The National Times - Formerra to Supply Foster Medical Compounds in Europe

Formerra to Supply Foster Medical Compounds in Europe


Formerra to Supply Foster Medical Compounds in Europe
Formerra to Supply Foster Medical Compounds in Europe

Expanded agreement infuses Formerra's European healthcare polymer portfolio with life-saving Foster® compounds.

Change text size:

PUTNAM, CT AND ROMEOVILLE, IL / ACCESS Newswire / January 29, 2026 / Formerra and GEON® Performance Solutions today announced an agreement that designates Formerra as the preferred distributor of Foster®, LLC medical compounds in Europe. This adds to Formerra's current distribution of these materials in North and South America, enabling Formerra to now support customers who need the same product in all regions.

Following GEON's January 2025 acquisition of Foster, the agreement builds on Formerra's long-standing, global partnership with GEON for flexible and rigid PVC and filled polypropylene materials.

"Bringing Foster's medical-grade portfolio to Europe strengthens our ability to support healthcare manufacturers across the region with specialized compounds and the local expertise they need to navigate complex regulatory environments," said Kelly Wessner, Vice President, Key Accounts, Formerra. "Building on the momentum of our Americas partnership, we're excited to extend these proven solutions to European customers who demand the highest standards in medical device materials."

With more than 30 years in custom medical polymer compounding, Foster delivers highly engineered, top-of-the-polymer-pyramid formulations tailored to demanding requirements. The portfolio includes options such as radiopaque compounds and grades that meet USP Class VI requirements and align with ISO 10993 expectations. These materials support critical end uses across the healthcare space, including implantable products and other highly specialized applications.

"Extending our Foster portfolio into Europe with Formerra allows us to meet growing demand from healthcare manufacturers in one of the world's most dynamic medical device markets," said Arthur Adams, Chief Commercial Officer, GEON. "This expansion reinforces our shared commitment to supporting innovation in life-saving applications globally."

Adding Foster® compounds to its European portfolio will enable Formerra to better serve customers in the healthcare space, offering not only access to highly engineered medical polymers, but also deep regulatory expertise and responsive logistics across the region.

Formerra will exhibit at MD&M West in Booth 2266 in Anaheim, California, February 3-5, 2026.

###

Key Details

  • Formerra will distribute Foster® medical compounds in Europe.

  • This agreement adds custom medical-grade compounds to Formerra's existing global access to GEON® PVC and filled PP materials.

About Formerra
Formerra is a preeminent distributor of engineered materials, connecting the world's leading polymer producers with thousands of OEMs and brand owners across healthcare, consumer, industrial, and mobility markets. Powered by technical and commercial expertise, it brings a distinctive combination of portfolio depth, supply chain strength, industry knowledge, service, leading e-commerce capabilities, and ingenuity. The experienced Formerra team helps customers across multiple industries to design, select, process, and develop products in new and better ways - driving improved performance, productivity, reliability, and sustainability. To learn more, visit www.formerra.com.

About GEON Performance Solutions
GEON® Performance Solutions unlocks the power of polymers for the future. From biomedical materials from our medical division, Foster, LLC, to building materials, automotive, connectivity, and appliances, customers in these markets rely on the portfolio of compounding solutions, highly adaptable vinyl, polyolefin, engineered resin technologies, and full-service contract manufacturing that we deliver. In every formulation, collaboration, and challenge we're shaping the brilliance of tomorrow and providing a formidable advantage by engineering what's possible. Geon has approximately 1,200 global associates and 15 world-class manufacturing plants with headquarters in Westlake, Ohio. Learn more at www.geon.com. Geon is a portfolio company of SK Capital Partners.

Media Contact
Jackie Morris
Marketing Communications Manager, Formerra
[email protected]
+1 630-972-3144

SOURCE: Formerra



View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

S.Clarke--TNT

Featured

Carney touts Canada 'pivot' away from US as Trump levels new threat

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that reducing economic ties with the United States would come at a cost but the benefits were clear, as President Donald Trump threatened new penalties targeting Canada.

