K2M Introduces World’s First 3D-Printed Expandable Corpectomy Cage with Cervical Spine Indications Following CE Mark of CAPRI® Cervical 3D Expandable Featuring Lamellar 3D Titanium Technology™

LEESBURG, Va., Dec. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — K2M Group Holdings, Inc.(NASDAQ:KTWO) (the “Company” or “K2M”), a global leader of complex spine and minimally invasive solutions focused on achieving three-dimensional Total Body Balance, today announced that it received a CE Mark for its CAPRI® Cervical 3D Expandable Corpectomy Cage System* featuring Lamellar 3D Titanium Technology™, and the successful completion of its first surgical case. CAPRI Cervical 3D Expandable is the world’s first and only 3D-printed expandable device on the market to facilitate continuous in-situ height expansion and endplate angulation in the cervical spine. K2M was the first leading spine company to introduce a 3D-printed spinal implant and offers the most comprehensive portfolio of 3D-printed spinal devices on the market.

The CAPRI Cervical 3D Expandable Cage System* stabilizes the cervical spine in cases of vertebral body resections resulting from trauma or tumor. Offered in various footprint options, its continuous in-situ adjustment capabilities allow surgeons to lock the cage with set screws at desired heights and lordotic angles within the expansion range of the implant. The system also allows for fixed endplate angulation of 0°, 5°, and 10° to accommodate surgeon preference and vertebral anatomy.

“Never before has a cervical corpectomy cage combined the capabilities of 3D printing with the functionality of continuous in-situ height and lordotic adjustment,” said Lars Valentin, MD, of Rigshospitalet in Denmark. “Using the CAPRI Cervical 3D Expandable Corpectomy Cage,” explained Martin Gehrchen, MD, PhD, chief of spine surgery at Rigshospitalet in Denmark, “we were able to dial in a precise height and lordotic angle in-situ while also utilizing a 3D-printed device designed to allow for bony integration.”

K2M’s Lamellar 3D Titanium Technology uses an advanced 3D printing method to create structures that are impossible with traditional manufacturing techniques. Starting with a titanium powder, the CAPRI Cervical 3D Expandable Corpectomy Cages are grown through the selective application of a high-energy laser beam, incorporating complex internal geometries and rough surface architecture that pre-clinical data have associated with bone growth activity. Lamellar 3D Titanium Technology incorporates a porous structure along with rough surfaces to allow the potential for bony integration throughout the cage.

K2M Chairman, President, and CEO Eric Major said, “We are pleased to receive a CE Mark for our CAPRI Cervical 3D Expandable Cage System*, which reinforces our commitment to excellence in 3D-printed spinal innovation and the further integration of expandable technologies across our comprehensive complex spine, minimally invasive, and degenerative product portfolios. We look forward to further strengthening our market-leading portfolio of 3D-printed spinal devices that, when supported by our comprehensive Balance ACS platform, help surgeons facilitate three-dimensional spinal balance in their patients.”

Balance ACS® or (BACS®) is a comprehensive platform applying three-dimensional solutions across the entire clinical care continuum to help drive quality outcomes in spine patients. BACS provides solutions to help surgeons achieve balance of the spine by addressing each anatomical vertebral segment with a 360-degree approach to the axial, coronal, and sagittal planes, emphasizing Total Body Balance as an important component of surgical success.

For more information on the CAPRI Cervical 3D Expandable Corpectomy Cage System* and K2M’s complete product portfolio, visit www.K2M.com. For more information on Balance ACS, visit www.BACS.com.

*This product is intended for export and is not sold or offered for sale in the United States.

