UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
| x | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended May 29, 2004
OR
| ¨ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission file number 0-50761
AngioDynamics, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 11-3146460 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
| 603 Queensbury Ave., Queensbury, New York | 12804 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |
Registrants telephone number, including area code (518) 798-1215
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class |
Name of each exchange on which registered | |
| None |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common stock, par value $.01
(Title of Class)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrants knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x
As of November 29, 2003, the last business day of the registrants most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the registrant was a wholly owned subsidiary of E-Z-EM, Inc. Consequently, none of the registrants equity securities were held by non-affiliates as of such date.
As of August 4, 2004, there were 11,442,500 shares of the registrants common stock outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the Proxy Statement for the registrants 2004 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held October 18, 2004 are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K Report.
AngioDynamics, Inc. and Subsidiaries
INDEX
| Page | ||||
| Part I: |
||||
| Item l. |
3 | |||
| Item 2. |
16 | |||
| Item 3. |
16 | |||
| Item 4. |
17 | |||
| Part II: |
||||
| Item 5. |
17 | |||
| Item 6. |
19 | |||
| Item 7. |
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
20 | ||
| Item 7A. |
41 | |||
| Item 8. |
42 | |||
| Item 9. |
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure |
42 | ||
| Item 9A. |
42 | |||
| Part III: |
||||
| Item 10. |
43 | |||
| Item 11. |
48 | |||
| Item 12. |
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters |
51 | ||
| Item 13. |
54 | |||
| Item 14. |
62 | |||
| Part IV: |
||||
| Item 15. |
Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules and Reports on Form 8-K |
62 | ||
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Part I
(a) General Development of Business
Overview
We are a provider of innovative medical devices used in minimally invasive, image-guided procedures to treat peripheral vascular disease, or PVD. We design, develop, manufacture and market a broad line of therapeutic and diagnostic devices that enable interventional physicians (interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons and others) to treat PVD and other non-coronary diseases. Unlike several of our competitors that focus on the treatment of coronary diseases, we believe that we are the only company whose primary focus is to offer a comprehensive product line for the interventional treatment of these diseases.
We have been in business for more than 15 years. Our global headquarters is located at 603 Queensbury Avenue, Queensbury, New York 12804. Our phone number is (518) 798-1215 and our website is www.angiodynamics.com.
History
AngioDynamics was founded in 1988 as a division of E-Z-EM, Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of gastrointestinal contrast agents and related imaging accessories. E-Z-EM is a public company that is traded on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol EZM. In 1992, AngioDynamics was organized in the State of Delaware as a wholly-owned subsidiary of E-Z-EM under the name A.D., Inc. In 1996, E-Z-EM transferred the business of its A.D. division to this subsidiary, and we changed our name to AngioDynamics, Inc.
Recent Developments
In June 2004, we completed the initial public offering of our shares of common stock. The offering consisted of 2,242,500 shares (including 292,500 issued pursuant to the underwriters over-allotment option) at an initial public offering price of $11.00 per share. As a result of the offering, E-Z-EM, Inc. now holds 80.4% of our shares.
On August 19, 2004, E-Z-EM, announced that on October 30, 2004 it will distribute to its shareholders all of our shares of common stock that it owns.
(b) Narrative Description of Business
General
Our current product lines primarily consist of angiographic catheters, hemodialysis catheters, PTA dilation catheters, thrombolytic products, image guided vascular access products, an endovascular laser venous system and drainage products.
Our principal competitive advantages are our dedicated market focus, established brands and innovative products. We believe our dedicated focus enhances patient care and engenders loyalty among our customers. As a provider of interventional devices for over a decade, we believe we have established AngioDynamics as a recognized brand in our target markets. We collaborate frequently with leading interventional physicians in developing our products and rely on these relationships to further support our brands. Our Chief Executive Officer is the only business executive from the medical device industry to serve on the Strategic Planning Committee of the Society of Interventional Radiology. This appointment provides us with knowledge of emerging clinical trends, high visibility among interventional physicians and opportunities to understand and influence the evolution of interventional therapies. In addition, we believe our relationships with interventional physicians are critical to our continued success given that these physicians typically have considerable influence over purchasing decisions.
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We sell our broad line of quality devices for minimally-invasive therapies in the United States through a direct sales force of 37 professionals, six regional sales managers and a vice president of sales. We also sell our products in 33 non-U.S. markets through a distributor network. We support our customers and sales organization with a marketing staff that includes product managers, customer service representatives and a clinical specialist. Our dedicated sales force and growing portfolio of products have contributed to our strong sales growth.
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Peripheral vascular disease encompasses a number of conditions in which the arteries or veins that carry blood to or from the legs, arms or non-cardiac organs become narrowed, obstructed or ballooned. Structural deterioration in the blood vessels due to aging and the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaque results in restricted or diminished blood flow. Common symptoms include numbness, tingling, persistent pain or cramps in the extremities and deterioration of organ function, such as renal failure or intestinal malabsorption. Common PVDs also include venous insufficiency, a malfunction of one or more valves in the leg veins, which often leads to painful varicose veins and/or potentially life-threatening blood clots, and abdominal aortic aneurysms, or AAA, a ballooning of the aorta, which can lead to a potentially fatal rupture. Individuals who are over age 50, smoke, are overweight, have lipid (i.e., cholesterol) disorders, are diabetic or have high blood pressure are at the greatest risk of developing PVD.
