MEDICAL

Luther Medical Products Inc., a Tustin-based catheter manufacturer, said it has received $500,000 from a Japanese firm for the rights to market Luther’s newest catheter in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines and Hong Kong.

Tate Scott, Luther’s executive vice president, said the Japanese firm does not want to be identified until it begins its overseas marketing campaign sometime within the next 12 months. Scott would say only that the firm is a major distributor of catheters in Japan.

Scott said the catheter covered by the new licensing will be sold under the trade name ACTIV. He said the catheter is exceptionally thin and thus easier to insert in veins for intravenous feedings and medications. Once in the vein, the catheter expands to allow greater flow of medication and softens to increase patient comfort.

Scott said Luther’s agreement with the Japanese marketing firm extends over 10 years.

Discussions are under way with other companies to distribute ACTIV catheters in the United States and worldwide, Scott said.