Not Settling for the Silver Lining:New technology adds silver's benefits to polymers

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An MD&DI February 1999 Column

SNAPSHOT

Many people seek solace in the silver lining of the proverbial dark cloud, but if Edward W. Kelly had his way, the silver wouldn't just line the cloud—it would be mixed throughout it. Kelly has a keen interest in silver's antimicrobial properties, and it was this fascination that lured him away from his consulting practice last year to his current position as president and CEO of Implemed (Watertown, MA).

"People have known about the antimicrobial benefits of silver for centuries," says Kelly. "Silver nitrate is put in babies' eyes immediately after birth, colloidal silver has been given orally, and silver sulfadiazine is used to treat burns. It's well tolerated by the body."

Implemed's proprietary technology incorporates silver and a dissimilar metal into medical-grade plastics. On contact with fluids such as saline, medications, or body fluids, an electrochemical reaction releases silver ions that depart on a search-and-destroy mission against "microbes that grow on implanted medical devices, such as catheters," Kelly explains.

Edward R. Kelly believes that products containing silver help ward off disease.

An attorney by trade, Kelly has been involved in the medical device industry for more than 20 years. His industry sojourn began in labor relations, where he developed a comprehensive understanding of manufacturing processes and day-to-day procedures before moving to an operations role. A temporary one-year assignment in Davol's (Cranston, RI) vascular-access business provided him with an opportunity to learn about sales, marketing, and R&D.

Kelly thoroughly enjoys general management. "I like the diversity of being involved in every aspect of a business. You have to learn something about everything. I enjoy the intellectual challenge, the exposure to new techniques, finding out where products are eventually going, and interacting with customers."

As a consultant, Kelly certainly used his wide range of knowledge to turn businesses around. However, "as much as I enjoy consulting, my first love is the medical device industry," he admits. "When Implemed came calling, I jumped. When you are in a start-up, it's not a part-time activity. That's what makes it fun. I like start-ups very much, I was captivated by the technology, and I saw the market need for it."

According to a 1992 CDC study, hospital-acquired infection is the nation's sixth leading cause of death. Antimicrobial properties are being added to medical devices in the hopes that they can drastically reduce the rate of infection and death. Whereas other companies have added silver to the coating of some of their products, Kelly believes that Implemed's Oligon technology is the first to add silver to the actual polymer of its catheters, which allows the antimicrobial reaction to be constant and on all surfaces of the catheter.

"I like Implemed's technology because of its long-lasting effects," says Kelly. "A coated product stops reacting after a day or two. With our technology, release of the silver ions is still strong for an extended period of time.

"The product is really why I came to Implemed," he explains. "It fits such an important clinical and market need. Catheters are used in such a wide range of applications, from parenteral nutrition to delivering chemotherapeutic agents. Many patients already have compromised immune systems, so the risk of this population contracting a hospital-acquired infection is great."

According to Kelly, another potential benefit of the Oligon technology is that there are no side effects from its use, something a regimen of strong antibiotics can't claim.

Kelly believes that the technology will have a tremendous impact both in decreasing hospital costs and in saving lives. "These are the kinds of motivators that initially attracted me to the industry," he says, "and a tremendous motivation for causing me to stay. I think you'll find most people in this industry feel the same way. Virtually everyone who is a success in this business has something else in common: a real desire to improve healthcare. We have to thoroughly understand the needs of buying groups, along with the requirement needs of the clinicians.

"The most important key to success is to be a student," advises Kelly. "I'd bet that the majority of successful people are working in the medical industry with undergraduate degrees that didn't directly prepare them for this field, yet they've flourished. Successful people have usually taken on large tasks and given total commitment in order to reach their goals."

Jennifer M. Sakurai is managing editor of MD&DI.

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