GHX Announces 2008 Best In Class Award Winners

CHICAGO, April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- GHX today announced the winners of the fifth annual Best In Class Awards, recognizing 29 medical-surgical manufacturers that have achieved significant market share positions for distributed products through the end of 2007. Awards were presented to companies that achieved the highest year-over-year market share growth in 35 different product categories and those that achieved the top share position in five specific markets. The awards were presented on Friday, April 18, 2008 during a recognition ceremony in Chicago at the 8th Annual GHX Supply Chain Summit, the largest forum in the U.S. focused on both the buy and sell side of the healthcare supply chain.

Best In Class winners were determined using GHX Market Intelligence reports that analyze national distributed sales transaction data provided by 23 U.S. distributors. While manufacturers are not required to be GHX customers in order to qualify for or win the Best In Class awards, many of this year's award winners leverage GHX Market Intelligence to gain market share.

"The struggling U.S. economy, increased foreign competition and decreased provider resources have converged to make this an extremely challenging environment for medical-surgical manufacturers," said Ed McCauley, general manager, GHX Business Intelligence. "This year's Best In Class Awards recognize manufacturers that have achieved substantial growth despite these challenges by employing business critical information to uncover emerging market trends and capitalize on new opportunities."

The 2008 GHX Best In Class market segment award winners were selected based on the highest sales volumes for 2007. They are as follows:

The 2008 GHX Best In Class product category award winners were selected based on the highest year-over-year market share growth through the end of 2007.

"We'd like to thank GHX for recognizing Sage Products for our 2007 market share gains in the Patient Care Products major class," said Juliann Salinas, marketing analyst, Sage Products, Inc. "2007 was an exciting year for Sage Products as we saw tremendous market share growth across all of our product lines. Enhanced awareness of hospital-acquired infections and our extraordinary patient care outcomes have increased the demand for Sage's simple, low cost interventions. In 2008, we look to expand and enhance our Interventional Patient Hygiene product offerings to meet the evolving needs of our customers, and we look forward to continuing to utilize GHX's valuable market intelligence to help identify and leverage our market achievements and opportunities."

GHX Market Intelligence tracks and reports on over $30 billion of distributed sales for medical-surgical and clinical laboratory supplies and devices. It is the only comprehensive source for accurate, detailed and timely acute and alternate site market data, with geographically relevant and competitive market share, size and average selling price reporting down to the three-digit zip code level.

Healthcare suppliers use GHX Market Intelligence data and reports to gauge market size and share, guide product development, capitalize on new opportunities, and stay one step ahead of the competition. Nine of the top 10 manufacturers utilizing distribution as a sales channel call upon GHX Market Intelligence to stay ahead of the competition.

About GHX

GHX enables healthcare providers and suppliers in North America and Europe to reduce costs and improve margins by automating processes, reducing operating expenses and increasing knowledge-based decision making. Products and services include trading partner connectivity, order and contract management and validation, data synchronization, sales force automation and business intelligence. Equity owners of GHX are Abbott Exchange, Inc.; AmerisourceBergen Corp.; Baxter Healthcare Corp.; B Braun Medical Inc.; Becton, Dickinson & Co.; Boston Scientific Corp.; Cardinal Health, Inc.; Covidien; C.R. Bard, Inc.; Fisher Scientific International, Inc.; GE Healthcare; HCA; Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc.; McKesson Corp.; Medtronic USA, Inc.; Owens & Minor; Premier, Inc.; Siemens; University HealthSystem Consortium; and VHA Inc. For more information, visit http://www.ghx.com

CONTACT: Kara Della Vecchia, cell, +1-508-361-1133,
kara@kdvcommunications.com, for GHX; or Karen Conway of GHX, cell,
+1-303-564-2147, or voicemail, +1-720-887-7215, kconway@ghx.com

Web site: http://www.ghx.com//

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