Peripheral Interventional Medicine
Peripheral interventional medicine involves the use of minimally invasive, image-guided procedures to treat peripheral vascular and other non-coronary diseases. In these procedures, x-rays, ultrasound, MRI and other diagnostic imaging equipment are used to guide tiny instruments, such as catheters, through blood vessels or the skin to treat diseases. Increasing use of these techniques has accompanied advances in device designs and imaging technologies that enable physicians to diagnose and treat peripheral disorders in a much less invasive manner than traditional open surgery. Interventional procedures are generally less traumatic and less expensive, as they involve less anesthesia, a smaller incision and a quicker recovery time.
Peripheral interventional procedures are performed primarily by physicians specially trained in minimally invasive, image-guided techniques. This group of interventional physicians includes interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons and others. Interventional radiologists are board certified radiologists who are fellowship trained in image-guided, percutaneous (through the skin) interventions. These physicians historically have developed many interventional procedures, including balloon angioplasty, vascular stenting and embolization, and perform the majority of peripheral interventional procedures. There are currently more than 5,000 interventional radiologists in the United States performing over four million procedures annually. Vascular surgeons have traditionally been trained for open surgical repair of arterial and venous disorders. A large number are now increasingly performing interventional procedures. Accredited vascular surgery training programs now generally require instruction in interventional, image-guided peripheral vascular procedures. Increasingly, interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons are forming joint practices to capture additional patient referrals by providing a broader range of interventional treatments. Other physicians who perform peripheral interventional procedures include interventional cardiologists and interventional nephrologists.
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Products
Our current product offerings consist of the following product categories:
| 2004 |
||||||
| Products |
$ |
% |
||||
| (dollars in thousands) |
||||||
| Angiographic Products and Accessories |
$ | 15,725 | 32.1 | % | ||
| Hemodialysis Catheters |
13,381 | 27.3 | ||||
| VenaCure Products |
5,657 | 11.5 | ||||
| PTA Dilation Catheters |
3,410 | 7.0 | ||||
| Image-Guided Vascular Access Products |
3,309 | 6.7 | ||||
| Thrombolytic Products |
3,174 | 6.5 | ||||
| Drainage Products |
1,380 | 2.8 | ||||
| Other |
3,019 | 6.1 | ||||
| Total |
$ | 49,055 | 100.0 | % | ||
All products discussed below have been cleared for sale in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
We have registered the following marks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: AngioDynamics; Pulse*Spray; and Soft-Vu. This report also contains trademarks of companies other than AngioDynamics, including ELVeS and elvs, trademarks of biolitec, Inc.
Angiographic Products and Accessories
Angiographic products and accessories are used during virtually every peripheral vascular interventional procedure. These products permit interventional physicians to reach targeted locations within the vascular system to deliver contrast media for visualization purposes and therapeutic agents and devices, such as stents or PTA balloons. Angiographic products consist primarily of angiographic catheters, but also include entry needles and guidewires that are specifically designed for peripheral interventions, and fluid management products.
We manufacture three lines of angiographic catheters that are available in over 500 tip configurations and lengths, either as standard items or made to order.
| | SOFT-VU. Our proprietary SOFT-VU technology incorporates a soft, atraumatic tip, which is easily visualized under fluoroscopy. |
| | ANGIOPTIC. The ANGIOPTIC line is distinguished from other catheters because the entire instrument is highly visible under fluoroscopy. |
| | Accu-Vu. The Accu-Vu is a highly visible, accurate sizing catheter to determine the length and diameter of a vessel for endovascular procedures. Accu-Vu provides a soft, highly radiopaque tip with a choice of platinum radiopaque marker patterns along the shaft for enhanced visibility and accuracy. Sizing catheters are used primarily in preparation for aortic aneurysm stent-grafts, percutaneous balloon angioplasty, peripherally-placed vascular stents and vena cava filters. |
| | AQUALiner. In October 2003, we introduced the AQUALiner, a technologically advanced guidewire. This guidewire is used to provide access to difficult to reach locations in interventional procedures requiring a highly lubricious wire. The AQUALiner guidewire incorporates proprietary advanced coating technology that allows smooth, frictionless navigation. |
| | 4F Accu-Vu. In January 2004, we introduced our 4F Accu-Vu sizing angiographic catheter for use in determining the length and diameter of a vessel in preparation for performing endovascular procedures, |
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| such as abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) stent graft placement, percutaneous balloon angioplasty, peripherally placed vascular stents, or vena cava filters. |
| | Mariner. In May 2004, we launched our Mariner hydrophilic-coated angiographic catheter. It uses our patented Soft-Vu catheter technology to deliver contrast media to anatomy that is difficult to reach. The advanced hydrophilic coating technology significantly reduces catheter surface friction, providing smoother navigation through challenging vasculature with optimal handling and control. |
We offer several angiographic accessories to support our core angiographic catheter line. These products include standard entry needles and uncoated, Teflon-coated and hydrophilic-coated guidewires. We also manufacture several lines of products used to administer fluids and contain blood and other biological wastes encountered during an interventional procedure. Our major competitors in the peripheral angiographic market are Boston Scientific Corporation, Cook Incorporated, and Cordis Corporation, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson Inc.
Millennium Research Group reports that in 2002 we had the second largest share, or 25%, of the diagnostic peripheral guidewire market but were not among the top nine competitors by market share in the interventional peripheral guidewire market.
Hemodialysis Catheters
We market a complete line of hemodialysis catheters that provide short- and long-term vascular access for hemodialysis patients. Hemodialysis, or cleaning of the blood, is necessary in conditions such as acute renal failure, chronic renal failure and end stage renal disease, or ESRD. The kidneys remove excess water and chemical wastes from blood, permitting clean blood to return to the circulatory system. When the kidneys malfunction, waste substances cannot be excreted, creating an abnormal buildup of wastes in the bloodstream. Hemodialysis machines are used to treat this condition. Hemodialysis catheters, which connect the patient to the dialysis machine, are used at various stages in the treatment of every hemodialysis patient.