About K2M

K2M Group Holdings, Inc. is a global leader of complex spine and minimally invasive solutions focused on achieving three-dimensional Total Body Balance. Since its inception, K2M has designed, developed, and commercialized innovative complex spine and minimally invasive spine technologies and techniques used by spine surgeons to treat some of the most complicated spinal pathologies. K2M has leveraged these core competencies into Balance ACS, a platform of products, services, and research to help surgeons achieve three-dimensional spinal balance across the axial, coronal, and sagittal planes, with the goal of supporting the full continuum of care to facilitate quality patient outcomes. The Balance ACS platform, in combination with the Company’s technologies, techniques and leadership in the 3D-printing of spinal devices, enable K2M to compete favorably in the global spinal surgery market. For more information, visit www.K2M.com and connect with us on FacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedIn and YouTube.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect current views with respect to, among other things, operations and financial performance.  Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts such as our statements about our expected financial results and guidance and our expectations for future business prospects.  In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as, “outlook,” “guidance,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “seeks,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates” or the negative version of these words or other comparable words.  Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties including, among other things: our ability to achieve or sustain profitability in the future; our ability to demonstrate to spine surgeons the merits of our products and retain their use of our products; pricing pressures and our ability to compete effectively generally in our industry; collaboration and consolidation in hospital purchasing; inadequate coverage and reimbursement for our products from third-party payors; lack of long-term clinical data supporting the safety and efficacy of our products; dependence on a limited number of third-party suppliers; our ability to maintain and expand our network of direct sales employees, independent sales agencies and international distributors and their level of sales or distribution activity with respect to our products; proliferation of physician-owned distributorships in the industry; decline in the sale of certain key products; loss of key personnel; our ability to enhance our product offerings through research and development; our ability to manage expected growth; our ability to successfully acquire or invest in new or complementary businesses, products or technologies; our ability to educate surgeons on the safe and appropriate use of our products; costs associated with high levels of inventory; impairment of our goodwill and intangible assets; disruptions to our corporate headquarters and operations facilities or critical information technology systems, distributors or surgeon users; our ability to ship a sufficient number of our products to meet demand; our ability to strengthen our brand; fluctuations in insurance cost and availability; our ability to comply with extensive governmental regulation within the United States and foreign jurisdictions; our ability  to maintain or obtain regulatory approvals and clearances within the United States and foreign jurisdictions; voluntary corrective actions by us or our distribution or other business partners or agency enforcement actions; recalls or serious safety issues with our products; enforcement actions by regulatory agencies for improper marketing or promotion; misuse or off-label use of our products; delays or failures in clinical trials and results of clinical trials; legal restrictions on our procurement, use, processing, manufacturing or distribution of allograft bone tissue; negative publicity concerning methods of tissue recovery and screening of donor tissue; costs and liabilities relating to environmental laws and regulations; our failure or the failure of our agents to comply with fraud and abuse laws; U.S. legislative or Food and Drug Administration regulatory reforms; adverse effects of medical device tax provisions; potential tax changes in jurisdictions in which we conduct business; our ability to generate significant sales; potential fluctuations in sales volumes and our results of operations over the course of the year; uncertainty in future capital needs and availability of capital to meet our needs; our level of indebtedness and the availability of borrowings under our credit facility; restrictive covenants and the impact of other provisions in the indenture governing our convertible  senior notes and our credit facility;  continuing worldwide economic instability; our ability to protect our intellectual property rights; patent litigation and product liability lawsuits; damages relating to trade secrets or non-competition or non-solicitation agreements; risks associated with operating internationally; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; our ability to comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar laws; our ability to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting; potential volatility in our stock price; our lack of current plans to pay cash dividends; our ability to take advantage of certain reduced disclosure requirements and exemptions as a result of being an emerging growth company; increased costs and additional regulations and requirements as a result of no longer qualifying as an emerging growth company as of December 31, 2017; potential dilution by the future issuances of additional common stock in connection with our incentive plans, acquisitions or otherwise; anti-takeover provisions in our organizational documents and our ability to issue preferred stock without shareholder approval; potential limits on our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and our Quarterly Report filed with the SEC on August 2, 2017, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our periodic filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.  Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements.  These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this release and our filings with the SEC.

We operate in a very competitive and challenging environment.  New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this release.  We cannot assure you that the results, events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur, and actual results, events or circumstances could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made.  We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.  We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Unless specifically stated otherwise, our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures, investments or other strategic transactions we may make.

Media Contact:

Zeno Group on behalf of K2M Group Holdings, Inc.
Christian Emering, 212-299-8985
Christian.Emering@ZenoGroup.com

Investor Contact:
Westwicke Partners on behalf of K2M Group Holdings, Inc.
Mike Piccinino, CFA, 443-213-0500
K2M@westwicke.com

Life Spine Announces Initial Cases and Multiple Surgeries with the SIMPACT™ Tri-Fin Sacroiliac Joint Fusion System

December 20, 2017

HUNTLEY, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Life Spine, a medical device company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets products for the surgical treatment of spinal disorders, announced today the initial cases and multiple surgeries performed with SIMPACT Tri-Fin Sacroiliac Joint Fusion System.

