VetPlus, a leading nutraceutical manufacturer, has announced that it will be the sole U.K. distributor of a new product set to revolutionise the way veterinarians manage bleeding. Available at the end of June, VETIGEL™, which was developed by U.S. firm Suneris, employs a unique plant-based compound to stop blood loss in fewer than 10 seconds.

The speed at which VETIGEL stops bleeding is significantly faster than currently available products, which takes 2-3 minutes to do the same thing. This rapid advancement is expected to have a major impact in veterinary clinics and surgical suites, where time saved from bleeding can mean increased success and efficiency for routine surgeries and complex operations.

"What VETIGEL delivers in terms of time savings and convenience makes a huge difference for veterinarians and pets," said Joe Landolina, CEO of New York-based Suneris. "VETIGEL is a major innovation for managing blood loss and saving lives."

A plant-derived haemostatic gel, VETIGEL adheres to the tissue immediately after application and forms a bio-scaffold onto which fibrin is produced. The result is a fibrin patch with a clot strength durable enough to withstand removal of excess product after just a few minutes. The biocompatible nature of the gel means excess product can be left in the body to reabsorb.

As an everyday veterinary tool, VETIGEL will enable veterinarians to quickly stop bleeding during procedures such as biopsies, dental extractions and other emergency and critical care procedures. Since no pressure is needed to form a clot, the product is easy to apply. Additionally, VETIGEL encourages the body to create a clot of twice the durability the body could do on its own.

The product will be available directly from VetPlus and is supplied as 5 x 5ml pre-filled syringes, in a sterile pouch, ready to use. No preparation or special storage are required.

David Haythornthwaite, Chairman of VetPlus said, "We are really excited to be involved with Joe and the team at Suneris. VETIGEL is a truly transformative product."

VetPlus has signed a ten year manufacturing and distribution agreement with Suneris, and will initially import the product from the U.S. VetPlus plans to manufacture VETIGEL from the U.K. by the end of this year.

The technology behind VETIGEL is ultimately intended for the human market. Suneris is currently working to attain FDA approval in the U.S. The potential for this technology covers many fields, including military, emergency medicine and human surgical use.