NuVasive(R) Launches Integrated Global Alignment (iGA(TM)) Platform at AANS 2015

NuVasive, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUVA) (“NuVasive or the “Company”), a leading medical device company focused on transforming spine surgery with minimally disruptive, procedurally integrated solutions, today announced the launch of its Integrated Global Alignment (iGA) platform. The Company believes this new platform marks a significant advancement in the historical approach to spine surgery by integrating procedural technology and tools into one platform to help address proper alignment. The announcement was made at the 83rd American Association of Neurological Surgeon (AANS) Annual Meeting, held May 2-6, 2015, in Washington, D.C.

“More than a decade ago, NuVasive redefined minimally disruptive spine surgery with the introduction of our revolutionary XLIF® technology, the first procedure of its kind designed to safely and reproducibly enable a lateral approach to spine surgery,” said Pat Miles, President and Chief Operating Officer of NuVasive. “Today, with the launch of iGA, NuVasive is once again positioned to reshape the market through game-changing innovation and address the next frontier in spine surgery — ALIGNMENT. Proper alignment is the most correlative element of successful, long-term surgical outcomes. With new tools and technology available to us today, NuVasive is taking our ‘know-how’ to the next level to help drive better patient outcomes in spine surgery through the global alignment of the spine with the only integrated surgical platform that allows for intraoperative reconciliation to ensure global alignment is achieved.”

The importance of global alignment in achieving superior clinical outcomes is highlighted in a review published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine(i), which found that the achievement of postoperative alignment resulted in higher long-term success in patient outcomes. Despite this growing body of evidence, the majority of surgeons do not take preoperative measurement of alignment parameters. However, among those surgeons that do, they do not currently have the means to intraoperatively reconcile to desired alignment corrections, leaving most surgeons to focus only on decompression and stabilization elements of procedures.

Dr. Regis Haid, Neurosurgeon at Atlanta Brain and Spine Care, said, “There is a growing consensus from academic and surgical communities that pelvic alignment has a profound impact on patient outcomes. Over the years, we have seen incremental improvements in various spine surgical tools, such as pedicle screws, pre-contoured rods and interbody implants, but the factor that has driven the greatest improvement in our understanding of patient outcomes is our realization of the crucial role that our ability to reestablish alignment plays in both early and long-term patient success.”

The iGA Platform

iGA is a proprietary, procedurally integrated, digital platform of specialized products designed to help surgeons achieve more precise spinal column alignment. The platform prioritizes the importance of proper alignment and its potential to impact positive patient outcomes. The iGA platform includes a collection of products, including next generation posterior fixation, anterior and posterior implants, updated neuromonitoring and computer-assisted surgical planning technology. The suite of proprietary, procedurally-based technologies that comprise iGA are designed to enhance clinical outcomes by increasing the predictability of achieving global alignment in spinal procedures.

Newly launched products in the iGA platform include ReLine™, NuvaMap™, Nuvaline™, NuvaMap O.R. and Bendini®. These products, which are seamlessly integrated across the surgical workflow, are designed to help the surgeon:

“Spine surgeons are becoming increasingly cognizant of the importance of preoperative measurements in sagittal balance and subsequent alignment correction. However, until now, we did not have the tools to confirm these measurements while the patient is still in surgery,” added Dr. Haid. “iGA is the first platform offering that is capable of confirming alignment and measuring correction intraoperatively. I believe this technology has the potential to substantially improve patient outcomes. We are only just beginning to use the technology and early experience has been extremely promising.”

Surgical Platform Launch and Live Demonstrations (AANS Booth #1031)

NuVasive’s new surgical platform will officially launch at the Company’s exhibition booth (#1031) at the AANS Annual Meeting, beginning May 4, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. EDT. The innovations to be showcased include the Company’s enhanced Bendini spinal rod bending system, ReLine comprehensive posterior fixation system, NuvaMap, Nuvaline and NuvaMap O.R. surgical planning software integrated with new procedures, including ALIF ACR®, XLIF ACR® and cervical ACR to help correct sagittal alignment. NuVasive’s AANS exhibit will also feature the Company’s industry-leading MAS® TLIF, MAS PLIF, XLIF and ALIF products, along with its comprehensive cervical portfolio, NVM5® neuromonitoring system, and the other products and procedural innovations that have enabled NuVasive to become the third largest player in the $9 billion global spine market.