“My first surgery with SIMPACT Tri-Fin was seamless and incredibly simple. The procedure was complete in less than twenty minutes, the patient lost almost no blood and there was no bruising,” said Dr. Ali Mesiwala of the Southern California Center for Neuroscience and Spine. “The system is unique in that the screw is aggressive enough to self-drill and tap, reducing or eliminating the need for multiple steps, and allows you to reduce Sacroiliac Joint Diastasis. Additionally, the anti-rotational sleeve protects against back-out and the fenestrations and cannulation of the screw self-harvest bone as it is implanted. Separately, these features are excellent, but combined, they allow for a procedure that is safe, effective and reproducible.”

SIMPACT Tri-Fin, which features OSSEO-LOC™ surface technology, launched November of 2017 and joins Life Spine’s broad portfolio of full procedural solutions.

About Life Spine

Life Spine is dedicated to improving the quality of life for spinal patients by increasing procedural efficiency and efficacy through innovative design, uncompromising quality standards, and the most technologically advanced manufacturing platforms. Life Spine, which is privately held, is based in Huntley, Illinois. For more information, please visit: http://www.lifespine.com.

Life Spine is a registered trademark.

Contacts

Life Spine
Omar Faruqi
Chief Financial Officer
ofaruqi@lifespine.com
847-884-6117

LivaNova Names ECA Medical Instruments 2017 Supplier of the Year Award Winner

December 20, 2018

Thousand Oaks, CA. — ECA Medical Instruments, the leading global designer and manufacturer of single-procedure torque-limiting instruments and procedural kits for the medical industry, was named LivaNova 2017 Supplier of the Year Award winner. ECA was one of just 3 strategic partner firms out of 300 LivaNova suppliers worldwide to win the prestigious award.

“We have the pleasure to recognize ECA Medical Instruments as the LivaNova 2017 Supplier of the Year,” said Pascal Chaussepied, Purchasing Director, CRM and Neuro. “This award honors ECA’s overall performance in areas including quality, logistics, cost and customer service and support. Supplier performance is fundamental to LivaNova’s success to remain competitive within the challenging CRM market and global environment. We congratulate the ECA team and its management for the continuous outstanding level of performance,” he said.

ECA designs and manufactures a variety of precision single-use torque-limiting instruments used by surgeons to secure delicate electrodes and leads that connect LivaNova pacemakers and defibrillators to the heart. ECA’s instruments also secure electrodes to LivaNova’s Vagus Nerve neuromodulation devices used to treat people affected by treatment-resistant epilepsy, depression, heart failure and other disorders. ECA’s instruments are single-use meaning a pristine instrument is used for each mission critical implant and for each patient.

“This is a tremendous honor for ECA and our global team of medical device employees, who are dedicated to providing LivaNova with pristine single-procedure instrumentation. ECA has been successfully supporting LivaNova across multiple life sustaining product lines for many years,” said Lane Hale, President and CEO of ECA Medical Instruments.

“Winning the LivaNova 2017 Supplier of the Year Award underscores our commitment to providing single-procedure instrumentation that offers clinical and economic value. We are always striving with our customers and partners to jointly improve the quality of people’s lives—one instrument, one patient at a time,” he said.

Single-procedure torque-limiting instruments and procedural kits provide surgeons and patients alike with a pristine set of surgery ready instruments for addressing a wide range of procedures. Sustained benefits include elimination of reprocessing costs, improved OR efficiency, reduced risk of surgical site infection, and reduction in hospital and outpatient surgery center inventory management.

ECA is a one-stop shop OEM instrument company providing medical device implant firms with complete product design and development, product and packaging validations, CE Mark and dock to stock operations. This reduces OEM costs and accelerates time to market.

About ECA Medical Instruments
ECA Medical Instruments®, headquartered in Thousand Oaks, CA., is the industry leader in designing and manufacturing precision single-procedure torque-limiting instruments and surgical fixation kits. Founded in 1979, the company has delivered over 35 million torque limiting instruments and procedural kits to the world’s leading cardio, neuromodulation, orthopaedic and spine implant companies. Every 15 seconds of every day an ECA torque
instrument or procedural kit is used to secure a medical implant—One Instrument, One Patient at a Time™. ECA, a LongueVue Capital Partners company, is an ISO 13485, CE Mark certified and FDA registered firm and was named Business of the Year 2017 by LivaNova and earned the LivaNova 2017 Supplier Excellence Award. www.ecamedical.com

About LivaNova
LivaNova PLC is a global medical technology company built on nearly five decades of experience and a relentless commitment to improve the lives of patients around the world. LivaNova’s advanced technologies and breakthrough treatments provide meaningful solutions for the benefit of patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare systems. Headquartered in London and with a presence in more than 100 countries worldwide, the company employs more
than 4,500 employees. LivaNova operates as three business franchises: Cardiac Surgery, Neuromodulation and Cardiac Rhythm Management, with operating headquarters in Mirandola (Italy), Houston (U.S.A.) and Clamart (France), respectively. For more information, please visit www.livanova.com.

