IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Endologix, Inc.
(Nasdaq: ELGX), developer of minimally invasive treatments for
aortic disorders, responded to the Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
lawsuit filed against Endologix in the United States District Court
of Arizona. The Bard
Peripheral lawsuit alleges that Endologix's proprietary high
density ePTFE graft material, which is used for the Powerlink®
System, infringes on Bard Peripheral's "Prosthetic Vascular Graft"
patent (U.S. Patent No. 6,436,135). Endologix is confident of its
belief that it is not infringing the cited patent and intends to
vigorously defend its position.
John McDermott, President and
Chief Executive Officer said, "We are well versed on the patent
cited in the lawsuit. Based on significant prior evaluations,
testing and outside legal reviews, we are confident in our belief
that we do not infringe the patent. Before developing and
manufacturing our own in-house ePTFE graft material, we conducted a
deep and thorough review of the patent landscape to insure that we
would not infringe on any existing intellectual property. This
included a specific, rigorous review of the Bard Peripheral patent
named in the lawsuit, both internally and by outside legal counsel.
Based upon those reviews, we believe the alleged infringement
claims are without merit and intend to vigorously defend our
position."
Endologix received FDA approval to manufacture its ePTFE graft
material in April 2007 and beginning
in 2008, Endologix has manufactured all of its own graft material.
This coincided with the expiration of Endologix's supply agreement
with Bard Peripheral for the supply of ePTFE in December 2007.
About Endologix, Inc.
Endologix, Inc. develops and manufactures minimally invasive
treatments for aortic disorders. The Company's flagship product is
the Powerlink® System, which is an endovascular stent graft for the
treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). AAA is a weakening
of the wall of the aorta, the largest artery in the body, resulting
in a balloon-like enlargement. Once AAA develops, it continues to
enlarge and, if left untreated, becomes increasingly susceptible to
rupture. The overall patient mortality rate for ruptured AAA is
approximately 75%, making it a leading cause of death in the U.S.
Additional information can be found on Endologix's Web site at
www.endologix.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information contained herein, this news
release contains forward-looking statements, including those
related to the Company's position on the alleged claims of
infringement. Please refer to the Company's Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31,
2008, and the Company's other filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, for more detailed information regarding
these risks and other factors that may cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied.
|
|
|
|
|
COMPANY
CONTACT:
|
INVESTOR
CONTACTS:
|
|
Endologix, Inc.
|
The Ruth Group
|
|
John McDermott, CEO
|
Nick Laudico (646)
536-7030
|
|
(949) 595-7200
|
Zack Kubow (646)
536-7020
|
|
www.endologix.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SOURCE Endologix, Inc.
Copyright . 11 PR Newswire