CARLSBAD, Calif., Jan. 15, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (NasdaqGM:ATEC - News), a leading medical technology company focused on the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of products for the surgical treatment of spine disorders, announced today that veteran biomechanics and clinical research practitioner, Andrew Mahar, has joined the company as Senior Director of Biomechanics and Clinical Research. Andrew's substantial product development and clinical research experience will be relied upon during the commercialization of Alphatec's significant product pipeline.
"Andrew Mahar brings an extensive background in clinical research and product development to the Senior Director of Biomechanics and Clinical Research position at Alphatec. His leadership will help Alphatec bring to market many exciting and revolutionary new product candidates," said Dirk Kuyper, Alphatec's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to working with Andrew to leverage his talents to help insure our development projects take into account sound biomechanical principles. His expertise and years of clinical testing will help us as we focus on providing solutions for the aging population, many of which are likely to suffer from osteoporosis, vertebral compression fractures, stenosis and other spinal deformities."
"I am very excited to join an industry leading company that is fast-moving, driven-to-succeed and has a tremendous opportunity ahead of it," said Mr. Mahar. "I look forward to bringing my experience and skills to Alphatec, whose innovative technology and products are changing the spinal disorder marketplace for spine surgeons and their patients."
Mr. Mahar, who was selected after an extensive search, was formerly Director of the Orthopedic Biomechanics Research Center at the Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, a well-recognized and renowned orthopedic research hospital, since 2005. From 1998 to 2005, Mr. Mahar served as a Biomechanical Engineer at The Rady Children's Hospital Department of Orthopedics. Throughout Mr. Mahar's career, he has had a deep involvement in developing new products for spinal solutions and has more than 60 publications in press and has given more than 80 presentations or lectures on various orthopedic topics. Mr. Mahar has served as a reviewer for various spine and orthopedic publications including Spine, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and Journal of Orthopedic Surgery and Research. Mr. Mahar is a current member of the International Society of Biomechanics, the Orthopedic Research Society, the Scoliosis Research Society, the American Society of Biomechanics, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the National Campaign for Tolerance. Mr. Mahar holds a B.S. in Biomechanics from Pennsylvania State University and a M.S. in Biomechanics from University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Orthopedic Biomechanics through the Department of Orthopedics at Gothenburg University in Sweden.
About Alphatec
Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (NasdaqGM:ATEC - News) designs, develops, manufactures and markets products for the surgical treatment of spine disorders. Alphatec's broad product portfolio and pipeline includes a variety of spinal implant products and systems focused on solutions addressing the cervical, thoracolumbar, intervertebral, minimally invasive, motion preservation, vertebral compression fractures and allograft markets. Alphatec's ``surgeons' culture'' emphasizes collaboration with spinal surgeons to conceptualize, design and co-develop a broad range of products. State-of-the-art in-house manufacturing capabilities provide a unique competitive advantage, enabling Alphatec to rapidly deliver customized solutions to meet surgeons' and patients' critical needs. Alphatec has 22 issued U.S. patents, six issued foreign patents and 31 pending patent applications, including 10 pending U.S. applications, six pending international applications and 15 pending foreign national applications. Alphatec's principal product offerings are primarily focused on the global spine fusion market, which is estimated by Alphatec to be more than $5.9 billion in 2007. In addition to its U.S. operations, Alphatec also markets a range of spine and orthopedic products in Asia through its subsidiary, Alphatec Pacific, Inc. For more information, please visit http://www.alphatecspine.com.