Media Contact: James Schultz, EVP Sales & Marketing Phone: +1 805-990-6177 Email: jschultz@ecamedical.com

Bone Biologics Release: New Preclinical Data For Spine Fusion Demonstrates Osteopromotive Properties

December 20, 2017

BURLINGTON, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Bone Biologics Corp. (OTC QB: BBLG), a developer of orthobiologic products for the spinal fusion, trauma and osteoporosis markets, today has announced that it has completed a preclinical study, which shows its rhNELL-1 growth factor effectively promotes bone formation in a phylogenetically advanced spine model. In addition, rhNELL-1 was shown to be well tolerated and there were no findings of inflammation.

“We are very encouraged by the results of our Pilot animal study and look forward to commencing our Pivotal animal study by mid-2018 and presenting results at future scientific conferences,” said Steve La Neve, chief executive officer of Bone Biologics.

“In its first clinically relevant sheep study, rhNELL-1 demonstrated increases in fusion and quantity of bone compared to the control,” said Dr. Bill Walsh, professor and director, Surgical and Orthopedic Research Laboratories (SORL).

“We look forward to completing ongoing activities to advance into clinical trials in 2019,” stated La Neve.

About Bone Biologics

Bone Biologics (OTC QB: BBLG) is pursuing regenerative medicine for bone including undertaking groundbreaking work and building on unprecedented research on the NELL-1 molecule that has produced a significant number of studies and publications in peer reviewed scientific literature.

Bone Biologics is currently focusing its development efforts for its bone graft substitute product on bone regeneration in spinal fusion. NELL-1 is a recombinant human protein growth factor that is essential for normal bone development.

For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.bonebiologics.com.

Contacts

Bone Biologics
Jeff Frelick, Chief Operating Officer
jfrelick@bonebiologics.com
or
Compass Investor Relations
Mark Collinson, 714-222-5161
mcollinson@compass-ir.com
or
Media Inquiries:
Tracy Williams, 310-824-9000
tracy@olmsteadwilliams.com

SpineGuard: 60,000 Spine Surgeries Performed with PediGuard® and DSG™ Devices

December 19, 2017

PARIS & SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Regulatory News:

SpineGuard (Paris:ALSGD) (FR0011464452 – ALSGD), an innovative company that designs, develops, and markets disposable medical devices intended to make spine surgery safer, announced today that 60,000 spine procedures have been performed using its family of PediGuard and Dynamic Surgical Guidance (DSG™) equipped devices for accurate pedicle screw placement.

The PediGuard product line includes the PediGuard Straight, PediGuard Curved, PediGuard Cannulated and PediGuard Threaded each of them matching specific clinical needs and adapted to surgeons preferences in the OR. DSG is also integrated into the Z-Direct screw system (partnership with Zavation) and G2S screw system (partnership with Neuro France Implants), which enables single-step insertion of pedicle screws.

This significant milestone is the clear demonstration of the robustness and clinical value of our DSG™ technology that helps to make spine surgeries safer. It also reinforces our confidence in reaching our announced goal of operational breakeven by the end of 2018. Beyond our existing products, we also have exciting DSG applications in our R&D pipeline for surgical robots in spine and visual feedback, as an enhancement to audio feedback, that will come into fruition in 2018” concludes Stéphane Bette, CEO and co-founder of SpineGuard.”

Next financial press release: 2017 full year revenue, January 4, 2018

About SpineGuard®
Founded in 2009 in France and the USA, by Pierre Jérôme and Stéphane Bette, SpineGuard’s mission is to make spine surgery safer by bringing real-time digital technology into the operating room. Its primary objective is to establish its proprietary DSG™ (Dynamic Surgical Guidance) technology as the global standard of surgical care, starting with safer screw placement in spine surgery and then in other surgeries. PediGuard®, the first device designed using DSG, was co-invented by Maurice Bourlion, Ph.D., Ciaran Bolger, M.D., Ph.D., and Alain Vanquaethem, Biomedical Engineer. It is the world’s first and only handheld device capable of alerting surgeons to potential pedicular or vertebral breaches. Over 60,000 surgical procedures have been performed worldwide with DSG™ enabled devices. Numerous studies published in peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals have demonstrated the multiple benefits that PediGuard® delivers to patients, surgical staff and hospitals. SpineGuard is expanding the scope of its DSG™ platform through strategic partnerships with innovative medical device companies and the development of smart instruments and implants. SpineGuard has offices in San Francisco and Paris. For further information, visit www.spineguard.com.

