Toumaz in join venture with CCE to market Sensium Digital Plaster

30 July 2011

Oxford-based Toumaz Limited has established a new joint venture with  California Capital Equity LLC (CCE), to expand the commercialisation and distribution of the Sensium Digital Plaster.

The joint venture, which is named Toumaz US LLC, will be headquartered in San Diego, California, and will sell and distribute the Sensium Digital Plaster in North America and Worldwide. It has received 510(k) approval from the US FDA.

The Sensium Digital Plaster is an, ultra-small, ultra-low power wireless body-worn monitor that continuously and unobtrusively acquires high-quality vital signs data, including temperature, heart rate and respiration rate. The current Sensium Digital Plaster is targeted for use in hospital general ward environments. It also has the potential to be extended into tele-care, chronic disease monitoring, community care settings and the home, where continuous or extended monitoring of patients is important.

Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, Chief Executive of California Capital Equity said: "Without a doubt, wireless is the future of healthcare. Wireless technology is the key to bringing quality healthcare to everybody, wherever they may be, in real time. Toumaz's ultra-low power technology is going to be a vital element in this, and our joint venture opens up exciting prospects."

Professor Chris Toumazou, Toumaz Limited Chief Executive, said: "We are very excited to be working closely with Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong. We share his vision of building a better healthcare system by enabling remote patient monitoring. Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong and his team bring considerable expertise in the development and distribution of medical devices and technology in the US.

"The extent of Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong’s involvement in this venture illustrates the potential of the wireless healthcare market and our compelling proposition.” He added: “We are pleased to be taking this project forward from the solid technical and commercial base that has been established. We are confident, given the disruptive nature of our technology, that launching Toumaz US as a specialist vehicle is the most effective way to bring the Sensium Digital Plaster to the global market.”

Under the terms of the new partnership, California Capital Equity will provide up to $25M funding to the company over the next two years and will own 80% of the equity. The remaining 20% will be held by Toumaz Limited.

Toumaz Limited will also receive both product and royalty revenues from the joint venture as it commercialises the Sensium Digital Plaster.

Toumaz Limited and its previous strategic partner have worked closely to develop and refine the Sensium Digital Plaster over a number of years. As part of the agreement, the previous strategic partner is transferring to Toumaz Limited all relevant IP, product design, clinical trial data, regulatory and FDA documentation as well as sharing supplier relationships with Toumaz Limited for use in the new joint venture.

Toumaz Limited CEO Professor Chris Toumazou will join the Board of the new Toumaz US as Vice-Chairman, and Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong will serve as Chairman. In February 2011, Toumaz Limited announced that California Capital Equity LLC had made a strategic investment in the Group to develop Sensium technology for consumer healthcare applications. Toumaz Limited issued 14,563,142 shares to CCE at 8.83p per share, representing a stake of 2.46% in the group.