Syneos Health Launches Ventilator Initiative to Raise Awareness of Bridging Option to Address Ventilator Shortage for COVID-19 Patients

www.COVID-BiPAPInfo.com Provides Practical Information for Physicians on Innovative Use of BiPAP Machines – Already Available in Many Hospitals – to Potentially Delay or Remove Need for Mechanical Ventilation for Appropriate COVID-19 Patients

Skipta Joins Syneos Health-Led Effort by Leveraging New COVID-19 UNITE Physician Community Platform

MORRISVILLE, N.C., March 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Syneos Health (Nasdaq: SYNH), the only fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization, today announced the launch of a Ventilator Initiative. This multi-disciplinary initiative is designed to raise awareness among healthcare providers about a bridging option, using intubated Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) devices for appropriate COVID-19 patients to address the predicted ventilator shortage.

The open access platform www.COVID-BiPAPinfo.com is now live and provides physicians with practical steps and training materials for use of BiPAP with intubated COVID-19 patients suffering respiratory failure.

The ongoing global spread of COVID-19 has resulted in high demand for mechanical ventilators with experts projecting not enough supply for patients in the coming months. As healthcare providers prepare to address this critical need, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued guidance on March 22, regarding the use of certain devices, including noncontinuous ventilators delivering BiPAP, to treat patients with respiratory insufficiency on an emergency basis.ⁱ 

BiPAP devices are generally available in many hospitals and have the ability to delay or obviate the need for mechanical ventilation. Syneos Health recognized the need to educate frontline healthcare providers with this bridge option. The Company mobilized clinical and commercial leaders from across the organization with infectious disease, respiratory, critical care, and medical education and training expertise to make BiPAP informational and instructional resources available to healthcare professionals.

“Due to the projected critical global shortage of mechanical ventilators to care for critically-ill COVID-19 patients, the medical community urgently needs to know about alternative ventilation options and their use if we are to prevent loss of life,” said Keith Robinson, MD, a Syneos Health Medical Director and Critical Care Pulmonologist. “This BiPAP option needs to be shared with healthcare professionals around the world.”