Disclaimer
The SpineGuard securities may not be offered or sold in the United States as they have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or any United States state securities laws, and SpineGuard does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States. This is an announcement and not a prospectus, and the information contained herein does and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities referred to herein in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or exemption from registration.

Contacts

SpineGuard
Stéphane Bette, Tel. : +33 (0) 1 45 18 45 19
Chief Executive Officer
s.bette@spineguard.com
or
Manuel Lanfossi, Tel: +33 (0)1 45 18 45 19
Chief Financial Officer
m.lanfossi@spineguard.com
or
NewCap
Investor Relations & Financial Communication
Florent Alba / Pierre Laurent
Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94
spineguard@newcap.fr

Spineology Announces Appointment of Mr. Richard Nigon as New Board of Directors Member

December 19, 2017

ST. PAUL, Minn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Spineology Inc., the innovator in anatomy-conserving spine surgery, announced today the appointment of Mr. Richard J. Nigon to its board of directors effective immediately. This appointment expands Spineology’s board to five directors.

“We are extremely pleased to have Dick join our board,” said John Booth, CEO of Spineology. “With more than 20 years of leadership experience as a board member in the life science industry and over 45 years of experience in the financial sector, I am confident Dick will provide significant and valuable experience to our board as we continue to grow our market presence and execute our corporate objectives.”

Mr. Nigon currently serves on the board of directors of Celcuity Inc., Northern Technologies International, Incisive Surgical and Tactile Systems Technology. He also served on the boards of Vascular Solutions, Inc., Virtual Radiologic Corporation, Restore Medical and Endocardial Solutions until they were acquired. Mr. Nigon is currently Senior Vice President of Cedar Point Capital, LLC, a private company that raises capital for early stage companies. Previously he was a Director of Equity Corporate Finance for Miller Johnson Steichen Kinnard, a privately held investment firm, until its acquisition in December 2006 by Stifel Nicolaus, where he stayed on as the Managing Director of Private Placements. Mr. Nigon was employed by Ernst & Young for 30 years, with 19 as a partner and Director of Ernst & Young’s Twin Cities Entrepreneurial Group, and was the coordinating partner on numerous publicly traded companies. Mr. Nigon received a B.A. degree in Economics and Accounting from Saint John’s University.

“I’m thrilled to join the Spineology team at such an exciting time,” said Nigon. “The company has very unique product portfolio, a strong culture, and is experiencing growth in all of their product lines. I look forward to contributing to Spineology’s continued growth and success.”

About Spineology Inc.
Spineology Inc. provides innovative, anatomy-conserving spinal technologies for surgeons and their patients. Spineology surgical techniques conserve spinal bone, ligament and muscle tissue. Spineology is committed to increasing procedural efficiency, reducing surgical morbidity and accelerating patient recovery. Learn more at spineology.com.

Contacts

Spineology Inc.
John Booth, 651-256-8511
jbooth@spineology.com
or
Risdall
Dave Folkens, 651-286-6713
dave@risdall.com

NuVasive Appoints Experienced Spine Executive Michael Piccirillo To Lead New Global Surgeon Education Platform

SAN DIEGODec. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — NuVasive, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUVA), the leader in spine technology innovation, focused on transforming spine surgery with minimally disruptive, procedurally-integrated solutions, announced today the expansion of its renowned surgeon education program into a Clinical Professional Development (CPD) global platform for surgeons that integrates surgical training with professional development. This new initiative will be led by Michael Piccirillo, a recognized expert in designing and executing spine educational curriculums and surgeon communities in more than 80 countries across the world.

In 2003, NuVasive revolutionized spinal surgery by introducing an innovative lateral approach with its XLIF® technology. To better serve the spine surgeon community, NuVasive created and delivered a new standard in surgeon training. Through new product design, surgeon education and a leading sales team, XLIF is now the world’s leading procedure for the lateral approach. NuVasive is again taking the lead and evolving its education platform to better match the lifelong training needs and challenges facing today’s and tomorrow’s communities of spine surgeons.

The NuVasive CPD team will support the Company’s surgeon partners for the lifetime of their careers. The new training programs will facilitate the development of a diverse set of competencies that spine surgeons will need in the future and will deliver challenging programs that are surgeon-oriented, personalized and fit within a systematic pathway. Additionally, a core component of the expanded platform is peer-to-peer engagement to encourage collaboration of ideas and innovation among the surgeon participants and drive further engagement.