We currently offer five high flow hemodialysis catheters that enable blood to be cleaned in a shorter period of time than other similar catheters.
| | SCHON. The SCHON chronic hemodialysis catheter is designed to be self-retaining, deliver high flow rates and provide patient comfort. The Schon is for long-term use. |
| | MORE-FLOW. The MORE-FLOW our chronic hemodialysis catheter permits easier insertion and delivers high flow rates. The material conforms well to the vessel anatomy, resulting in higher patient tolerance during extended use. The More-Flow is for long-term use. |
| | DURA-FLOW. The DURA-FLOW chronic hemodialysis catheter is designed to be durable, maximize flow rates and provide for easier care and site maintenance. The Dura-Flow chronic hemodialysis catheter is for long-term use. |
| | SCHON XL. The SCHON XL acute hemodialysis catheter is designed to be kink resistant, deliver high flow rates, offer versatile positioning and provide patient comfort. SCHON XL is for short-term use. |
| | DYNAMIC FLOW. Our DYNAMIC FLOW chronic hemodialysis catheter is designed for long-term use in dialysis patients. It features a Durathane shaft that offers higher chemical resistance than polyurethane, simplifying site care requirements. The Dynamic Flow also features a split tip design and a proximal shaft that reduces the chance of kinking after it reaches placement. The Dynamic Flow is currently offered in limited markets in the United States. |
We purchase and resell under our name all of our hemodialysis catheters from Medcomp under an exclusive U.S. and, for some products worldwide, license, except for our More-Flow catheter, which we obtain under a
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non-exclusive license. Our agreement with Medcomp expires on March 24, 2007 and extends automatically for an additional five-year term if, throughout the initial term, we satisfy minimum purchase requirements specified in the agreement. For products for which we have an exclusive license, Medcomp may terminate our exclusive rights if we fail to purchase at least 90% of the minimum purchase requirements specified in the agreement. These exclusive rights will automatically terminate if we fail to purchase at least 60% of the minimum purchase requirements. Also, Medcomp may terminate all of our rights to a product if we fail to purchase at least 40% of the minimum purchase requirements specified for that product. We anticipate that we will be able to continue to purchase the minimum quantities required in order to maintain our exclusive rights.
Boston Scientific, C.R. Bard, Inc., Kendall Healthcare Products, a subsidiary of Tyco International Ltd., and Medical Components, Inc., or Medcomp, are our major competitors in the development, production and marketing of hemodialysis catheters. We are not one of the top five competitors by market share in this market.
VenaCure Products
Our VenaCure products, which were known as endovascular laser venous system, or elvs, products until August 2004, are used in endovascular laser procedures. These procedures are a less invasive alternative to vein stripping for the treatment of venous insufficiency of the greater saphenous vein. Vein stripping is a lengthy, painful and traumatic surgical procedure that involves significant patient recovery time. In contrast, laser treatment is an outpatient procedure that generally allows the patient to quickly return to normal activities with no scarring and minimal post-operative pain.
With our VenaCure products, laser energy is used to stop the source of the pressure by delivering energy to collapse and destroy the affected vein. The body subsequently routes the blood to other healthy veins. Our products are sold as a system that includes a diode laser, disposable components and training and marketing material. The diode laser is a self-contained reusable instrument. The disposable components in the system include a Sheath-Lok laser fiber system, an access sheath, access wires and needles. The training and marketing materials include a two-day physician training course, a comprehensive business development package and patient marketing kit.
We purchase the laser and laser fiber used in our Precision 810 and Precision 980 VenaCure products from biolitec, Inc. Under our agreement with biolitec, we have non-exclusive license to sell the biolitec laser and laser fiber components to interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons in the United States and Canada. Our agreement with biolitec expires in March 2007. biolitec sells its ELVeS 810 and ELVeS 980, which are substantially identical to the lasers in our Precision 810 and Precision 980, to customers other than interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons in the United States and Canada and distributes those products without restriction in the rest of the world. In the future, biolitec may also market its ELVeS 810 and ELVeS 980 to the interventional radiology and vascular surgery marketplace in the United States and Canada. Our VenaCure lasers are one of only four laser systems that are cleared for sale in the United States by the FDA and, of these lasers are the only ones built and serviced in the United States.
Competition for the treatment of venous insufficiency includes surgical vein stripping treatments, radiofrequency (RF) ablation, which we believe is more expensive and time consuming than laser treatment, and other laser treatments of the greater saphenous vein. The leading provider for RF ablation is VNUS Medical Technologies Inc. Companies competing in the laser segment include biolitec, Diomed, Inc., Dornier MedTech GmbH, and Vascular Solutions, Inc. Because the market for endovascular laser procedures is in its infancy, independent market share data is currently not available.
PTA Dilation Catheters
PTA (percutaneous transluminal angioplasty) procedures are used to open blocked blood vessels and hemodialysis access sites using a catheter that has a balloon at its tip. When the balloon is inflated, the pressure flattens the blockage against the vessel wall to improve blood flow. PTA is now the most common method for opening a blocked vessel in the heart, legs, kidneys or arms.
