Kent Imaging taps Roots Pharmaceutical to distribute SnapshotNIR in GCC and Iraq

By AI, Created 4:42 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Kent Imaging has signed a distribution agreement with Roots Pharmaceutical to make SnapshotNIR available across Iraq and the Gulf Cooperation Council. The deal gives Kent a regional commercial partner in markets where diabetes-related wounds and vascular disease create demand for objective tissue oxygenation imaging.

Why it matters: - The agreement expands Kent Imaging’s reach into Iraq and six GCC markets, where clinicians face heavy demand for tools that can improve wound and vascular assessment. - SnapshotNIR is designed to support earlier intervention, better wound management and fewer unnecessary amputations by providing objective tissue oxygenation data at the point of care. - The deal also gives Roots Pharmaceutical a new medical device offering in a region where diabetic foot disease and chronic vascular wounds remain a major clinical problem.

What happened: - Kent Imaging and Roots Pharmaceutical announced a distribution agreement making Roots the authorized distributor of SnapshotNIR across Iraq and the GCC. - The GCC territory includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. - The announcement was made May 13, 2026, from Calgary, Alberta. - Kent Imaging and Roots Pharmaceutical framed the partnership as a move to expand access to non-invasive tissue oxygenation imaging in the region.

The details: - SnapshotNIR uses near-infrared spectroscopy to provide real-time, non-contact imaging of tissue oxygen saturation, oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin and total hemoglobin. - The device auto-calibrates for varying melanin levels in skin, which is intended to support imaging across nearly all skin tones. - Roots Pharmaceutical said the partnership will initially focus on wound care, vascular disease and diabetes-related complications. - Roots Pharmaceutical has relationships with hospitals, healthcare systems and clinical decision-makers across the region. - Roots Pharmaceutical’s commercial footprint spans more than ten markets. - Kent Imaging said Roots has experience navigating complex regulatory environments and commercializing innovative therapies and devices. - Kent Imaging also said SnapshotNIR has clinical evidence supporting its role in clinical decision-making. - Kent Imaging’s Snapshot product family also includes SnapshotGLO, a bacterial autofluorescence imaging device cleared by the FDA in 2025. - SnapshotNIR was initially cleared by the FDA and Health Canada in 2017 and received CE marking in 2025.

Between the lines: - The partnership appears aimed at matching a specialized imaging product with a distributor that already has regional relationships and market access. - Kent Imaging is betting that objective wound-assessment technology can gain traction in markets with high diabetes burden and established demand for point-of-care tools. - Roots Pharmaceutical’s portfolio across rare diseases, oncology and medical devices suggests the company is positioning itself as a broader healthcare commercialization platform, not only a drug distributor.

What’s next: - The first commercial push will target wound care, vascular disease and diabetes-related complications across the covered markets. - Kent Imaging and Roots Pharmaceutical said they plan a collaborative market-development approach to support the rollout. - The companies said the partnership is intended to improve patient outcomes across the region as access expands.