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ArthroCare Receives FDA Clearance for Parallax Contour Vertebral Augmentation Device

^{Published on 2010-09-24 06:40:45 - Market Wire}
 

AUSTIN, Texas--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--ArthroCare Corp. (NASDAQ: ARTC), a leader in developing state-of-the-art, minimally invasive surgical products, announced today that it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its Parallax^® Contour^® Vertebral Augmentation Device (Contour) specifically for void creation in a vertebral body followed by injection of bone cement. Vertebral body void creation followed by bone cement augmentation is commonly used to treat painful vertebral compression fractures.

The newly cleared Indication Statement provides that the Contour device is indicated for use during kyphoplasty or vertebral augmentation procedures to create a void in the vertebral body and fill the void with Parallax Acrylic resin (bone cement). Pathological vertebral body compression fractures may result from osteoporosis, benign or malignant lesions such as metastatic cancers and myeloma.

Contour, previously marketed as an osteotome, uses a movable, curved stylet to displace bone. By displacing bone, a void is created which can be filled with the injection of Parallax bone cement. Contour utilizes a small access needle and is manually advanced and rotated to create the space.

ABOUT ARTHROCARE

Founded in 1993, ArthroCare Corp. is a highly innovative, multi-business medical device company that develops, manufactures, and markets minimally invasive surgical products. With these products, ArthroCare targets a multi-billion dollar market across several medical specialties, significantly improving existing surgical procedures and enabling new, minimally invasive procedures. Many of ArthroCare's products are based on its patented Coblation^® technology, which uses low-temperature radiofrequency energy to gently and precisely dissolve rather than burn soft tissue -- minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Used in surgeries worldwide, Coblation-based devices have been developed and marketed for sports medicine; spine/neurologic; ear, nose and throat (ENT); cosmetic; urologic; and gynecologic procedures. ArthroCare also has added a number of other technologies to its portfolio, including Opus Medical sports medicine, Parallax spine and Applied Therapeutics ENT products, to complement Coblation within key indications.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The information provided herein includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on beliefs and assumptions by management and on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of them publicly in light of new information or future events. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement include, without limitation: the ability of the Company to fulfill its obligations with respect to the rights of the holders of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, including but not limited to the redemption rights and registration rights of the holders of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock; the resolution of litigation pending against the Company; the Companya™s ability to design or improve internal controls to address issues detected in its reviews of internal controls and insurance reimbursement practices or by management in its reassessment of the Companya™s internal controls; the impact upon the Companya™s operations of legal compliance matters or internal controls review, improvement and remediation; the ability of the Company to control expenses relating to legal compliance matters or internal controls review, improvement and remediation; the Companya™s ability to remain current in its periodic reporting requirements under the Exchange Act and to file required reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission on a timely basis; the results of the investigations being conducted by the Staff of the Division of Enforcement of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the United States Department of Justice; the impact on the Company of additional civil and criminal investigations by state and federal agencies and civil suits by private third parties involving the Companya™s financial reporting and its previously announced restatement and its insurance billing and healthcare fraud-and-abuse compliance practices; the ability of the Company to attract and retain qualified senior management and to prepare and implement appropriate succession planning for its Chief Executive Officer; general business, economic and political conditions; competitive developments in the medical devices market; changes in applicable legislative or regulatory requirements; the Companya™s ability to effectively and successfully implement its financial and strategic alternatives, as well as business strategies, and manage the risks in its business; and the reactions of the marketplace to the foregoing.