Ambu Expands Single-Use Endoscopy Contracts with Two U.S. Group Purchasing Organizations

With the expansion of two existing GPO contracts, Ambu’s position in single-use endoscopy continues to strengthen.

COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ambu Inc., the world leader in single-use endoscopes, announced today that it has been granted national single-use endoscopy contract expansions with two major U.S. Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs). With these expansions, Ambu is now on contract with all four major GPOs in the U.S. with either a full or partial portfolio of single-use endoscopy categories available for the customers that are served by the GPOs.

On one contract, Ambu’s aScope™ 4 Cysto has been added, while Ambu’s aScope™ Duodeno has been added on another. The expanded agreements strengthen Ambu’s position in single-use bronchoscopes, rhinolaryngoscopes, and now cystoscopes and duodenoscopes for the duration of the contracts.

The aScope 4 Cysto addition expands the single-use endoscopy category of an existing contract and will be effective immediately through November 2023. The expansion enables Ambu to more broadly serve 160 acute care hospitals in the U.S. and over 2,600 total sites across more than 20 states. This expanded agreement will further accelerate growth of Ambu’s share of the single-use endoscope market by giving those accounts pre-negotiated terms for Ambu’s bronchoscopy, rhinolaryngoscopy and cystoscopy products.

The aScope Duodeno addition to the existing contract with another major GPO, meanwhile, provides access to Ambu’s entire suite of single-use endoscopes and will be effective through February 2022. This enables Ambu to serve more than 50% of the acute care hospitals in the U.S. This agreement will further accelerate Ambu’s rapidly expanding share of the single-use endoscope market by giving those accounts pre-negotiated terms for Ambu’s duodenoscopes.

In total, these contract expansions give 90% of U.S. hospitals access to Ambu’s complete line of single-use endoscopes; 98% of U.S. hospitals have access to Ambu’s rhinolaryngoscopes, bronchoscopes and cystoscopes. Three of the four major GPOs have now created specific single-use endoscope categories.

“We’re very excited to see that GPOs, with existing contracts, are adding newly released products to expand the dedicated single-use endoscopy categories, serving hospitals and healthcare providers to provide a broader array of advanced single-use devices,” said Steven Block, President of Ambu Inc., North America. “In particular, our duodenoscope contract expansion will accelerate adoption of single-use endoscopy in GI and provide hospitals with additional opportunities to follow the FDA recommendations to transition to new and innovative duodenoscope designs.”

20 new endoscopy devices over the next three years

Ambu launched the world’s first single-use flexible bronchoscope, the Ambu® aScope™ in 2009. In 2020, more than 1 million Ambu single-use endoscopes were used in more than 6,000 hospitals making Ambu the world’s largest supplier of single-use endoscopes.

Within bronchoscopy, 96% of the top 500 hospitals in the U.S. are using Ambu’s sterile, single-use bronchoscopes in the OR and ICU setting. In the last 12 months, Ambu has increased its market share in the U.S. as hospitals continue to transition to single-use bronchoscopy to avoid costly and unnecessary expenses associated with workflow management and patient cross-contamination.

By 2023, Ambu expects to introduce another 20 new devices across all major areas of endoscopy, including GI, the largest endoscopy market globally.

About Ambu

Ambu has been bringing the solutions of the future to life since 1937. Today, millions of patients and healthcare professionals worldwide depend on the efficiency, safety and performance of our single-use endoscopy, anaesthesia, and patient monitoring & diagnostics solutions. The manifestations of our efforts have ranged from early innovations like the Ambu® Bag™ resuscitator and the Ambu® BlueSensor™ electrodes to our newest landmark solutions like the Ambu® aScope™ – the world’s first single-use flexible endoscope. Moreover, we continuously look to the future with a commitment to deliver innovative quality products that have a positive impact on the work of doctors, nurses and paramedics. Headquartered near Copenhagen in Denmark, Ambu employs approximately 4,000 people in Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit ambu.com or ambuUSA.com.