Commport Aligns With Reed Tech to Provide Medical Device Manufacturers an Option for FDA GUDID Submissions

AURORA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 8, 2015) - Commport Communications International, Inc. (Commport), a leader in the healthcare solutions marketplace, announced today that it has entered into a strategic marketing alliance with Reed Technology and Information Services Inc. (Reed Tech), a leader in regulatory data management, preparation and submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to provide a compliant solution for medical device manufacturers to make required submissions to the FDA Global Unique Device Identification Database (GUDID). With this alliance, Reed Tech will be able to offer a direct conduit to GS1 Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN) solutions through Commport, the oldest provider of GDSN-certified data pool services in North America.

Medical device manufacturers are increasingly being required by retailers, such as hospitals and healthcare networks, to "synchronize" product data through the GS1 GDSN rather than through the use of inefficient channels like paper catalogs or online portals. At the same time, device manufacturers that market their products within the U.S. must also submit product information to the FDA-administered GUDID database. The alliance between Commport and Reed Tech can help device manufacturers leverage product data previously captured through either the GDSN or the GUDID submission process to simultaneously comply with regulatory mandates and compete in the global marketplace.

"With a very high percentage of medical device products having a global distribution, regional regulatory compliance is extremely important," stated David Ralph, President and CEO of Commport. "The GDSN provides a single, standardized methodology to govern the exchange of product information between buyers and suppliers for consistency in both local markets and internationally. As a GDSN-certified data pool, the ability to present a single 'pipe' to Reed Tech for use in the FDA GUDID submission process will be a valuable option for our clients."

The GUDID database, soon to be made publicly accessible, is designed to help the FDA identify product defects more quickly, facilitate product recalls and ultimately improve patient safety. Reed Tech, the leading service provider of structured product labeling (SPL) solutions, offers lightweight and cost-effective data collection, validation, medical-device SPL preparation and FDA submission services to the GUDID.

"Through this alliance with Commport, we can build on our ability to provide medical device customers a regulatory solution and to share regulatory data with their trading partners via the GDSN," stated Ben McGinty, Senior Director, Business Development - Life Sciences at Reed Tech. "This alliance will permit our solution to efficiently process regulatory and commercial product data.

About Commport Communications International, Inc.

Since 1985, Commport Communications International, Inc. has been a leading provider in innovative technologies that leverages integration, collaboration and automation to deliver true value in business to business supply chains. Commport is a privately owned corporation and is the only provider in the world positioned to offer full service Value Added Network, EDI, translation and GDSN data synchronization services to both the demand side and the supply side of the trading partnership. To find out more about Commport Communications, please visit www.commport.com.

About Reed Tech

Reed Tech is the provider of best-in-class information-based solutions and services to meet the broad needs of the global Intellectual Property market as well as key regulatory needs of the Life Sciences industry. Our customers include the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, IP-driven companies, law firms, and a wide range of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. The corporate culture is driven by a commitment to excellence, innovation, and a strong dedication to its customers, employees and community. Reed Tech has worked in the patent arena since 1970 and has electronically captured and prepared for publication well over half of all U.S. patents ever granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Reed Tech is a LexisNexis company.

About LexisNexis Legal & Professional:

LexisNexis Legal & Professional is a leading global provider of content and technology solutions that enable professionals in legal, corporate, tax, government, academic and non-profit organizations to make informed decisions and achieve better business outcomes. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis® and Nexis® services. Today, LexisNexis Legal & Professional harnesses leading-edge technology and world-class content to help professionals work in faster, easier and more effective ways. Through close collaboration with its customers, the company ensures organizations can leverage its solutions to reduce risk, improve productivity, increase profitability and grow their business. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 175 countries with 10,000 employees worldwide, is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.