History

From invention to clinical use worldwide

Carmeda was founded in 1984 as a spinoff from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala. Professor Olle Larm and his group had invented a technique to bind heparin to artificial surfaces with preserved functional properties. The team had created a nonthrombogenic surface coating. The initial focus of Carmeda was to develop this invention into a technology and bring it to the market and clinical use.

One of the first licensing agreements for CBAS® technology was signed with Medtronic, Inc. in 1987. Three years later, the first product, the MAXIMA® oxygenator system, was launched and was quickly embraced by the market. Since then, several products have been introduced, and Medtronic's current CBAS products are recognized as the "Gold Standard in Biosurfaces for Extracorporeal Circuits".

In 2000, the first heparin-coated stent, the BX Velocity® with Hepacoat, was launched by Cordis, a Johnson & Johnson company. It was the result of years of joint development efforts. The product achieved significant market penetration worldwide.

Carmeda started its collaboration with W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. in 1996. In 2002, the heparin-coated GORE PROPATEN Vascular Graft was approved and launched in Europe. The collaboration developed into a fruitful relationship, and in 2005, W.L. Gore & Associates acquired Carmeda. This was the start of a new era for Carmeda, enabling us to continue to solve clinical problems and improving patients' quality of life.