of St. Louis; Donor Alliance of Denver; The Regional Organ Bank of Illinois in Chicago; and the Lifesharing™ Community Organ and Tissue Donation in San Diego. AlloSource and its partners are AATB accredited and represent more than 80 years of combined experience in the tissue banking industry. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.AlloSource.org.
Henry Schein, Inc. Company Information
Henry Schein Inc. is the largest distributor of healthcare products and services to office-based healthcare practitioners in the combined North American and European markets. Recognized for its excellent customer service and low prices, Henry Schein serves more than 400,000 customers worldwide, including dental practices and laboratories, physician practices and veterinary clinics, as well as government and other institutions.
Headquartered in Melville, New York, Henry Schein employs over 6,500 people in 16 countries. The Company's 2001 sales reached a record $2.6 billion. For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com.
* All AlloGro® has been tested in a bioassay validated by the direct correlation between the assay in vitro and bone formation in vivo. The rapid assay measures the ability of DBM and soluble factors derived from DBM to stimulate the growth of a human osteosarcoma cell line.