“As a leader in disruptive spine technologies, our commitment to surgeon training and education programs has been a key differentiator for NuVasive and has enabled us to introduce less invasive approaches to spine surgery, while also adapting to surgeon needs in the changing landscape of the industry,” said Gregory T. Lucier, chairman and chief executive officer of NuVasive. “The newly designed and expanded program is being rolled out globally to meet the needs of our surgeons and I’m excited to see the direction Michael is taking this critical and differentiating part of our business. Michael brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in global educational strategy to NuVasive to make our CPD platform the most sought-after program available to surgeons around the world.”

Piccirillo joins NuVasive with more than 30 years of experience in developing strategy, building educational platforms and designing management solutions in the health care field. Piccirillo most recently served as managing partner at VALUGEN GmbH in Zurich. VALUGEN provides project-based services to help hospitals transform their spine centers into Centers of Excellence. While there, Piccirillo worked with a number of academic organizations to redesign their educational programs and created strategies for patient organizations. Before his time at VALUGEN, Piccirillo was the executive director at AOSpine and AOTrauma, the spine and trauma divisions of the AO Foundation, a Swiss-based non-profit organization which is partnered with and provides educational support for Synthes (DePuy Synthes). During his time at the AO Foundation, Piccirillo transformed both divisions into the largest communities of spine and trauma surgeons, respectively. Key to this success was the development of novel lifelong learning education and faculty programs, integrated research projects and the establishment of the World Forum and Global Spine Congress events. Piccirillo was also directly responsible for creating the AOSpine/AOTrauma competency curriculum, faculty development, and fellowships, as well as surgeon assessment programs.

“Tomorrow’s spine surgeon will be very different from yesterday’s and even today’s—not only will they need to be outstanding surgeons, but they will also need to be great managers and leaders. Education is critical in changing the behaviors, competencies and performance of tomorrow’s surgeon,” said Piccirillo. “I’m thrilled to join NuVasive with its documented history in creating a disruptive change to the traditional approaches to spine surgery and spine education. Our new education platform will continue this theme, and I’m particularly excited to implement a novel approach to facilitate a surgeon’s lifelong engagement with NuVasive.”

Picirillo graduated from London University with a degree in medical microbiology and supplemented his science training with specific professional courses as well as marketing and business administration courses to move into health care business management. He also received a diploma in marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a business administration degree from the University of Warwick.

About NuVasive
NuVasive, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUVA) is the leader in spine technology innovation, focused on transforming spine surgery and beyond with minimally disruptive, procedurally-integrated solutions designed to deliver reproducible and clinically-proven surgical outcomes. The Company’s portfolio includes access instruments, implantable hardware, biologics, software systems for surgical planning, navigation and imaging solutions, magnetically adjustable implant systems for spine and orthopedics, and intraoperative monitoring service offerings. With $962 million in revenues (2016), NuVasive has an approximate 2,300 person workforce in more than 40 countries serving surgeons, hospitals and patients. For more information, please visit www.nuvasive.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
NuVasive cautions you that statements included in this news release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which, if they do not materialize or prove correct, could cause NuVasive’s results to differ materially from historical results or those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties which contribute to the uncertain nature of these statements include, among others, risks associated with acceptance of the Company’s surgical products and procedures by spine surgeons, development and acceptance of new products or product enhancements, clinical and statistical verification of the benefits achieved via the use of NuVasive’s products (including the iGA® platform), the Company’s ability to effectually manage inventory as it continues to release new products, its ability to recruit and retain management and key personnel, and the other risks and uncertainties described in NuVasive’s news releases and periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. NuVasive’s public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are available at www.sec.gov. NuVasive assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which it was made.

 

SOURCE NuVasive, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.nuvasive.com

FDA Panel Gives Thumbs Down to Spine Device

By Joyce Frieden, News Editor, MedPage Today/December 13, 2017

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — An FDA advisory committee voted 5-8 Tuesday, with one abstention, against recommending approval of the Barricaid prosthesis for partial anulus replacement in patients with herniated discs.

“There was a high rate of breakage of the device, a high rate of migration, and [there was] the unknown nature of [some endplate] lesions,” said Eli Baron, MD, of the Cedars Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles, a member of the FDA’s Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Devices Panel. Many of the users of the device would be younger patients, “most in their 30s and 40s, and we don’t know what will happen down the line.” He voted that the risks of the Barricaid device, which is manufactured by Intrinsic Therapeutics, outweighed its benefits.

