Integra LifeSciences

Integra LifeSciences was founded by Richard Caruso in 1989 after Caruso licensed Integra artificial skin technology from Harvard–MIT and acquired Colla-tec, a subsidiary of Marion Laboratories.^[4][8] The company became publicly traded under the NASDAQ ticker name IART.^[8]

In 1996, Integra artificial skin was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.^[9] The artificial skin, manufactured and patented as Integra, is now used on patients with extensive burns.^[6] In 1999, the FDA approved Integra LifeSciences’ DuraGen, an absorbable implant used in neurosurgical and spinal procedures.^[10]

In 2001, NMT, a company acquired by Integra in 2002,^[11] received FDA approval for Licox, a brain tissue oxygen and temperature monitor.^[12][13] Licox is used to treat patients in critical care, including those suffering from traumatic brain injuries.^[12]

In 2002, the FDA approved the use of Integra Dermal Regeneration Template for reconstructive surgery of burn scars.^[14] In 2016, IDRT received premarket approval from the FDA for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.^[15]

In 2018, Integra LifeSciences was included in Fortune’s list of Fastest Growing Companies.^[16]

In 2023, Integra ranked #59 on Medical Design and Outsourcing’s list of largest medical technology companies in the world.^[17]

In 1969, John F. Burke, a surgeon and Harvard Medical School professor, and Ioannis V. Yannas, a mechanical engineering professor of fibers and polymers at MIT, began working on a new form of artificial skin.^[6] They created the first commercially reproducible artificial skin, later patented and manufactured as Integra.^[6]

Integra is used to treat patients with severe burns.^[6][7][9] The top layer, made of thin silicone, protects the patient from infection and dehydration, common causes of death after being severely burned.^[6][9] The bottom layer, made of animal tissue, acts as scaffolding where new skin will grow.^[6][18] Compared to traditional skin grafts, the use of Integra reduces pain and scarring.^{[6][9][18][7]}

Integra is also used in plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, and to treat some forms of cancer and other skin wounds.^{[7][19][20][21]}

In October 2014, Integra LifeSciences acquired instrumentation lines from Medtronic for $60 million.^[22] In January 2014, the company bought Covidien’s Confluent Surgical line of sealants and shields.^[23]

In July 2015, Integra LifeSciences acquired TEI Biosciences and TEI Medical and began manufacturing their SurgiMend and PriMatrix product lines.^[24][25] Primatrix, a dermal repair scaffolding product, is used to treat diabetic foot ulcers, burns, and in other procedures.^[26][27]

In January 2017, Integra Lifesciences acquired Derma Sciences for $204 million.^[28] Their TCC-EZ Total Contact Cast, used to treat diabetic foot ulcers, reduces pressure and shortens application time compared to a conventional total contact cast.^[28][29][30]

In October 2017, Integra LifeSciences acquired Johnson & Johnson’s Codman Neurosurgery business for $1.045 billion.^[31] The Codman Hakim valve was developed as a new way to treat hydrocephalus.^[32][33]

In January 2021, the company acquired regenerative medicine firm, ACell, for $400M.^[34][35]

In April 2024, Integra completed the acquisition of Acclarent.^[36]