Orthocell Limited announced the appointment of medical device distributor MontsMed as its exclusive in-country distributor for Remplir in Hong Kong. The Company expects the first surgical cases and sales in Hong Kong in the near term. As a recognised leader in medical services across Asia, Hong Kong is considered a strategically valuable component of the Remplir global footprint.
Approval in Hong Kong is key to the Company's continued expansion plans for Remplir in Asia, providing a pathway to market access in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) via the Regulatory Innovation and Development of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device work plan. This framework allows designated healthcare institutions in the GBA to import Hong Kong-registered medical devices for urgent clinical needs. Covering nine cities and a population of around 100 million, the GBA presents a major growth opportunity for Orthocell to extend its reach through the existing distribution partnership in Hong Kong.
The use of Remplir in the GBA will be subject to individual healthcare institutions applying for and receiving approval from the Guangdong's Medical Products Administration. The commencement of Remplir sales in Hong Kong will complement the sales and surgical case momentum building in Singapore. Orthocell appointed Device Technologies Asia as the exclusive incountry distributor in Singapore, and all surgical cases undertaken to date have been sourced from the relationships held by their dedicated specialist sales team with leading plastic reconstructive and orthopaedic surgeons.
In addition to Hong Kong and Singapore, Orthocell has regulatory approval for Remplir in Thailand and is in the process of evaluating local on-the-ground specialist distributors to drive sales in the local market. The Company has built significant experience working with local distributors across both its Remplir and Striate+ products in multiple global jurisdictions and is well-placed to appoint an appropriate distributor for Remplir in these Asian markets. Distributor appointments will continue to be made on a country-by-country basis, with partners selected for their on-the-ground expertise and relationships with leading surgeons.
The Asian distributor network will be managed and overseen by the newly-appointed Commercial Director, which is an internal, Australia-based resource dedicated to driving the commercialisation of Remplir across Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Mr. Hamish Thrum has been appointed to this role, having recently returned to Australia after 13 years in Singapore where he held senior commercial positions at Johnson & Johnson, Smith & Nephew, and Orthopaedic start-up organisation Zeda. Mr. Thrum's knowledge of the ANZ & APAC region and contacts with key surgeons and distributors will be invaluable as Orthocell launches in Hong Kong and continues to expand the Asian footprint of Remplir in the coming years.