But committee member Ty Subhawong, MD, of the University of Miami, disagreed. “[The device is] reasonably safe, and I think the major concerns were centered around the endplate lesions and while there were some theoretical concerns about harbingers of device failure …. the number of lesions observed was sufficient to reassure me that there is nothing catastrophic about these devices,” said Subhawong, who voted in favor of recommending approval. He added, however, that a post-approval study would be a good idea.

The committee also voted 12-1 that the device was shown to be effective in the patients it was indicated for, but by a vote of 5-9, they did not agree that the device was shown to be safe.

The Barricaid implant is a polymeric mesh that sits in the posterior intervertebral disc space; it is connected to a metallic anchor that is attached to the vertebral body, the FDA explained in a briefing document issued prior to Tuesday’s meeting. The implant comes with a delivery tool and manual surgical instruments, which are used in a posterior/posterolateral approach.

The Barricaid Anular Closure Device is a permanent implant used after a limited lumbar discectomy performed for treatment of lumbar radiculopathy. The device is designed to mechanically block an opening in the anulus, thereby maintaining the relative position of nucleus within the disc space to prevent reherniation following limited discectomy in patients with large anular defects at an increased risk of reherniation.

 

READ THE REST HERE

NuVasive To Acquire SafePassage

SAN DIEGODec. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — NuVasive, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUVA), the leader in spine technology innovation, focused on transforming spine surgery with minimally disruptive, procedurally-integrated solutions, and SafePassage™, a privately-held provider of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) services, announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which NuVasive will acquire SafePassage. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

With the addition of SafePassage, NuVasive Clinical Services™ (NCS) solidifies its leadership position as the largest provider of outsourced IONM services with more than 550 neurophysiologists and oversight physicians in the U.S., allowing for the delivery of services to over 1,000 customers and 3,000 surgeons. This joining of forces strengthens the Company’s intraoperative neuromonitoring business line, which was formed in July 2016 when the Company acquired Biotronic NeuroNetwork and combined its service offerings with that of the Company’s subsidiary, Impulse Monitoring, Inc. Since then, NCS has further scaled the business, achieving operational efficiencies and driving better clinical outcomes. Following the acquisition of SafePassage, NCS is expected to support greater than 100,000 IONM cases annually in the U.S.

SafePassage is also complementary to the current NCS geographical footprint with limited overlap between existing healthcare accounts. The acquisition helps further accelerate the services business growth and enables deeper reach in key strategic markets while adding significant new coverage, particularly in the densely populated New York region and along the East Coast where NuVasive has traditionally had a strong spine procedural-selling presence.

“The acquisition of SafePassage advances the NuVasive services strategy and expands our ability to transform how spine procedures are approached, measured and valued from a clinical and economic perspective,” said Skip Kiil, executive vice president, Global Commercial of NuVasive. “As the only spine company in the world with dedicated neuromonitoring services operating at this elevated scale, and now with increased case coverage, we are uniquely positioned to deliver greater value across our procedurally-integrated portfolio.

“Just as important, the highly trained and well-respected SafePassage leadership and clinicians have earned the industry reputation of being among the best in the business, and we’re excited to partner with them to provide consistent and quality care to hundreds of surgeons and thousands of patients each year,” continued Kiil.

“For more than a decade, the team at SafePassage has been dedicated to serving patients and surgeons with premium quality intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring services to improve patient outcomes and reduce economic risk for hospitals and surgeons,” said Dan Siegel, chief executive officer of SafePassage. “We are extremely passionate about our vision to eradicate preventable healthcare injury, the third leading cause of death in the United States, and I look forward to joining forces with NuVasive to further our mission worldwide.”

Financial
NuVasive expects the transaction to be accretive to the Company’s non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) in 2018 and beyond. NuVasive also expects the transaction to support its longer-term targets for revenue growth and expansion of its non-GAAP operating and EBITDA margins. Additionally, the transaction is expected to meet the Company’s goals for return on invested capital for tuck-in acquisitions in three years, consistent with the Company’s previously stated acquisition criteria.

The transaction is expected to close in January 2018, subject to customary closing conditions.

About SafePassage
Founded in 2007 by surgeons, SafePassage’s 135 clinical specialists and support staff service approximately 12,600 cases annually. Privately held and based in New York City, SafePassage provides IONM and EEG services to surgeons and healthcare facilities across the eastern U.S. The Company is Joint Commission accredited since 2014, with recent renewal in 2017.

