SOUTH JORDAN, Utah, April 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MMSI), a leading manufacturer and marketer of proprietary disposable devices used primarily in cardiology, radiology and endoscopy, announced today that it has commenced production of a sample collection and transport kit, comprised of a nasopharyngeal swab and transport vial, used to collect specimens with suspected presence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The kit will be produced at Merit’s facility in South Jordan, Utah, with other Utah companies providing various services.
For the last several weeks, officials from Merit and the State of Utah have been working together in anticipation of an impending swab shortage.“We have directed resources to the development of this kit, and our engineers, technicians, marketers and production staff have responded by working tirelessly to bring this important product to market in 30 days,” said Fred P. Lampropoulos, Merit’s Chairman and CEO. “We are especially pleased to provide this kit at a time when testing is an essential element of combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. We are increasing our tooling and production capacity to meet future anticipated demand.”Merit has received its first purchase order for the product for $2.4 million from the State of Utah.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 6,100 people worldwide with facilities in South Jordan, Utah; Pearland, Texas; Richmond, Virginia; Malvern, Pennsylvania; Rockland, Massachusetts; 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; Reading, United Kingdom; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Singapore.FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements contained in this release which are not purely historical, including, without limitation, statements regarding Merit’s future product development and commercialization, as well as projected sales of those products, 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, 2019 and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such risks and uncertainties include inherent risks and uncertainties relating to Merit’s potential inability to successfully commercialize technology developed internally or acquired through completed, proposed or future transactions; negative changes in economic and industry conditions in the United States or other countries, particularly changes resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; 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; restrictions on Merit’s liquidity or business operations resulting from its debt agreements;  infringement of Merit’s technology or the assertion that Merit’s technology infringes the rights of other parties; actions of activist shareholders, including a proxy contest; product recalls and product liability claims; changes in customer purchasing patterns or the mix of products Merit sells; risks and uncertainties associated with Merit’s information technology systems, including the potential for breaches of security and evolving regulations regarding privacy and data protection; potential for significant adverse changes in governing regulations, including reforms to the procedures for approval or clearance of Merit’s products by the FDA or comparable regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions; increases in the prices of commodity components; 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; changes in tax laws and regulations in the United States or other countries; increases in the prices of commodity components; termination or interruption of relationships with Merit’s suppliers, or failure of such suppliers to perform; fluctuations in exchange rates; uncertainties relating to the LIBOR calculation method and the expected discontinuation of LIBOR; concentration of a substantial portion of Merit’s revenues among a few products and procedures;  development of new products and technology that could render Merit’s existing or future products obsolete; market acceptance of new products; volatility in the market price of Merit’s common stock;  modification or limitation of governmental or private insurance reimbursement policies; 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; introduction of products in a timely fashion; price and product competition; availability of labor and materials; fluctuations in and obsolescence of inventory; and other factors referenced in Merit’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 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.Contact:  Anne-Marie Wright, Vice President, Corporate Communications
Phone:    (801) 208-4167  e-mail: [email protected]  Fax: (801) 253-1688 

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