ATLANTA, March 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --- CryoLife, Inc. , an implantable biological medical device and cardiovascular tissue processing company, today responded to Medafor’s allegation that it has repudiated the Exclusive Distribution Agreement (“Agreement”) between the two companies.
This is Medafor’s fourth attempt to terminate the Agreement. CryoLife is currently evaluating all of its options related to this most recent termination attempt by Medafor.
If Medafor is ultimately successful in terminating the Agreement or if Medafor fails to ship HemoStase as ordered by CryoLife, CryoLife’s previously issued financial guidance for fiscal 2010 may be materially affected.
As specified in the lawsuit, CryoLife brought these transgressions to Medafor’s attention on numerous occasions and attempted to work with Medafor to secure its compliance with the terms of the parties’ Agreement, but was unable to get Medafor to follow the terms of the Agreement. CryoLife believes that Medafor’s actions have deprived CryoLife of significant sales volume and have impaired and delayed CryoLife’s development of relationships with customers in its exclusive territory.
Founded in 1984, CryoLife, Inc. is a leader in the processing and distribution of implantable living human tissues for use in cardiac and vascular surgeries throughout the U.S. and Canada. The Company’s CryoValve(R) SG pulmonary heart valve, processed using CryoLife’s proprietary SynerGraft(R) technology, has FDA 510(k) clearance for the replacement of diseased, damaged, malformed, or malfunctioning native or prosthetic pulmonary valves. The Company’s CryoPatch(R) SG pulmonary cardiac patch has FDA 510(k) clearance for the repair or reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), which is a surgery commonly performed in children with congenital heart defects, such as Tetralogy of Fallot, Truncus Arteriosus, and Pulmonary Atresia. CryoPatch SG is distributed in three anatomic configurations: pulmonary hemi-artery, pulmonary trunk, and pulmonary branch. The Company’s BioGlue(R) Surgical Adhesive is FDA approved as an adjunct to sutures and staples for use in adult patients in open surgical repair of large vessels. BioGlue is also CE marked in the European Community and approved in Canada and Australia for use in soft tissue repair. The Company’s BioFoam(TM) Surgical Matrix is CE marked in the European Community for use as an adjunct in the sealing of abdominal parenchymal tissues (liver and spleen) when cessation of bleeding by ligature or other conventional methods is ineffective or impractical. BIOGLUE Aesthetic(R) Medical Adhesive is CE marked in the European Community for periosteal fixation following endoscopic browplasty (brow lift) in reconstructive plastic surgery and is distributed by a third party for this indication. CryoLife distributes HemoStase, a hemostatic agent, in much of the U.S. for use in cardiac and vascular surgery and in many international markets for cardiac, vascular, and general surgery, subject to certain exclusions.
CONTACT: D. Ashley Lee, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
and Chief Operating Officer of CryoLife, Inc., +1-770-419-3355; or Nina
Devlin of Edelman, +1-212-704-8145, for CryoLife, Inc.
Web site: http://www.cryolife.com/