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Our PTA dilation balloons include:
| | WORKHORSE. Our WORKHORSE product is a high-pressure balloon catheter offered in 54 configurations. While the WorkHorse can perform other peripheral PTA procedures, we believe the device is used primarily for treating obstructed hemodialysis access sites. |
| | WORKHORSE II. In January 2004, we introduced the WORKHORSE II, a high-pressure, non-compliant PTA balloon catheter. This product is an extension to our WORKHORSE PTA catheter. We have enhanced the WORKHORSE features to improve product performance during declotting procedures for hemodialysis access sites. |
In addition to our catheters, in April 2004, we introduced AngioFlow, a catheter-based flow meter that we believe is the first device to measure blood flow in hemodialysis access sites during an access site clearing procedure. The capability to measure blood flow allows interventional physicians to evaluate the efficacy of an access site clearing procedure while performing the procedure, thus likely improving the outcome and decreasing repeat procedures.
Boston Scientific, Cordis, Cook and C.R. Bard are our primary competitors in the PTA dilation market.
Image-Guided Vascular Access Products
Image-guided vascular access, or IGVA, involves the use of advanced imaging equipment to guide the placement of catheters that deliver primarily short-term drug therapies, such as chemotherapeutic agents and antibiotics, into the central circulatory system. Delivery to the central system allows drugs to mix with a large volume of blood as compared to intravenous drug delivery into a superficial vessel. IGVA procedures include the placement of percutaneously inserted central catheter or PICC lines, implantable ports and central venous catheters, or CVCs.
Our IGVA products include:
| | Chemo-Port. The Chemo-Port maximizes options for patients with difficult and/or complex venous access needs. The port lock system is easy to attach and provides a secure connection. |
| | Chemo-Cath. The Chemo-Cath, a central venous access catheter system, provides easy placement, safety and comfort to the patient. |
| | Micro Access Sets. Our micro access sets provide interventional physicians a smaller introducer system for minimally invasive procedures. |
| | V-Cath PICC Lines. These PICC lines are for short- or long-term peripheral access to the central venous system for intravenous therapy or blood sampling. |
| | Morpheus CT PICC. These PICC lines provide short- or long-term peripheral access to the central venous system for intravenous therapy and blood sampling. They are constructed of a biocompatible and durable material called Durathane, and have increased stiffness from the proximal end to the distal end, which provides ease of use and enhanced patient safety and comfort. These products are intended for use with CT injectors, allowing physicians to use the existing PICC for both medications and CT imaging, avoiding the need for an additional access site. They were approved by the FDA and launched throughout the U.S. in July 2004. |
Our competitors in this market include Arrow International, Inc., Boston Scientific, Cook, C.R. Bard, Deltec, Inc., a subsidiary of Smiths Group plc, and Medcomp. According to IMS Health, we were the third leading provider of micro access sets in 2002, with a market share of 7.3%. We were not among the top six competitors by market share in any of the other IGVA markets.
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Thrombolytic Products
Thrombolytic catheter products are used to deliver thrombolytic agents, drugs that dissolve blood clots in hemodialysis access grafts, arteries, veins and surgical bypass grafts. Our thrombolytic catheter products include:
| | PULSE*SPRAY and UNI*FUSE catheters. Our PULSE*SPRAY and UNI*FUSE catheters improve the delivery of thrombolytic agents by providing a controlled, forceful, uniform dispersion. Patented slits on the infusion catheter operate like tiny valves for an even distribution of thrombolytic agents. We believe that these slits reduce the amount of thrombolytic agents and time necessary for the procedure, resulting in cost savings and improved patient safety. |
| | SPEEDLYSER. In March 2004, we introduced our SPEEDLYSER thrombolytic catheter, which is used to effectively deliver thrombolytic agents into obstructed dialysis grafts. This new catheter features PULSE*SPRAY slit technology that simplifies catheter insertion and drug delivery. |
According to Medtech Insight, in 2002, we were the second leading provider of catheter-directed thrombolytic devices, with a market share of 28.1%. Our primary competitors in this market include Boston Scientific, Cook and Micro Therapeutics, Inc.
Drainage Products
Drainage products percutaneously drain abscesses and other fluid pockets. An abscess is a tender inflamed mass that typically must be drained by a physician.
Our line of drainage products consists of our ABSCESSION general drainage catheters and ABSCESSION biliary drainage catheters. These products feature our proprietary soft catheter material that is designed for patient comfort. These catheters also recover their shape if bent or severely deformed when patients roll over and kink the catheters during sleep.
Our primary competitors for drainage products include Boston Scientific, Cook, and C.R. Bard. We are not among the top five competitors by market share in the market for drainage products.
Other
For fiscal 2004, revenues from our Other product category totaled $3.0 million, or 6.1% of total revenues. Of these revenues, $1.6 million were from freight charges, $558,000 were from biliary stents, $805,000 were from bulk non-sterile products and products manufactured for E-Z-EM and $102,000 were from tumor management products.
Research & Development
Our future success will depend in part on our ability to continue to develop new products and enhance existing products. We recognize the importance of, and intend to continue to make investments in, research and development. Approximately 63% of our net sales for fiscal 2004 were from products we introduced in the last five fiscal years. For fiscal 2004, 2003 and 2002, our research and development expenditures were $3.6 million, $2.5 million, and $2.0 million, respectively, and constituted 7.2%, 6.5%, and 6.3% respectively, of net sales. We expect that our research and development expenditures will reach approximately 8% of net sales in the future. However, downturns in our business could cause us to reduce our research and development spending.
Our research and product development teams work closely with our sales force to incorporate customer feedback into our development and design process. We believe that we have a reputation among interventional physicians as being a good partner for product development because of our tradition of close physician collaboration, dedicated market focus, responsiveness and execution capabilities for product development and commercialization.
