Freudenberg Medical Ushers in a New Era for Hydrophilic Coatings with Launch of LUBRITEQ™

BEVERLY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 2, 2026--

Freudenberg Medical, a global contract design and manufacturing (CDMO) partner to the medical device and biopharma industry, today announced the launch of LUBRITEQ™, a new high-performance hydrophilic coating solution, along with a comprehensive suite of associated development and manufacturing services. LUBRITEQ™ is now available globally across Freudenberg Medical’s vertically integrated operations.

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With the launch of LUBRITEQ™, Freudenberg Medical becomes the only hydrophilic coating provider to unite advanced surface chemistry with deep, in-house medical device design and manufacturing capabilities—bringing together complementary technologies to enhance manufacturability and deliver greater productivity and reliability across the entire product development lifecycle.

“Hydrophilic coatings and device design must work in perfect harmony to deliver optimal performance, yet the industry has traditionally approached them as separate disciplines,” said Michael McGee, CEO of Freudenberg Medical. “As a uniquely integrated technical partner, we enable customers to move faster, with less risk and greater confidence, by combining product design, advanced materials, precision coatings, and application expertise for seamless development, scale-up, and launch.”

Built on a Deep Expertise in Surface Chemistry

Freudenberg Medical brings more than 25 years of experience in coating science, supported by a proven legacy of innovation, including expertise integrated through Hemoteq, that has enabled customers to achieve multiple industry firsts in complex drug-device and surface modification solutions.

“With more than 40 coating scientists, chemical engineers and technicians working alongside 250 medical device & catheter engineers globally, we have unparalleled expertise in developing complex chemistry and drug-device solutions for our customers,” said McGee. “We already support over one million medical devices each year for functional surface coatings, making the introduction of LUBRITEQ™, our hydrophilic coating solution, a natural evolution and logical next step aligned with our customers’ needs.”

Shaped by Customer Needs

Freudenberg Medical’s decision to enter the hydrophilic coatings market was guided by extensive engagement with customers and industry stakeholders to understand where existing solutions and partnerships can be improved, and where unmet needs continue to exist. Through these exchanges, it became clear that while coating technologies have advanced, customer needs are not being fully served—particularly when it comes to the flexibility of support services and complexities of royalties, licenses and fees.

“We heard consistent feedback that directly shaped our strategy,” said Freudenberg Medical’s Chief Commercial Officer, Keith Kiernan. “Customers aren’t just looking for a better coating—they’re looking for a better partner to de-risk their product launches. We deliberately set out to deliver a solution—and a partnership model—that reflects exactly what customers told us they need. No royalties, no rigidity—just coating performance, partnership and progress.”

Introducing LUBRITEQ™ Hydrophilic Coating & Services

LUBRITEQ™ is an advanced, UV-curable, single-step hydrophilic coating engineered for versatility and performance across a wide range of medical device applications and polymer & metal substrates. The coating delivers high lubricity with exceptional durability, consistent uniformity and ultra-low particulates. LUBRITEQ™ is customizable to optimize performance for specific device requirements and is compatible with virtually all approved materials used in medical device designs.

Recognizing that coating performance alone is not enough, Freudenberg Medical is launching LUBRITEQ™ alongside a comprehensive services model that supports customers across the full product lifecycle—from early feasibility through commercial production. Services include a rapid two-week first feasibility turnaround, tailored coating customization programs, and flexible volume-manufacturing options, including process transfer to the customer or contract coating support across Freudenberg Medical’s global site network. This integrated approach eliminates hand-offs across multiple suppliers, reducing risk and accelerating product development timelines.

Customer-First and Transparent, Commercial Model

In contrast to traditional industry practices, Freudenberg Medical is introducing a straightforward and transparent commercial model for LUBRITEQ™, designed to eliminate hidden costs and reduce program launch risk. Customers can access a high-performance hydrophilic coating solution with no royalties, no fixed or annual fees, and no regulatory file access fees.

Together, these elements remove commercial barriers and enable long-term, trust-based partnerships.

“With LUBRITEQ™, Freudenberg Medical is raising the bar for what a hydrophilic coating partner can and should be,” said CEO Michael McGee. “The early responses we’re seeing from customers confirm that we’re meeting a real need. Great technology, great service and a commercial model built on trust—that’s the standard we are setting.”

Freudenberg Medical is launching LUBRITEQ™ at MD&M West. Visit Booth 2609 to learn more about LUBRITEQ™ and discover how Freudenberg Medical is redefining what’s possible in hydrophilic coatings. Visit LUBRITEQ™ for more information.

