Medical Companies in Australia to Watch for in 2012

From medical devices, treatments, diagnosis and vaccines, these leading Australian Medical Companies are grabbing the attention of American consumers and the world.

REVA Medical, Inc

Surprisingly, finding little interest from investors in the United States, REVA Medical recently began trading on the ASX (Australian Securities Exchange). Based out of San Diego, California, REVA develops minimally invasive medical devices. Specifically, their bioresorbable scaffolds are designed for use in place of conventional metal stents in the treatment of coronary artery disease. Because cardiovascular disease (CVD) kills more Australians and Americans than any other single disease, innovations in medical technology associated with CVD are becoming increasingly important. Statistics show that in 2007-08 approximately 3.5 million Australians reported[1] having a long-term cardiovascular condition.

GI Dynamics

In 2008, 18.3 million Americans were found[2] to have diabetes and in 2005 an Australian study[3] indicated that 1.7 million Australians had diabetes; it was estimated that half of the Type 2 diabetes cases remain undiagnosed. It comes as no surprise that obesity, which is a key factor in the development of Type 2 diabetes, is a growing epidemic in both Australia and around the world. What GI Dynamics are looking to introduce to the health care market is a non-surgical treatment that mimics the effect of a gastric bypass without complications associated with typical surgery. With increasing prevalence of diabetes, medical companies like GI Dynamics are important in the treatment of what is now the fastest growing chronic disease in Australia.

VAXXAS Pty Ltd

Vaxxas is the winner of the prestigious 2012 ‘Best Venture Capital Investment’ prize in the Vaccine Industry Excellence (ViE) Awards[4]. As a relatively new company, Vaxxas is responsible for developing the latest vaccine delivery technology- the Nanopatch. Smaller than a postal stamp, it delivers vaccines via the skin absorption thereby reducing any complications that might occur with the traditional needle method. The Nanopatch delivery system does not require refrigeration, is pain-free, and eliminates cross-contamination and needle stick injuries. The Nanopatch is an efficient technology that will have a profound impact in the future especially in developing countries where basic health care is sometimes inaccessible.

RESMED

Does your partner snore? It wouldn’t be surprising if they did. Obstructive sleep apnoea (or OSA) affects approximately 9% of women and 25% of men in Australia.[5]  OSA has “detrimental effects on sleep-quality and health, and increases the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, type-2 diabetes, depression, impotence, mood disorders, and motor vehicle and industrial accidents”. ResMed, one of Australia’s largest medical technology companies, was founded in 1989 and has established itself in Australia and the United States as a leading innovator of medical equipment to diagnose, treat and manage OSA and other sleep and respiratory disorders. As such a large percentage of the population are affected, with improved diagnosis and growing public awareness, OSA along with ResMed may become more familiar to both the health care community and the general public in the future.

About the Author:  Jenna Paxton is a medical blogger and staff writer at Medshop Australia , Australia’s leading supplier of medical equipment and supplies to home, student and professional users.