CryoLife, Inc. to Host Second Central Venous Pathology Summit in 2013

ATLANTA, Nov. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- CryoLife, Inc. (NYSE: CRY), a leading tissue processing and medical device company focused on cardiac and vascular surgery, announced today that it will host its second Central Venous Pathology (CVP) Summit of the year on November 7-8, 2013 at CryoLife’s training facility at its corporate headquarters in suburban Atlanta and at the St. Joseph Translational Research Institute in Atlanta, Georgia. The Company expects approximately 80 physicians and dialysis therapy professionals to attend the CVP Summit.

The CVP Summit will be led by William Northrup III, MD, vice president of physician relations and education at CryoLife, and Marc H. Glickman, MD, FACS, chief of vascular surgery, Sentara Healthcare. Similar to the April CVP Summit, the November event will examine treatment strategies for durable hemodialysis access in cases of central venous pathology through an interactive, data-driven and clinically-focused didactic and hands-on wet lab practicum. It will feature in-depth sessions on the HeRO^® (Hemodialysis Reliable Outflow) Graft, including clinical presentations and a live implantation. CryoLife has also invited several private companies with emerging technology related to central venous stenosis and durable hemodialysis access to make presentations at the Summit. CryoLife will be using the hashtag #CVPSummit on Twitter and Facebook to keep attendees informed of updates and reminders.

Dr. William Northrup III said, “There are significant unmet needs in the treatment of end-stage renal disease patients, many of whom have significant associated comorbidities. The CVP Summit features a multi-disciplinary faculty of leading healthcare providers that can share their experience with new technologies that can improve outcomes for these patients. This includes a clinical and practical update on the HeRO Graft, our proprietary graft-based solution for end-stage renal disease hemodialysis patients with limited access options and central venous obstruction, and several other emerging technologies.”

Additional Faculty includeJeffrey H. Lawson, MD, PhD, Vascular Surgeon Professor of Surgery, Director of Vascular Research Laboratory, Duke University Medical Center, Charles Y Kim, MD, Assistant Professor of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Jeffrey G. Hoggard, MD, FACP, FASN, Interventional Nephrologist, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Stephen E. Hohmann, MD, FACS, Vascular Surgeon, Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital, and John R Ross, MD, General Surgeon, The Regional Medical Center. A full faculty list and summit agenda can be found at www.cryolife.com/physician-education/central-venous-pathology-summit.

Steven G. Anderson, chairman, president and CEO of CryoLife, said, “We received positive feedback on our inaugural CVP Summit in April and are pleased with the continued strong interest in the HeRO Graft and other emerging treatment options for end-stage renal disease patients, an area where we see significant opportunity. This includes attendance by healthcare providers from Europe, where we recently received CE Mark for the HeRO Graft and have begun the commercial launch. The CVP Summit is an excellent example of the sophisticated physician education programs we provide to our customers, which we expect will increase adoption of our products.”

About CryoLife

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., certain countries in Europe, and Canada. CryoLife’s CryoValve^® SG pulmonary heart valve, processed using CryoLife’s proprietary SynerGraft^® technology, has FDA 510(k) clearance for the replacement of diseased, damaged, malformed, or malfunctioning native or prosthetic pulmonary valves. CryoLife’s CryoPatch^® SG pulmonary cardiac patch has FDA 510(k) clearance for the repair or reconstruction of congenital heart defects. CryoLife’s BioGlue^® 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 for use in soft tissue repair and approved in Japan for use in the repair of aortic dissections. Additional marketing approvals for BioGlue have been granted in several other countries throughout the world. CryoLife, through its subsidiary Cardiogenesis Corporation, specializes in the treatment of coronary artery disease for severe angina using a laser console system and single use, fiber-optic handpieces to perform a surgical procedure known as Transmyocardial Revascularization (TMR). In addition, CryoLife and its subsidiary Hemosphere, Inc. market the HeRO^® Graft, which is a solution for end-stage renal disease in certain hemodialysis patients. CryoLife distributes PerClot^®, an absorbable powder hemostat, in the European Community and other select international countries. CryoLife’s BioFoam^® Surgical Matrix is CE marked in the European Community for use as an adjunct to hemostasis in cardiovascular surgery and on abdominal parenchymal tissues (liver and spleen) when control of bleeding by ligature or conventional methods is ineffective or impractical.

Statements made in this press release that look forward in time or that express management’s beliefs, expectations or hopes are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements reflect the views of management at the time such statements are made and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, estimates, and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. These statements include those regarding the ability of the CVP Summit to provide us with the opportunity to introduce our HeRO Graft technology to potential new users and to help drive product adoption, as well as the potential for the HeRO Graft to improve patient outcomes. These risks and uncertainties include that our ability to obtain new HeRO Graft users and to drive product adoption is dependent upon patient and physician acceptance of HeRO Graft as a safe and effective product for use in hemodialysis patients. The HeRO Graft is intended for use in maintaining long-term vascular access for chronic hemodialysis patients who have exhausted peripheral venous access sites suitable for fistulas and grafts. Patient outcomes are subject to a number of risks, including risks of infection, and there is no guarantee that patients who are treated with the HeRO Graft will improve. In addition, competitors may develop and market products and services that are perceived as being better suited, more cost effective or safer than HeRO Graft, and regulators, including the FDA, may impose additional requirements on us to allow us to continue to market it. Management’s plans regarding the marketing and distribution of HeRO Graft are subject to change based on management’s assessment of the overall needs of our company at the time. CryoLife is also subject to the general risks associated with our business, including the risk factors detailed in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and subsequent SEC filings. CryoLife does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.

For additional information about the company, visit CryoLife’s Web site:
http://www.cryolife.com.

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SOURCE CryoLife, Inc.