Ascendx Spine™ Receives Recognition from SEMDA for Its Ascendx VCF Repair System Designed to Help Spine Surgeons Treat Vertebral Compression Fractures (VCFs)

WINTER PARK, Fla. --(Business Wire)--

Ascendx Spine™, Inc., (www.ascendxspine.com) has received the 'Spotlight' award from SEMDA (Southeast Medical Device Association) as the best presentation at the Seventh Annual SEMDA Conference last week. As a result, Ascendx was asked to be a featured presenting company at AdvaMed 2013: The MedTech Conference, to be held September 23-25, 2013, in Washington, D.C.

In December 2012, Ascendx received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Ascendx VCF Repair System. Previously, the company has received FDA clearance for its Ascendx Acu-Cut Vertebral Augmentation System. Both products, which are used to treat vertebral compression fractures (VCF), are also approved for marketing in Europe.

"We now have Ascendx positioned strongly for strategic partneships and full commercial launch of our products globally," said Julian M. Mackenzie, President and CEO, Ascendx Spine™.

"We are grateful to SEMDA for this prestigious award," added Mackenzie. "Additionally, we look forward to presenting our story at AdvaMed 2013: The MedTech Conference, an international event of thousands of attendees, influential policymakers, strategic investors, CEOs, business development executives and media. This opportunity is ours as a direct result of winning the 'Presenting Company Spotlight' award during the 2013 SEMDA conference, and another great reason for emerging companies to participate in the SEMDA organization."

"We have been traveling the country in pursuit of the most innovative medical technology companies, and were highly impressed with the quality of presentations at SEMDA," said Ray Briscuso, managing partner and producer, AdvaMed 2013: The MedTech Conference. "Because they received the Spotlight award, we're glad Ascendx Spine™ will join us at our conference."

A vertebral compression fracture forces a vertebra to collapse, and the spinal column above it to assume an abnormal forward curve, resulting in considerable back pain and a hunchbacked appearance. Current standard procedures for treating VCFs are 'vertebroplasty' and 'kyphoplasty.' While traditional technologies require passing on both sides of the spinal cord to reach the entire vertebral body, the Ascendx products are designed to achieve this through minimally invasive single-sided access. More specifically, the Ascendx VCF Repair System is designed to enable physicians, including spine surgeons and interventional radiologists, to place a single bolus of bone cement (PMMA) into the center of the vertebra with the balloon still inflated. This important feature is unparalleled in the industry and is designed to be a critically important competitive advantage for Ascendx Spine™.

About SEMDA

The Southeastern Medical Device Association (SEMDA) is a non-profit trade association that supports and promotes medical device companies in the Southeast.

About Ascendx Spine™

Based in Winter Park, Florida, Ascendx Spine™, Inc., is a medical device company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative orthopedic devices for the spine and trauma markets.