CARLSBAD, Calif., Oct. 14, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATEC), the parent company of Alphatec Spine, Inc., a leading medical technology company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets products for the surgical treatment of spine disorders, with a focus on treating conditions affecting the aging spine, announced today that it has launched www.agingspinecenter.com, a web-based information portal for healthcare providers and patients regarding aging spine disorders and their treatment.
Alphatec Spine is working with the National Osteoporosis Foundation as well as other clinical portals that provide peer-reviewed content, to populate the Aging Spine Center. In addition, the site will feature pertinent medical abstracts provided by RRY Publications, a leading industry organization.
The interactive website will enable patients to review pertinent information about all the key disorders that affect the aging spine in an easy-to-understand format that includes videos, graphics and questions that should be asked of caregivers. Medical information will include published abstracts regarding the aging spine.
Leo Schargorodski, Executive Director of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, said educational initiatives, like the Aging Spine Center website, are critical for consumer health and awareness. "Fractures related to osteoporosis have a serious medical, emotional and economic impact on individuals and our nation as a whole, and educating healthcare professionals and the general public on how to prevent, diagnose and treat osteoporosis is our first line of defense against the disease."
"By 2015 the number of elderly spine patients will increase by 43%, representing the fastest growing sub-segment of patients suffering from back pain in the United States," said Robin Young, a 25-year industry analyst and Chief Executive Officer and Founder of RRY Publications and PearlDiver Technologies Inc. "These elderly spine patients and their unique, complex issues have largely been ignored by traditional spinal implant manufacturers. Alphatec Spine's new Aging Spine Center website is a welcome and far-sighted initiative to address this monumental unmet need."
Aging spine patients (65 years and older) suffer from conditions such as osteoporosis (which results in 700,000 annual vertebral compression fractures), adult scoliosis (which is prevalent in this age group) and spondylolisthesis (which afflicts 12% of men and 30% of women in the aging population). According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, one in two women and one in four men over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis; the organization estimates that 10 million Americans currently suffer from osteoporosis and 34 million more are at risk of developing it.
"Our corporate mission is to provide new and innovative solutions for the aging spine that lead to a better quality of life for patients," said Dirk Kuyper, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alphatec Spine. "We also want to be viewed as the educational leader for the aging spine. Our goal is to have the Aging Spine Center website be the leading website solely focused on providing current and relevant information for healthcare providers and the general public on the medical conditions that affect the aging spine and treatment options that are available."
In addition to the launch of the Aging Spine Center, the Company has also launched a redesigned version of its corporate website, www.alphatecspine.com. The new corporate website coincides with the Company's ongoing business focus on treating disorders that affect the aging spine.
About Alphatec Spine
Alphatec Spine, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATEC). Alphatec Spine is a medical device company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets products for the surgical treatment of spine disorders, with a focus on treating conditions affecting the aging spine. The company's mission is to combine world-class customer service with innovative, surgeon-driven design that will help improve the aging patient's quality of life. The company is poised to achieve its goal through new solutions for patients with osteoporosis and other aging spine deformities, improved minimally invasive products and techniques and integrated biologics solutions. In addition to its U.S. operations, Alphatec Spine also markets its spine products in Europe. In Asia, the company markets a broad line of spine and orthopedic products through its subsidiary, Alphatec Pacific, Inc. For more information, please visit www.alphatecspine.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainty. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: Alphatec Spine's ability to accelerate new product momentum, bring to market differentiated products and commercialize its product pipeline. Alphatec Spine cautions investors that there can be no assurance that actual results or business conditions will not differ materially from those projected or suggested in such forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the following: the growth rate of the spine market related to aging and elderly patients, uncertainty of success in developing new products or products currently in Alphatec Spine's pipeline, and those products that are intended to treat disorders prevalent in aging patients, failure to achieve acceptance of Alphatec Spine's products, by the surgeon community, failure to obtain FDA clearance or approval for new products, Alphatec Spine's ability to develop and expand its business in the United States, Asia and Europe, continuation of favorable third party payor reimbursement for procedures performed using Alphatec Spine's products, unanticipated expenses or liabilities or other adverse events affecting cash flow or Alphatec Spine's ability to successfully control its costs or achieve profitability, uncertainty of additional funding, Alphatec Spine's ability to compete with other competing products and with emerging new technologies, product liability exposure, patent infringement claims and claims related to Alphatec Spine's intellectual property. Please refer to the risks detailed from time to time in Alphatec Spine's SEC reports, including quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, reports on Form 8-K and annual reports on Form 10-K. Alphatec Spine disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, unless required by law.