this going to be big somnomed kicks off

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SomnoMed kicks off European expansion
Tuesday Jun 5 14:21 AEST

Australian sleep apnea products company SomnoMed Ltd has signed a training and licensing agreement with a German lab operator, effectively launching its European expansion.

SomnoMed announced on Tuesday it had entered into a deal with Germany's Orthosleep to train and supply its European licensees, as the company looks to develop markets for its SomnoMed MAS anti-snoring device.

SomnoMed's executive chairman Dr Peter Neustadt said Orthosleep, one of Germany's leading dental labs, would act as the Sydney-based company's "central lab" in Europe.

The company hopes to license a partner in each European country, and have full market coverage, by the end of 2008, he said.

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Looking much like a sports mouthguard, the SomnoMed MAS consists of two separate plates which fit over the sufferer's teeth and position the lower jaw slightly forward to keep the airway open.

The device is custom made after a visit to a doctor or dentist.

"In its role as SomnoMed Central Lab Europe, Orthosleep will be responsible for training of our future licence partners to make, reset and repair our SomnoMed sleep apnea and snoring device," Mr Neustadt said.

"This is a very important first step in implementing our new global strategy and rolling out our business in Europe.

"Europe has a population of more than 300 million people and is the second most important market in the world."

The agreement with Orthosleep follows SomnoMed's expansion into the north American market last year, when it opened a lab in Denton, Texas.