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Competition
We encounter significant competition across our product lines and in each market in which our products are sold. These markets are characterized by rapid change resulting from technological advances and scientific discoveries. In the product lines in which we compete, we face competitors ranging from large manufacturers with multiple business lines to small manufacturers that offer a limited selection of products. In addition, we compete with providers of other medical therapies, such as pharmaceutical companies, which may offer non-surgical therapies for conditions that are currently or intended to be treated using our products. Our primary device competitors include: Boston Scientific, Cook, Cordis, C.R. Bard, Diomed, Medcomp and VNUS Medical. Medcomp supplies us with all of our hemodialysis catheters, but also competes with us by selling More-Flow catheters, which we buy from them on a non-exclusive basis, and other hemodialysis catheters that we do not license from them. Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, technological, research and development, regulatory, marketing, sales and personnel resources than we do. Competitors may also have greater experience in developing products, obtaining regulatory approvals, and manufacturing and marketing such products. Competitors may also obtain patent protection or regulatory approval or clearance, or achieve product commercialization, before us, any of which could materially adversely affect us.
We believe that our products compete primarily on the basis of their quality, ease of use, reliability, physician familiarity and cost-effectiveness. Generally, our products are sold at higher prices than those of our competitors. In the current environment of managed care, economically motivated buyers, consolidation among healthcare providers, increased competition and declining reimbursement rates, we have been increasingly required to compete on the basis of price. We believe that our continued competitive success will depend upon our ability to develop or acquire scientifically advanced technology, apply our technology cost-effectively across product lines and markets, develop or acquire proprietary products, attract and retain skilled development personnel, obtain patent or other protection for our products, obtain required regulatory and reimbursement approvals, manufacture and successfully market our products either directly or through outside parties, and maintain sufficient inventory to meet customer demand.
Sales and Marketing
We focus our sales and marketing efforts on interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons. There are over 5,000 interventional radiologists and 2,000 vascular surgeons in the United States. We educate these physicians on the clinical efficacy, performance, ease of use, value and other advantages of our products.
As part of our education program we offer a comprehensive two-day training course offered free of charge to physicians who have purchased our VenaCure products. We use the VenaCure products training and other training programs to foster future collaboration with physicians and increase brand awareness and loyalty. We also seek to create patient awareness of this new treatment through our website, print materials and video news releases.
We promote our products through medical society meetings that are attended by interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists and interventional nephrologists. Our attendance at these meetings is one of the most important methods we use to communicate with our customers. At these meetings, we receive direct feedback from customers and present new ideas and products. Our attendance at these meetings also reflects our support and commitment to the medical societies, as these societies rely on industry participation and support in order to effectively hold these meetings. The support we provide includes sponsorship of medical society research foundations, general financial support for holding these meetings, and special awards to physicians and others.
Backlog
At July 31, 2004, we had a backlog of unfilled customer orders of $26,000, compared to a backlog of $165,000 at July 31, 2003. We expect all backlog at July 31, 2004 will be filled during fiscal 2005. Because we have basically shipped 95% of products sold in the United States within 48 hours of receipt of the orders, we do not consider our backlog to be indicative of our future operating results.
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Manufacturing
Our manufacturing facility is located in Queensbury, New York, and includes over 32,000 square feet of manufacturing and distribution space. We believe this facility has sufficient capacity to meet our anticipated manufacturing needs for the next five years.
We manufacture certain proprietary components and assemble, inspect, test and package our finished products. By designing and manufacturing many of our products from raw materials, and assembling and testing our subassemblies and products, we believe that we can maintain better quality control, ensure compliance with applicable regulatory standards and our internal specifications, and limit outside access to our proprietary technology. We have custom-designed proprietary manufacturing and processing equipment and have developed proprietary enhancements for existing production machinery.
Our management information system includes order entry, invoicing, on-line inventory management, lot traceability, purchasing, shop floor control and shipping and distribution analysis, as well as various accounting-oriented functions. This system enables us to track our products from the inception of an order through all parts of the manufacturing process until the product is delivered to the customer. Our efficient manufacturing capabilities enable us to ship 95% of products sold in the United States within 48 hours of when an order is placed.
We purchase components from third parties. Most of our components are readily available from several supply sources. We also purchase finished products from third parties. One supplier, Medcomp, currently supplies all of our hemodialysis catheters. Medcomp products accounted for approximately 27% of our net sales for fiscal 2004. Another supplier, biolitec, Inc., supplies us with the laser and laser fibers for our VenaCure products. To date, we have been able to obtain adequate supplies of all product and components in a timely manner from existing sources.
In fiscal 2004, 55% of our net sales were derived from products we manufactured ourselves, with the balance being derived from products manufactured for us by third parties. Our Queensbury facility is registered with the FDA and has been certified to EN 46001 and ISO 9001 standards, as well as the CMD/CAS Canadian Medical Device Regulations. ISO 9001 and EN46001 are quality system standards. Obtaining ISO 9001 and EN 46001 certifications enables us to satisfy regulatory requirements of the European Union and thus to market and sell our products in European Union countries. If we were to lose these certifications, we would no longer be able to sell our products in these countries until we made the necessary corrections to our operations or satisfactorily completed an alternate European Union approval route that did not rely on compliance with quality system standards. Our manufacturing facilities are subject to periodic inspections by regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with domestic and non-U.S. regulatory requirements. See Government Regulation.
Intellectual Property
In the United States, we own 24 patents and have exclusive licenses to 14 patents. We have 21 pending patent applications and exclusive licenses to three pending patent applications for fields of use related to our business. Internationally, we have 24 issued patents and 20 pending patent applications, all of which are foreign counterparts of the U.S. cases.
