Medovate, the Cambridge-based medical device development company, has concluded a distribution agreement with Fannin Limited giving the Dublin-based company distribution rights for SAFIRA (SAFer Injection for Regional Anaesthesia) across the Island of Ireland.

The SAFIRA system has been developed by Medovate in collaboration with anaesthetists in the UK NHS and has been designed to help revolutionise standard regional anaesthesia clinical practice and promote patient safety. Regional anaesthesia is a widely used anaesthetic practice to place peripheral nerve blocks to numb a specific part of the body prior to a surgical procedure so the patient remains awake but feels nothing.

Standard regional anaesthesia practice is a two-person procedure whereas using the SAFIRA system it becomes a one-person procedure giving the anaesthetist full control without the need for an assistant. The innovative technology also incorporates a unique built-in safety feature which automatically stops injection at a calibrated threshold helping to reduce the risk of nerve damage from injection at high pressure.

Fannin has a well-established international reputation for providing innovative and high-quality medical products founded on a heritage of care dating back to 1829. Their deep sector knowledge and their aim to be the best service provider of medical devices, medicines, and services to the healthcare sector, has enabled the company to establish partnerships with world leading international healthcare brands.

With the appointment of Fannin as a further distributor for SAFIRA, anaesthetists across the Island of Ireland will be able to access and apply the SAFIRA system in their everyday practice and realise the benefits of the award-winning technology for both them and their patients.

Stuart Thomson, managing director at Medovate, said: “I am delighted to have reached agreement with Fannin who share our mission to make innovative and high-quality medical devices available to healthcare providers and medical professionals. Their proven track record and focus on innovative products makes them a natural fit as a distributor partner for our exciting technology developed with NHS clinical innovators. This new partnership means that the clinical, patient safety and cost saving benefits that the SAFIRA system offers will now be available to regional anaesthetists across the Island of Ireland. We very much look forward to working with the Fannin team.”

Kieran O'Halloran, commercial director at Fannin, added: "Fannin is delighted to have partnered with Medovate to become the exclusive distributor across the island of Ireland for the SAFIRA (SAFer Injection for Regional Anaesthesia) system. Fannin has a long tradition in supplying the Irish market with innovative solutions and products that create benefits for clinicians and their patients; the addition of the SAFIRA system aligns perfectly with this tradition.

“The SAFIRA system has been developed in collaboration with anaesthetists in the UK NHS and is designed to improve the safety and effectiveness of regional anaesthesia. This agreement will allow regional anaesthetists across Ireland to offer their patients access to this award-winning technology, potentially enhancing patient care and outcomes in the field of anaesthesia.”

The technology has already launched across the UK, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, Singapore and the Middle East.

SAFIRA won the Health Services Journal (HSJ) award for “Patient Safety Innovation of the Year 2021”. Health economic modelling has also shown the SAFIRA system to have the potential to help healthcare providers realiser time and cost savings as well as improving patient safety.