This article is the first of a series called “Australian Medtech Firsts”. Every first of the month, we introduce an Australian medtech company that has made an impact in the sector and on patients’ lives.
ResMed was originally established in Sydney in 1989 to bring to market a novel sleep apnoea technology called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Today, ResMed is headquartered in San Diego, CA, employs over 8,000 staff and has a presence in over 140 countries. The medtech company is internationally recognised for its medical technologies for sleep apnoea, COPD, asthma and manufactures a range of invasive and non-invasive ventilators, and bilevel devices for home and hospital use.
It took the COVID-19 pandemic for ResMed’s expertise in respiratory medicine to become known to the general public, as the medtech company played a significant role in the manufacture of ventilators for patients in intensive care.
In 2020
This article takes us back to the start of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when ventilators were widely sought-after due to demand exceeding supply in intensive care units (ICU). In March 2020, with ICU numbers rapidly rising around the world, it quickly became clear to healthcare professionals that the virus outbreak was not slowing down.
In April 2020, just weeks after Australia’s initial COVID-19 outbreak, the Morrison government struck a $31 million agreement with a variety of manufacturers to produce more than 2,000 additional ventilators for Australia’s hospitals, almost doubling the existing supply. Very soon, both local and global companies began building and manufacturing intensive care and non-invasive ventilators for local usage around the country.
Unlike many other countries around the world who had to seek out ventilator manufacturers outside of their borders, Australia has home-grown expertise in the ventilator space.
ResMed were a key player in the fight against COVID-19, as they manufacture a range of invasive and non-invasive ventilators, and bilevel devices for home and hospital use. With the advice of a healthcare professional, some bilevel devices that are used to treat certain types of sleep apnoea may also provide support to some COVID-19 patients and others with respiratory insufficiency.
ResMed Public Relations Director Jayme Rubenstein said: “At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ResMed pivoted its global manufacturing and distribution operations to maximise its output of life-saving ventilators.
“Component supply was impacted by COVID-related shutdowns, as well as sea and air freight bringing components to our manufacturing sites and finished product to customers and device users.
“Despite these challenges, ResMed was able to produce a record hundreds of thousands of ventilators and bilevel devices thanks to the life-saving efforts of its suppliers and transport vendors, as well as the dedication and agility of ResMed manufacturing and distribution teams worldwide.”
In the first week of April 2020, over 100 Australians were admitted to ICU with COVID-19. Of these 100 patients, more than 50% could not breathe without assistance and required a ventilator.
In Fiscal Year 2021 (1st July 2020 – 30th June 2021), ResMed invested over US$225 million in research and development, and part of this funding enabled the medtech company to manufacture the most effective and state-of-the-art assisted-breathing devices throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
In 2021
One year later in April 2021, former Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt disclosed that due to the Commonwealth’s massive increase in ventilator purchases in preparation for a worst-case COVID-19 scenario in 2020, they were left with many ventilators being stored and unused. This put Australia in a strong position to support other countries, such as India, where needed, as they tackled the pandemic head on.
By August 2021, the respiratory ResMed’s COVID-related ventilator sales stood at $167 million.
In 2022 and beyond
As of today in December 2022, there are 27 people across Australia with a COVID-19 infection who require a ventilator, an improvement from where we were this time last year.
Though with ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks across the country and the globe on larger scales than ever seen before, ResMed continues to face unprecedented demand for its devices.
Mr Rubenstein said: “ResMed was a top-five producer of ventilators and bilevel devices before COVID and remains one today. Patients’ safety and wellbeing remains ResMed’s top priority. As such, ResMed will always strive to help every person worldwide have the solution they need to best manage their chronic condition, be it sleep apnoea, COPD, asthma, or other related issue.”
Although the pandemic has affected businesses across many sectors, some have been able to adapt their expertise, and like ResMed, have helped governments and people around the globe to feel confident in the medical technology available in healthcare settings.
London Agency is a Melbourne-based healthcare communications and public relations agency.