We believe that our success is dependent, to a large extent, on patent protection and the proprietary nature of our technology. We intend to file and prosecute patent applications for our technology and in jurisdictions where we believe that patent protection is effective and advisable. Generally, for products that we believe are appropriate for patent protection, we will attempt to obtain patents in the United States and other appropriate jurisdictions.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the patent positions of medical device companies, including our company, are uncertain and involve complex and evolving legal and factual questions. The coverage sought in a patent application can be denied or significantly reduced either before or after the patent is issued. Consequently, there can be no assurance that any of our pending patent applications will result in an issued patent. There is also no
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assurance that any existing or future patent will provide significant protection or commercial advantage, or whether any existing or future patent will be circumvented by a more basic patent, thus requiring us to obtain a license to produce and sell the product. Generally, patent applications can be maintained in secrecy for at least 18 months after their earliest priority date. In addition, publication of discoveries in the scientific or patent literature often lags behind actual discoveries. Therefore, we cannot be certain that we were the first to invent the subject matter covered by each of our pending U.S. patent applications or that we were the first to file non-U.S. patent applications for such subject matter.
If a third party files a patent application relating to an invention claimed in our patent application, we may be required to participate in an interference proceeding declared by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to determine who owns the patent. Such proceeding could involve substantial uncertainties and cost, even if the eventual outcome is favorable to us. There can be no assurance that our patents, if issued, would be upheld as valid in court.
Third parties may claim that our products infringe on their patents and other intellectual property rights. Some companies in the medical device industry have used intellectual property infringement litigation to gain a competitive advantage. If a competitor were to challenge our patents, licenses or other intellectual property rights, or assert that our products infringe its patent or other intellectual property rights, we could incur substantial litigation costs, be forced to make expensive changes to our product designs, license rights in order to continue manufacturing and selling our products, or pay substantial damages. Third-party infringement claims, regardless of their outcome, would not only consume our financial resources but also divert our managements time and effort. Such claims could also cause our customers or potential customers to defer or limit their purchase or use of the affected products until resolution of the claim.
In January 2004, Diomed filed an action against us alleging that our VenaCure products for the treatment of varicose veins infringe on a patent held by Diomed. Diomeds complaint seeks injunctive relief and compensatory and treble damages. If Diomed is successful in this action, our results of operations could suffer. See Item 3 of this report for a description of this action.
We rely on trade secret protection for certain unpatented aspects of other proprietary technology. There can be no assurance that others will not independently develop or otherwise acquire substantially equivalent proprietary information or techniques, that others will not gain access to our proprietary technology or disclose such technology, or that we can meaningfully protect our trade secrets. We have a policy of requiring key employees and consultants to execute confidentiality agreements upon the commencement of an employment or consulting relationship with us. Our confidentiality agreements also require our employees to assign to us all rights to any inventions made or conceived during their employment with us. We also generally require our consultants to assign to us any inventions made during the course of their engagement by us. There can be no assurance, however, that these agreements will provide meaningful protection or adequate remedies for us in the event of unauthorized use, transfer or disclosure of confidential information or inventions.
The laws of foreign countries generally do not protect our proprietary rights to the same extent, as do the laws of the United States. In addition, we may experience more difficulty enforcing our proprietary rights in certain foreign jurisdictions.
Government Regulation
The products we manufacture and market are subject to regulation by the FDA and, in some instances, state authorities and foreign governments.
United States Regulation
Before a new medical device can be introduced into the market, a manufacturer generally must obtain marketing clearance or approval from the FDA through either a 510(k) submission (a premarket notification) or a premarket approval application, or PMA.
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The 510(k) procedure is less rigorous than the PMA procedure, but is available only in particular circumstances. The 510(k) clearance procedure is available only if a manufacturer can establish that its device is substantially equivalent to a predicate device, which is a legally marketed device with 510(k) clearance or grandfather status based upon commercial distribution prior to May 29, 1976. The 510(k) procedure applies both to new products and to modifications of existing products with 510(k) clearance. The 510(k) clearance procedure generally takes from four to twelve months from the time of submission, but may take longer. The FDA may determine that a new or modified device is not substantially equivalent to a predicate device or may require that additional information, including clinical data, be submitted before a determination is made, either of which could significantly delay the introduction of new or modified device products. If a product does not satisfy the criteria of substantial equivalence, premarket approval is required prior to the introduction of that product into the market.
The PMA application procedure is more comprehensive than is the 510(k) procedure and typically takes several years to complete. The PMA application must be supported by scientific evidence providing preclinical and clinical data relating to the safety and efficacy of the device and include a variety of other information about the device and its components, design, manufacturing and labeling. The standard used by the FDA in determining whether to approve a PMA application is that there must be a reasonable assurance that the device is safe and effective for its intended use. As part of the PMA application review, the FDA will inspect the manufacturers facilities for compliance with the Quality System Regulation. As part of the PMA approval, the FDA may place restrictions on the device, such as requiring additional patient follow-up for an indefinite period of time. If the FDAs evaluation of the PMA application or the manufacturing facility is not favorable, the FDA may deny approval of the PMA application or issue a not approvable letter. The FDA may also require additional clinical trials, which can delay the PMA approval process by several years. After the PMA is approved, if significant changes are made to a device, its manufacturing or labeling, a PMA supplement containing additional information must be filed for prior FDA approval.
Historically, our products have been introduced into the market using the 510(k) procedure and we have never used the more rigorous PMA procedure. No current clinical trials are pending for any of our products.