About Freudenberg Medical

Freudenberg Medical is a trusted strategic CDMO partner to medical device and pharmaceutical companies, committed to delivering high-quality solutions from ideation to market launch and volume production. With over 2,900 associates across 12 global manufacturing sites in key MedTech hubs and proven expertise in materials and technologies, Freudenberg Medical offers an extensive range of vertically integrated capabilities: from minimally invasive solutions including complex catheters, hypotubes, steerable shafts, handles as well as drug and hydrophilic coatings to precision molding, two-shot and micro molding, advanced extrusions, and solutions for smart medical devices. www.freudenbergmedical.com

Freudenberg Medical Unveils LUBRITEQ™: A New Era in Hydrophilic Coatings

ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV lifted a wooden cross and held it aloft from his waist at the start of the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum on his first Good Friday as pontiff, marking the first time in decades that a pope has set out to carry the cross to every station.

“I think it will be an important sign because of what the pope represents, a spiritual leader in the world today, and for this voice, that everyone wants to hear, that says Christ still suffers,” Leo told reporters this week outside of the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo. “I carry all of this suffering in my prayer.”

Inside the Colosseum, Leo began the procession flanked by two young people holding torches, and followed by clergy.

At the first station, marking the moment Jesus was condemned to death, the meditation prepared especially for Leo's first Good Friday underlined that those with authority will have to answer to God for how they exercise their power.

"The power to judge; the power to start or end a war; the power to instill violence or peace; the power to fuel the desire for revenge, or for reconciliation,'' read the meditation written by Rev. Francesco Patton, who was custodian of the Holy Land 2016-25, charged, among other things, with looking after sacred sites.

Thousands gathered outside the pagan monument, where the procession continued, following the stations as they were recited over loud speakers.

They included Sister Pelenatita Kieoma Finau from Samoa and a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary.

"We have been part of our parish stations of the cross, but this is so exciting. It is very meaningful to have the experience of being with the people of Rome on this special occasion,'' she said.

John Paul II carried the cross for the entire procession from his first Good Friday as pontiff in 1979 until his hip surgery in 1995, when he carried it just part of the way, according to AP reports at the time.

For the first two years of his papacy, Benedict XVI carried the cross for the first station inside the Colosseum, then followed other bearers in the procession that ends on a platform on the Palatine Hill.

Pope Francis never carried the cross, but participated in the procession until his health worsened. He died after a long illness last year on Easter Monday, which fell on April 21.

Pope John Paul II was just 58 when he became pope, and was known as a hiker and outdoorsman. His two successors were in their late 70s when they began their papacies, and Francis was missing part of a lung due to a pulmonary infection as a young man.

The Way of the Cross commemorates the final hours of Jesus’ life, from his death sentence to taking up the cross to his crucifixion, death and burial. The procession ends outside the Colosseum atop the Palatine Hill.

“The Way of the Cross is not intended for those who lead a pristinely pious or abstractly recollected life,” Patton wrote in his introduction. “Instead, it is the exercise of one who knows that faith, hope and charity must be incarnated in the real world.”

At 70, Leo is physically fit and an avid tennis player and swimmer. Before becoming pope, Leo would work out regularly at a gym near the Vatican, with a plan befitting a man in his early 50s, according to his former trainer.

On Holy Saturday, the pontiff will preside over a late night Easter vigil, during which he will baptize new Catholics, and lead Roman Catholics into Christianity’s most joyous celebration marking Christ’s resurrection.

On Easter Sunday, the pope will celebrate an open-air Mass in St. Peter’s Square before delivering his Easter message and offer the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing to the city of Rome and the world.

——

Barry reported from Milan.

Pope Leo XIV carries a lightweight, 1.5-meter (5-foot) wooden cross during the Via Crucis, the torchlit Good Friday Stations of the Cross procession at the Colosseum in Rome, Friday, April 3, 2026, which symbolically retraces Jesus Christ's steps to his crucifixion on Calvary in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Faithful attend the Via Crucis, the torchlit Good Friday Stations of the Cross procession led by Pope Leo XIV at the Colosseum in Rome, Friday, April 3, 2026, which symbolically retraces Jesus Christ's steps to his crucifixion on Calvary in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Leo XIV carries a lightweight, 1.5-meter (5-foot) wooden cross during the Via Crucis, the torchlit Good Friday Stations of the Cross procession at the Colosseum in Rome, Friday, April 3, 2026, which symbolically retraces Jesus Christ's steps to his crucifixion on Calvary in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Leo XIV carries a lightweight, 1.5-meter (5-foot) wooden cross during the Via Crucis, the torchlit Good Friday Stations of the Cross procession at the Colosseum in Rome, Friday, April 3, 2026, which symbolically retraces Jesus Christ's steps to his crucifixion on Calvary in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Leo XIV carries a lightweight, 1.5-meter (5-foot) wooden cross during the Via Crucis, the torchlit Good Friday Stations of the Cross procession at the Colosseum in Rome, Friday, April 3, 2026, which symbolically retraces Jesus Christ's steps to his crucifixion on Calvary in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Leo XIV attends the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Catholic Good Friday, Friday, April 3, 2026 (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Leo XIV attends the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Catholic Good Friday, Friday, April 3, 2026 (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)