Nearly 1,100 flights cancelled after UK air traffic control glitch

Almost 1,100 flights to and from UK airports were cancelled Tuesday due to what the country's air traffic control service called a technical issue, in the latest glitch to spark travel chaos.

Carney touts Canada 'pivot' away from US as tariffs rise

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday said reducing economic ties with the United States would come at a cost but the long-term benefits were clear, as retaliatory tariffs on US products took effect.

The "Everlasting Battery" Inside Your Joints:UConn Professor's Self-Powered Healing Material just Got Acquired

A material that turns your own movement into medicine has just landed a corporate home. PetVivo Holdings (OTCQX: PETV), a veterinary biotech and biomedical device company focused on treating osteoarthritis in dogs and horses, has acquired PiezoBioMembrane (PBM) — a startup built around a biodegradable implant that generates electricity from the everyday force of a joint in motion, and uses that charge to help regrow cartilage from the inside out. The material is the invention of Thanh Nguyen, a professor of mechanical engineering in UConn's College of Engineering, who founded PBM in 2021 to advance new implementation methods for his work with piezoelectric materials — substances that convert mechanical force into electrical energy. These materials are typically ceramics: hard, brittle, and poorly suited for medical use. But Nguyen's lab developed new forms that are so , flexible, and biodegradable, breaking down naturally within the body over time. wound healing, The materials have already shown strong potential across a range of medical applications, including tissue regeneration, implanted force sensors, and targeted drug delivery in tumor treatment. How It Works biodegradable ultrasound for In the case of arthritis, Nguyen explains, the piezoelectric materials function as an off-the-shelf product that can be implanted or injected directly into the ailing joint — with no drugs, chemicals, or cells required. The everyday force exerted on the joint generates a small electrical charge, which helps regrow healthy cartilage, mimicking the body's natural use of electricity to regenerate tissue. "The body can be electrically stimulated to regrow," Nguyen says. PBM's materials "act like a battery — an everlasting battery that works whenever there is a force applied, and vanishes safely inside the body over time." PetVivo's Vision for the Acquisition PetVivo Holdings CEO John Lai expressed enthusiasm for the merger's potential to improve the lives of companion animals globally. "PBM has developed a compelling functional biomaterials platform with the potential to support the development of multiple medical device and therapeutic product lines across both human and animal health markets," Lai said in a press release. "By combining PBM's scientific innovation with PetVivo's product development capabilities, commercialization experience, regulatory expertise, and public company infrastructure, we believe we can accelerate theadvancement of technologies that may serve as the foundation for numerous future products and strategic opportunities." For Nguyen, the deal is a chance to scale technology that could eventually benefit both animals and people. "PetVivo is an animal health company, but they do have a big passion: pushing the technology towards clinical trials for human use," Nguyen says. "That aligned perfectly with my passion for developing technology that has an impact on human life. That is why I am excited about this merger, which facilitates my passion." A Track Record of Innovation Nguyen's research sits at the intersection of medicine, micro/nanotechnology, and biomaterials. His inventions have earned him publications in prominent scientific journals and media coverage from outlets including NPR. Nguyen founded PBM during the COVID-19 pandemic, a er realizing the material he had developed could be used to create an especially effective, biodegradable face mask — one where the mechanical force of breathing generated an electrical charge that provided an extra layer of protection against viruses. PBM is not Nguyen's only venture in the acquisition pipeline. His other startup, Single-Time Microneedles (STM), is also currently undergoing an acquisition process. STM has pioneered stable, efficient vaccine delivery technology in the form of an adhesive patch. shelfNguyen's focus on biodegradable materials has translated into a remarkably diverse range of medical applications. He has received five R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supporting research in cartilage regeneration, bone regeneration, HIV antibody delivery systems, and biodegradable ultrasound technology to boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy for brain cancer. "Whatever we are working on, we want to show that it works very well in vitro and in vivo," Nguyen says. "Then, when we are at the point of commercialization, we set up a startup or license the technology — or maybe team up with an industry partner." Thanh Nguyen is a professor of mechanical engineering in UConn's College of Engineering. (Courtesy of Thanh Nguyen

Change text size: