Merit Medical Announces Appointment of Two New Directors

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah, Jan. 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MMSI), a leading manufacturer and marketer of proprietary disposable devices used in interventional, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, particularly in cardiology, radiology, oncology, critical care and endoscopy, today announced that its Board of Directors increased the number of directors of the Company from nine to eleven and elected Jill Anderson and Elizabeth Huebner to fill the new Board positions, effective January 1, 2019.

Anderson co-founded Cianna Medical, Inc. in 2008 and served as Chief Executive Officer until Merit acquired Cianna in November 2018. She led Cianna through several financings to support the development and commercialization of market-leading, transformative technologies in breast cancer treatment and surgery. Prior to Cianna, Anderson served as President of BioLucent, Inc., a privately-held medical device company, from 2001 to 2007. She also served as Vice President, Oncology Services, for Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, a teaching hospital and multi-healthcare network in northeastern Pennsylvania. Anderson has served on the Board of Directors for Cianna, Mammoplan LLC, and Solis Women’s Health.

Huebner served as a director of Blucora, a financial technology company focused on providing online tax preparation and wealth management products, where she served as chair of the Audit and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees and a member of the Compensation Committee. She held multiple executive finance positions at several companies before retiring in 2006 when she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Getty Images, Inc., a stock photography company.

“We are pleased to have two new directors join our Board,” said Fred P. Lampropoulos, Merit’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.  “We believe Anderson, with her years of leadership and experience in the medical device industry, particularly in women’s health and oncology, will be a great addition. We believe Huebner’s years of leadership and experience in accounting, financial management and analysis, will be very beneficial as well.”

ABOUT MERIT
Founded in 1987, Merit Medical Systems, Inc. is engaged in the development, manufacture and distribution of proprietary disposable medical devices used in interventional, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, particularly in cardiology, radiology, oncology, critical care and endoscopy. Merit serves client hospitals worldwide with a domestic and international sales force and clinical support team totaling in excess of 300 individuals. Merit employs approximately 5,600 people worldwide with facilities in South Jordan, Utah; Pearland, Texas; Richmond, Virginia; Malvern, Pennsylvania; Rockland, Massachusetts; San Jose and Aliso Viejo, California; Maastricht and Venlo, The Netherlands; Paris, France; Galway, Ireland; Beijing, China; Tijuana, Mexico; Joinville, Brazil; Markham, Ontario, Canada; Melbourne, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; and Singapore.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements contained in this release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Merit’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to Merit’s potential inability to successfully manage growth through acquisitions, including the inability to commercialize technology acquired through completed, proposed or future transactions; expenditures relating to research, development, testing and regulatory approval or clearance of Merit’s products and risks that such products may not be developed successfully or approved for commercial use; governmental scrutiny and regulation of the medical device industry, including governmental inquiries, investigations and proceedings involving Merit the potential of fines, penalties or other adverse consequences if Merit’s employees or agents violate the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or other laws or regulations; laws and regulations targeting fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry; potential for significant adverse changes in governing regulations; changes in tax laws and regulations in the United States or other countries; increases in the prices of commodity components; negative changes in economic and industry conditions in the United States or other countries; termination or interruption of relationships with Merit’s  suppliers, or failure of such suppliers to perform; the effects of fluctuations in exchange rates on projected financial results; development of new products and technology that could render Merit’s products obsolete; changes in healthcare policies or markets related to healthcare reform initiatives; failure to comply with applicable environmental laws; changes in key personnel; work stoppage or transportation risks; price and product competition; availability of labor and materials; fluctuations in and obsolescence of inventory; and other factors referred to in Merit’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and other materials filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All subsequent forward-looking statements attributable to Merit or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Actual results will likely differ, and may differ materially, from anticipated results. Financial estimates are subject to change and are not intended to be relied upon as predictions of future operating results, and Merit assumes no obligation to update or disclose revisions to those estimates.