Tulsa World 7/6/97 - Product overview
tulsaworld.com
Company Injects Idea Into Syringe Market By Becky Tiernan World Staff Writer 7/6/97
Invented and patented by Texas real estate developer Harry Kaufhold Jr., the syringe provided the foundation for creating Maxxon, said company president and chairman Gifford Mabie.
Texas Applied Biotechnology Services is developing the prototype and is filing a product application with the Food and Drug Administration, said Bill Robinson, vice president of Maxxon.
Once a working prototype has been established, about 30,000 test units will be manufactured in Texas, and testing will begin in Tulsa. When testing is complete, Maxxon will begin marketing the syringe on an international basis.
International standards are easier to meet than FDA approval, Robinson said. "We hope to have U.S. approval as soon as 12 months from now."
Although Maxxon believes its product is revolutionary, the company has plenty of competition in its quest to claim the annual $3 billion dollar disposable syringe market.
"There are six companies that we've located that have some type of device with a retractable technology," Robinson said. "Two have a spring inside, like a ballpoint pen. They have a failure rate and it's not a fluid motion. We've found that most require a two-handed procedure, where you would have to snap off the end or pull it apart -- which also can pose hazards to health care workers. Additionally, the FDA has mandated a one-handed product."
According to Mabie, devices using a spring work, but the cost of the spring makes the product too pricey for companies to purchase in bulk.
"There are 15 billion disposable syringes used worldwide and we feel this is a replacement product," Mabie said. "So we have a chance to go after that whole market. If we can bring the thing out at the same price they're paying now, and offer them safety at no additional cost,
we'll win the ball game."
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