An innovative wound-healing therapy known as vacuum-assisted closure will make its way to Japan thanks to Kinetic Concepts Inc.

The country's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare granted the medical technology company final regulatory approval to sell its VAC Therapy System in Japan, KCI said on Nov. 2.

VAC Therapy promotes wound healing by delivering negative pressure (a vacuum) at the wound site through a dressing that helps draw wound edges together, remove infectious materials and actively promote granulation at the cellular level. The company says the therapy has helped heal more than 3 million wounds worldwide.

The move into Japan should help the company expand the technology, which showed flat growth in the third quarter. Worldwide revenue from VAC products was $360.6 million in the period ended Sept. 30, up slightly from $360.3 million posted in the year-ago period.

The company attributed the slow growth to unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates and lower unit prices.

The same conditions also impacted overall results. Net earnings for the quarter were $64.6 million, or 91 cents per share, compared with $53.9 million, or 75 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue reached $504.4 million, compared with $503.3 million last year.

"In the third quarter we delivered revenue and earnings growth despite the impact of ongoing competitive and economic pressures," said Catherine Burzik, president and CEO of KCI, in an Oct. 21 earnings statement. "We also made progress in the quarter on several key strategic initiatives."

Kinetic Concepts Inc. At A Glance Kinetic Concepts Inc. San Antonio, Texas Primary Industry: Medical Instruments & Equipment Number of Employees: 6,900 2008 In Review Revenue: $1.88 billion Profit Margin: 9.26% Sales Turnover: 0.63 Inventory Turnover: 11.84 Revenue Growth: 16.44% Return On Assets: 16.44% Return On Equity: 25.69%

Some of those initiatives included the company's initial regulatory approval to sell VAC in Japan, the launch of its open abdominal therapy system ABThera and its expanded manufacturing capabilities in Ireland, Burzik said.

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