About NuVasive
NuVasive, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUVA) is the leader in spine technology innovation, focused on transforming spine surgery and beyond with minimally disruptive, procedurally-integrated solutions designed to deliver reproducible and clinically-proven surgical outcomes. The Company’s portfolio includes access instruments, implantable hardware, biologics, software systems for surgical planning, navigation and imaging solutions, magnetically adjustable implant systems for spine and orthopedics, and intraoperative monitoring service offerings. With $962 million in revenues (2016), NuVasive has an approximate 2,300 person workforce in more than 40 countries serving surgeons, hospitals and patients. For more information, please visit www.nuvasive.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
NuVasive cautions you that statements included in this news release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which, if they do not materialize or prove correct, could cause NuVasive’s results to differ materially from historical results or those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the timing of the anticipated acquisition, the potential benefits and synergies of the anticipated acquisition, including the expected impact on future financial and operating results, and post-acquisition plans and intentions. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on the current expectations and assumptions of NuVasive and not on historical facts. The following important factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: the satisfaction of conditions to closing the agreement, including the risk that any required conditions are not satisfied, are delayed or are subject to unanticipated conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the acquisition; the loss of key employees; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; unexpected variations in market growth and demand for the combined company’s products and technologies; and the risk that benefits and synergies from the acquisition may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected. Additional risks and uncertainties that may affect future results are described in NuVasive’s news releases and periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. NuVasive’s public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are available at www.sec.gov. NuVasive assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which it was made.

 

SOURCE NuVasive, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.nuvasive.com

DePuy Synthes launches CONCORDE Clear MIS Discectomy Device to simplify spinal fusion surgery

December 12, 2017

DePuy Synthes today announced the launch of CONCORDE™ Clear MIS Discectomy Device, a surgical solution designed to simplify discectomy in minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery. Now available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), the single-use tool allows surgeons to complete the degenerated disc-removing process (discectomy) more efficiently than using traditional tools, while increasing the amount of disc material removed.

Lumbar disc herniation or prolapse accounts for 5% of all low back pain problems; it is the leading cause of radiating nerve root pain (sciatica) and one of the most common reasons for spinal fusion surgery. It is estimated that 140,000 discectomies for interbody fusion procedures will be performed across EMEA in 2018, of which a growing number will be minimally invasive. According to internal data from DePuy Synthes, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is the fastest growing category in spinal fusion surgery as it is shown to result in fewer complications compared to open surgery in treating degenerative disc disease. As this procedure becomes more popular, there is a significant need to simplify MIS techniques and develop new instruments that can improve the efficiency of the procedure, while maximizing disc removal.

Discectomy in spinal fusion surgery typically requires the surgeon to work through a small surgical field with limited visibility. Traditionally, it requires several instruments and multiple instrument passes to make sure the disc is cleared and the endplates of the vertebrae are prepped for implants, which increases the risk of injury to the nerve root. The CONCORDE Clear Device is a single-use instrument that removes the degenerated disc and prepares the endplates using readily-available, standard hospital suction. The clear handle also allows surgeons to immediately see the collection of disc material. This simplified approach requires fewer tool passes and instrument exchanges when compared to traditional techniques, and removes a larger disc volume. This allows surgeons to complete the surgery more efficiently, which could lead to improved patient outcomes.

Dr. Gerd Bordon of Hospital de Manises, Valencia, Spain, commented:

CONCORDE Clear is an ideal tool to enhance discectomy procedures. I find it simple to use, it increases the efficiency of my procedures and improves the cleaning of the disc space. I believe it will lead to better patient outcomes in spinal fusion surgery.

The launch of the CONCORDE Clear Device follows DePuy Synthes’ October release of the VIPER PRIME™ System. The VIPER PRIME System is also designed to improve efficiency in spinal surgery. The inserter reduces the number of instruments and the number of instrument passes to place a pedicle screw using a minimally invasive technique.

“The CONCORDE Clear MIS Discectomy Device is a true innovation that embodies our mission to make spinal fusion surgery less invasive for patients and less complicated for surgeons,” said Jordy Winters, Lead, DePuy Synthes Spine EMEA. “Both the CONCORDE Clear Device and the VIPER PRIME System are clear examples of how we continue to innovate in order to meet the increasing demand for MIS in Spine. In swift succession, we have provided two procedural solutions that are intended to make spinal fusion procedures more reproducible for surgeons, and result in better outcomes for patients.”