SunMed, a manufacturer and distributor of consumable medical devices for respiratory care and anesthesia, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Avanos Medical Inc’s respiratory health business.

Through the transaction, SunMed is adding the Ballard, Microcuff, and endOclear product lines to its portfolio. The brands include closed-suction catheters, endotracheal tubes, and oral care solutions. Included in the transaction, in addition to expanding its product lines with these respiratory consumables, SunMed is acquiring two Avanos manufacturing facilities in Mexico and research and development expertise that support these brands.

“Adding these complementary brands into our growing portfolio solidifies SunMed’s leadership as the premier manufacturer of the anesthesia and respiratory consumables that define product excellence and serve patients across the continuum of care,” says Hank Struik, CEO of SunMed, in a release. “These products are the standard bearers of closed suction and endotracheal consumables, and we deeply admire the clinical results that these exceptional products provide for patients in critical care and the trust they have built with practitioners.”

Struik continues in the release, “Leveraging the expertise behind these successful brands, this transaction also supports our ability to drive growth and innovation, not just for the respiratory brands we are acquiring but for our comprehensive breathing care platform. Combined with our expansive anesthesia and respiratory consumables business, we are further strengthening SunMed’s ability to serve more clinicians around the world so they can provide the best patient outcomes.”

Avanos will provide transition services after closing as SunMed works to integrate its new respiratory health business within its product portfolio. The transaction is expected to close in late 2023, subject to customary closing conditions. 

“Divesting our respiratory health business is a key element of Avanos’ ongoing three-year transformation process,” says Joe Woody, Avanos CEO, in a release. “We’re confident that SunMed is an excellent fit for our [respiratory health] brands, including Ballard, Microcuff, and endOclear, and that these products will be strong additions to the company’s robust portfolio.”

Avanos plans to share additional details about the transaction during its Investor Day event on June 20.

The transaction will follow SunMed’s latest acquisition of Vyaire Medical’s respiratory and anesthesia consumables business, which closed on May 1.