Tulavi, VHSS Team Up on Surgical Nerve Treatment for VA Amputees

Tulavi Therapeutics is partnering with Veterans Healthcare Supply Solutions (VHSS) to distribute the allay Hydrogel Cap to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and military treatment facilities nationwide. The collaboration brings Tulavi’s technology to the forefront of veteran care and expands access to a new treatment for peripheral nerve injuries while broadening the scope of advanced surgical options for nerve protection and recovery.

More than 60,000 U.S. veterans are living with limb loss, and countless others have sustained traumatic peripheral nerve injuries requiring surgical intervention. In these cases, peripheral nerves are often severed or transected during amputation or surgical soft tissue repair. When a peripheral nerve is injured or cut, regenerating axons may grow erratically, resulting in the development of neuromas that are the leading cause of chronic nerve pain and can significantly impair mobility, prosthetic use, and quality of life.^1,2

“We’re proud to work with Tulavi to make innovative, clinically driven solutions like allay available to surgeons at VA hospitals and military treatment centers,” VHSS CEO Ryan Hurt said. “Improving recovery and reducing the risk of long-term complications for veterans and their families is at the heart of our mission.”

The allay Hydrogel Cap is a fully absorbable, entirely sutureless medical device that provides a conforming and protective barrier to the injured nerve, supporting nerve recovery while reducing neuroma formation risk. Once deployed, the hydrogel cap remains in place for approximately eight months, protecting the nerve and blocking axonal escape during the critical neuroma formation period. Its simple surgical application and full resorption over time make it ideally suited for the essential peripheral nerve procedures routinely performed in VA and military settings.

“Our veterans and their families deserve access to technologies that support recovery from life-altering injuries and disabilities,” Tulavi CEO Josh Vose, M.D., stated. “This partnership with VHSS enables the VA and military surgeons to access the best medical technology available for reducing the risk of neuroma formation, through established procurement pathways, bringing the allay Hydrogel Cap directly to those who need it most.”

The allay Hydrogel Cap is now available to federal healthcare providers through the ECAT through VHSS.

Based in Los Gatos, Calif., Tulavi Therapeutics is a privately held medical device company striving to redefine peripheral nerve surgery through innovation that meets the unique needs of each nerve. The company’s proprietary in situ forming hydrogel technology represents a different approach to nerve repair and protection, addressing critical unmet needs in peripheral nerve surgery.

Veterans Healthcare Supply Solutions Inc. is a service-disabled veteran owned small business that distributes healthcare-related supplies and equipment to the U.S. government. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., VHSS has a state-of-the-art warehouse, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and warehouse management (WMS) system. With more than 30 years of healthcare distribution management experience, VHSS provides and represents leading manufacturers to federal government agencies.

References
¹ Amputee Coalition. Limb Loss in the United States: Fact Sheet. https://www.amputee-coalition.org 
² Dellon, A. L. (2001). Treatment of symptomatic neuroma and chronic pain in the upper extremity. Journal of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, 1(2), 193–200.