In April 2008, Lifecell Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFC) had been acquired by Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (NYSE: KCI) for $1.7B in cash. Lifecell had been a medical technology company and a pioneer in the field of tissue engineering. In December 2016, Allergan PLC acquired Acelity LP Inc.'s LifeCell Corp. business (regenerative medicine) for $2.9bn in cash in one of the largest device M&A deals of that year. Lifecell's flagship material ("ALLODERM") is produced utilizing proprietary processing techniques which remove cells and other impurities from allograft dermis, thus leaving an ideal "scaffold" material for tissue repair, reinforcement, and replacement applications. Lifecell has a direct sales force that markets its products for such applications as hernia repair, head and neck surgery, and breast reconstructions. Lifecell has distribution arrangements to reach specialty surgical markets such as urogynecology (Boston Scientific) and orthopedics (Stryker Corporation and Wright Medical). Lifecell has R&D collaborations with several Vertical portfolio companies targeting such major market opportunities as ligament and cartilage repair.. Lifecell Corporation specializes in the development and commercialization of universal tissue grafts and blood preservation products. Also a developer of a tissue engineering technology designed to eliminate the occurrence of transplant rejection for human tissue product, AlloDerm(R), acellular dermal graft tissues used for reconstructive plastic surgery, dental surgery and grafting of third degree burns. In addition, developer of platelet preservation, ThromboSol(tm), universal vascular conduits LifeCell Corporation puts new life into the tissue-graft market: The company's sole commercial product is AlloDerm, a skin-graft material processed from cadaver skin. The substance is marketed in the US and abroad for reconstructive plastic, dental, and burn surgery. The company is developing other biomedical products, including an injectable form of AlloDerm, vascular grafts, heart replacement valves, and conduits for bypass surgeries. Its ThromboSol is a storage solution designed to extend the shelf life of blood used in transfusions. LifeCell conducts research under government contract and in collaboration with Medtronic, the leading maker of implantable medical devices.
