Welsh life sciences firm sets up across the pond
ONE of Wales’ leading life sciences firms has opened a headquarters on the east coast of the United States.
Creo Medical Group, which is based in Chepstow and Alternative Investment Market listed, has opened a site at the Summit, Danbury, Connecticut.
Creo, a medical device company focused on the emerging field of surgical endoscopy, says the new space is designed to support the company’s global growth and focus in the key United States market.
The company says the new site was designed to support its global growth and focus in the key United States market. It features a learning centre and a fully-equipped laboratory for clinical development and training purposes, which will support Creo’s education-led commercialisation strategy and enable
healthcare providers to participate in immersive, didactic ex-vivo training sessions.
Creo’s United States customer service, finance, product logistics, distribution and other day-to-day functions will also be based in the Danbury, Connecticut, office. Located north-east of New York city, the office’s proximity to international airports provides convenient access for visiting clinicians and members of staff.
Over the past 18 months, Creo has established a direct commercial team in the United States. The company also has a US director of clinical education, assisted by clinical support specialists, responsible for ensuring safe and effective use of its product platform and devices.
Creo’s CROMA Energy Generator platform is in place at multiple academic institutions across the United States, with key opinion leaders trained through Creo’s Clinical Education Programme. These centres have treated Creo’s first patients in the United States and have been identified as “Centres of Excellence for the operation of our Clinical Education Programme”.
They will be key training sites to educate the second wave of United States clinical users. Creo intends to increase the number of United States installations and training centres to support the scaling of its presence in the country.
Craig Gulliford, chief executive officer of Creo, said: “We are delighted and proud to have opened our first United States facility, illustrating our commitment to growth and our focus on the key United States market.
“These new premises will provide an excellent working environment for our United States team and a platform to attract further talent in this key region of the United States market.”
David Woods, chief commercial officer of Creo, added: “Since my appointment in August last year, I have been busy assembling an experienced team to help capitalise on our continued evolution and expansion as a leading medical device company.
“The opening of this clinical training and commercial support facility in the United States represents the next phase in our planned and sustained development and further illustrates our growth and focus in the United States region, which gives even greater access to another important market.”
Last month Creo announced plans to expand its Chepstow headquarters.
Creo House has current total capacity of approximately 18,000 sq ft and the adjacent site, subject to receiving planning permission, will provide an additional 16,000 sq ft of increased capacity.
The company says that the additional capacity will support Creo’s commercial, operational and logistic footprint across Europe, following the acquisition of Albyn Medical SL in July and Boucart Medical SRL in November 2020, and will also provide additional manufacturing capacity for the commercial rollout of the full range of products from the Creo GI (gastrointestinal) suite of advanced energy devices, which complement the Company’s CROMA Advanced Energy Platform and Speedboat device for use in gastrointestinal therapeutic endoscopy.