The FDA clearance and approval processes for a medical device are expensive, uncertain and lengthy, and a number of products for which FDA clearance or approval has been sought by other companies have never been approved for marketing. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain necessary regulatory clearances or approvals for any product on a timely basis or at all. Delays in receipt of or failure to receive such clearances or approvals, the loss of previously received clearances or approvals, or the failure to comply with existing or future regulatory requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If and when FDA marketing approvals are granted for a device, the products and their manufacture are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA, including record keeping requirements and the Medical Device Reporting regulation, which requires that manufacturers report to the FDA if their device may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if it were to recur. The labeling and promotion activities with respect to devices are subject to scrutiny by the FDA, and in certain instances, by the Federal Trade Commission. The FDA actively enforces regulations prohibiting the marketing of devices for unapproved new uses.
The devices manufactured by us are subject to the Quality System Regulations. Device manufacturers are required to register their facilities and list their facilities with the FDA and certain state agencies. Every phase of production, including raw materials, components and subassemblies, manufacturing, testing, quality control, labeling, tracing of consignees after distribution, and follow-up and reporting of complaint information is governed by FDA regulations. The FDA periodically conducts inspections of manufacturing facilities and, if there are alleged violations, the operator of a facility must correct them or satisfactorily demonstrate the absence of the violations or face regulatory action.
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We are subject to inspection and marketing surveillance by the FDA to determine our compliance with regulatory requirements. Non-compliance with applicable FDA requirements can result in, among other things, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, recall or seizure of products, total or partial suspension of production, failure of the FDA to grant marketing approvals, withdrawal of marketing approvals, a recommendation by the FDA to disallow us to enter into government contracts, and criminal prosecutions. The FDA also has the authority to request repair, replacement or refund of the cost of any device manufactured or distributed by us.
Other
We and our products are also subject to a variety of state and local laws in those jurisdictions where our products are or will be marketed, and Federal, state and local laws relating to matters such as safe working conditions, manufacturing practices, environmental protection, fire hazard control and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances. For example, we are registered with the Office of the Professions of the New York State Department of Education. We are subject to various Federal and state laws governing our relationships with the physicians and others who purchase or make referrals for our products. For instance, Federal law prohibits payments of any form that are intended to induce a referral for any item payable under Medicare, Medicaid or any other Federal healthcare program. Many states have similar laws. There can be no assurance that we will not be required to incur significant costs to comply with such laws and regulations now or in the future or that such laws or regulations will not have a material adverse effect upon our ability to do business.
Non-U.S. Regulation
Internationally, all of our current products are considered medical devices under applicable regulatory regimes and we anticipate that this will be true for all of our future products. Sales of medical devices are subject to regulatory requirements in many countries. The regulatory review process may vary greatly from country to country. For example, the European Union has adopted numerous directives and standards relating to medical devices regulating their design, manufacture, clinical trials, labeling and adverse event reporting. Devices that comply with those requirements are entitled to bear a Conformité Européenne, or CE Mark, indicating that the device conforms with the essential requirements of the applicable directives and can be commercially distributed in countries that are members of the European Union.
In some cases, we rely on our non-U.S. distributors to obtain premarket approvals, complete product registrations, comply with clinical trial requirements and complete those steps that are customarily taken in the applicable jurisdictions in connection in those countries to comply with governmental and quasigovernmental regulation. In the future, we expect to continue to rely on distributors in this manner in those countries where we continue to market and sell our products through them.
Non-U.S. sales of medical devices manufactured in the United States that are not approved or cleared by the FDA for use in the United States, or are banned or deviate from lawful performance standards, are subject to FDA export requirements. Before exporting such products to a foreign country, we must first comply with the FDAs regulatory procedures for exporting unapproved devices.
There can be no assurance that new laws or regulations regarding the release or sale of medical devices will not delay or prevent sale of our current or future products.
Third-Party Reimbursement
United States
Our products are used in medical procedures where patients expect that coverage will be available from third-party payors, which can be government or private health plans. Therefore, our sales volumes and the prices we charge for our products depend significantly on the extent to which those third-party payors, such as Medicare, Medicaid, other government programs and private insurance plans, cover our products and the procedures performed with them.
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In the United States, third-party payors generally pay healthcare providers directly for the procedures they perform, and in certain instances for the products they use. However, in many cases third-party payors operate by reimbursing patients for all or part of the charges that patients pay for procedures and products used in connection with those procedures. In either case, our sales volumes depend on the extent to which third-party payors cover our products and the procedures in which they are used. In general, a third-party payor only covers a medical product or procedure when the plan administrator is satisfied that the product or procedure improves health outcomes, including quality of life or functional ability, in a safe and cost-effective manner. Even if a device has received clearance or approval for marketing by the FDA, there is no assurance that third-party payors will cover the cost of the device and related procedures.
In many instances, third-party payors cover the procedures performed using our products using price schedules that do not vary to reflect the cost of the products and equipment used in performing those procedures. In other instances, payment or reimbursement is separately available for the products and equipment used, in addition to payment or reimbursement for the procedure itself. Even if coverage is available, third-party payors may place restrictions on the circumstances where they provide coverage or may offer reimbursement that is not sufficient to cover the cost of our products. Many competing products are less expensive than ours. Therefore, although coverage may be available for our products and the related procedures, the levels of approved coverage may not be sufficient to justify using our products instead of those of competitors.
Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical products and procedures and, where a reimbursement model is used, introducing maximum reimbursements for the procedures they cover. We believe that the minimally invasive procedures in which our products are used are generally less costly than open surgery. However, there is no guarantee that these procedures will be reimbursed. Third-party payors may not consider these minimally invasive procedures to be cost-effective and therefore refuse to authorize coverage.
In certain cases in which third-party payors will cover the cost of medical products or equipment in addition to a general charge for the related procedure, they maintain lists of exclusive suppliers or approved lists of products deemed to be cost-effective. Authorization from those third-party payors is required prior to using products that are not on these lists. If our products are not on the approved lists, healthcare providers must determine if the additional cost and effort required to obtain prior authorization is justified by any perceived clinical benefits from using our products, in light of the uncertainty of actually obtaining coverage.
Finally, the advent of contracted fixed rates per procedure has made it difficult to receive reimbursement for disposable products, even if the use of these products improves clinical outcomes. In addition, many third-party payors are moving to managed care systems in which providers contract to provide comprehensive healthcare for a fixed cost per person. Managed care providers often attempt to control the cost of healthcare by authorizing fewer elective surgical procedures. Under current prospective payment systems, such as the diagnosis related group system and the hospital out-patient prospective payment system, both of which are used by Medicare and in many managed care systems used by private third-party payors, the cost of our products will be incorporated into the overall cost of a procedure and there will be no separate reimbursement for our products. As a result, we cannot be certain that hospital administrators and physicians will purchase our products, despite the clinical benefits and opportunity for cost savings that we believe can be derived from their use.
If hospitals and physicians cannot obtain adequate reimbursement for our products or the procedures in which they are used, our business, financial condition and results of operations could suffer a material adverse impact.
Non-U.S.
Our success in non-U.S. markets will depend largely upon the availability of reimbursement from the third-party payors through which healthcare providers are paid in those markets. Reimbursement and healthcare payment systems in non-U.S. markets vary significantly by country. The main types of healthcare payment systems are government sponsored healthcare and private insurance. Reimbursement approval must be obtained
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individually in each country in which our products are marketed. Outside the United States, we generally rely on the distributors who sell our products to obtain reimbursement approval for those countries in which they will sell our products. There can be no assurance that reimbursement approval will be received.
Insurance
Our product liability insurance coverage is currently provided under E-Z-EMs liability policy. This coverage is limited to a maximum of $5.0 million per product liability claim and an aggregate policy limit of $20.0 million, subject to a deductible of $500,000 per occurrence. Under our master separation and distribution agreement with E-Z-EM, E-Z-EM will maintain this coverage until the earlier of the anniversary date of that policy or the completion of the distribution by E-Z-EM of our shares to its stockholders.
We cannot assure you that our current product liability insurance is adequate. We are currently endeavoring to obtain our own product liability coverage with coverage limits of 10 million with a $250,000 deductible per incident and an aggregate limit of $500,000 to commence upon termination of our coverage under E-Z-EMs policy. However, we may not be able to sustain or maintain this level of and we cannot assure you that adequate insurance coverage will be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. A successful product liability claim or other claim with respect to uninsured or underinsured liabilities could have a material adverse effect on us.
Environmental
We are subject to Federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations and policies governing the use, generation, manufacture, storage, air emission, effluent discharge, handling and disposal of certain hazardous and potentially hazardous substances used in connection with our operations. Although we believe that we have complied with these laws and regulations in all material respects and to date have not been required to take any action to correct any noncompliance, there can be no assurance that we will not be required to incur significant costs to comply with environmental regulations in the future.
Employees
As of July 31, 2004, we employed 217 full-time employees and three part-time employees, including 15 in administration; 38 in research, product development and regulatory approval/quality assurance; 61 in sales and marketing; and the balance in manufacturing functions. None of our employees are represented by a labor union, and we have never experienced a work stoppage. We sell our products outside the United States through a distribution network that, as of July 31, 2004, consisted of 32 distributors for 33 markets.
We own a 68,352 square foot manufacturing, administrative, engineering and warehouse facility situated on 13 acres in Queensbury, New York. We financed a recent expansion of this facility with the proceeds of industrial revenue bonds, and the land and buildings are subject to a first mortgage in favor of a bank. See Item 7, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationsLiquidity and Capital Resources. We believe that this facility has sufficient capacity to meet our anticipated manufacturing and other needs for the next five years. We lease a facility in Gainesville, Florida, which we use for research and development activities. The lease for the facility expires in July 2008, and we pay a monthly rent of $1,526 plus utilities.
On January 6, 2004, Diomed filed an action against us entitled Diomed, Inc. v. AngioDynamics, Inc., civil action no. 04 10019 RGS in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Diomeds complaint alleges that we have infringed on Diomeds U.S. patent no. 6,398,777 by selling a kit for the treatment of varicose veins
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(now called the VenaCure Procedure Kit) and two diode laser systems: the Precision 980 Laser and the Precision 810 Laser, and by conducting a training program for physicians in the use of our VenaCure Procedure Kit. The complaint alleges our actions have caused, and continue to cause, Diomed to suffer substantial damages. The complaint seeks to prohibit us from continuing to market and sell these products, as well as conducting our training program, and asks for compensatory and treble money damages, reasonable attorneys fees, costs and pre-judgment interest. We believe that our product does not infringe the Diomed patent. We purchase the lasers and laser fibers for our laser systems from biolitec, Inc. under a supply and distribution agreement. biolitec has engaged counsel on our behalf to defend this action.
We have been named as a defendant in an action entitled Duhon, et. al v. Brezoria Kidney Center, Inc., case no. 27084 filed in the District Court of Brezoria County, Texas, 239th Judicial District on December 29, 2003. The