PLAINSBORO, N.J., Jan. 16, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq:IART) today announced that Premier Inc. (Premier) has selected JARIT(R) Surgical Instruments as a national supplier under two surgical instrument contracts. These 36-month contracts, which are included in multi-source awards, are effective February 1, 2004. The contracts provide an opportunity for Integra to increase its customer base for general (open) and minimally invasive (endoscopic) surgical instruments and offer Integra the potential to increase surgical instrument sales to Premier member hospitals and other Premier-affiliated health care facilities that are already Integra customers.
"We are pleased that Premier's Surgical Advisory Council has awarded JARIT two contracts to supply its members with instruments used in general and minimally invasive surgery," said Rob Rogowski, President of JARIT. "Premier has an extensive member base, with over 1,500 member hospitals. These awards therefore provide Integra with a significant opportunity to offer surgical instruments to a broad audience."
Premier, Inc., is a strategic alliance in U.S. healthcare, entirely owned by nearly 200 of the nation's leading hospital and health care systems. These systems operate or are affiliated with more than 1,500 hospital facilities and hundreds of other care sites. Premier provides an array of resources supporting health services delivery, including group purchasing for more than $17 billion annually in supplies and equipment. Other resources offered by Premier are insurance programs and performance improvement services of many kinds. Premier is headquartered in San Diego, Calif., with other major facilities in Chicago, Ill. and Charlotte, N.C. Advocacy and policy offices are located in Washington, D.C.
JARIT Surgical Instruments is a leading provider of high quality reusable surgical instruments for general and minimally invasive surgery. Acquired by Integra in March 2003, JARIT provides its customers with quality, innovation and integrity in surgical instrumentation and offers its customers the highest fill-rates in the industry.
Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation is a diversified medical technology company that develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in a variety of applications. The primary applications for our products are neuro-trauma and neurosurgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery and general surgery. Integra is a leader in applying the principles of biotechnology to medical devices that improve patients' quality of life. JARIT Surgical Instruments is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Integra.
Integra's corporate headquarters are in Plainsboro, N. J., and it has manufacturing and research facilities located throughout the world. Integra has approximately 875 permanent employees. Please visit Integra's website at (http://www.Integra-LS.com).
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning future financial performance, including the potential for JARIT to expand its customer base and generate additional product sales from hospitals and health care systems affiliated with Premier. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from predicted or expected results. Among other things, the willingness of Premier-affiliated physicians, hospitals and health care systems to adopt JARIT's products may affect JARIT's ability to expand its customer base, and the quality and clinical effectiveness of JARIT's products as compared to competitor's products may affect JARIT's ability to increase sales of those products. In addition, the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors identified under the heading "Risk Factors" included in the Business section of Integra's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 and information contained in subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission could affect actual results.