SOUTH JORDAN, Utah, June 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MMSI), a leading manufacturer and marketer of proprietary disposable devices used in interventional, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, particularly in cardiology, radiology, oncology, critical care and endoscopy, announced today that it has been awarded a group purchasing agreement for interventional fluid management products with Premier. Effective July 1, 2019, this agreement provides for Premier members, at their discretion, to take advantage of negotiated commercial terms for Merit’s interventional fluid management portfolio of products.

“Since our inception, our interventional fluid management products have been foundational to Merit's success and a key driver of our progress,” said Fred P. Lampropoulos, Merit Chairman and CEO. “For more than three decades, we’ve delivered quality and innovative interventional fluid management devices, kits, and packs, and this agreement speaks to the quality, reliability, and clinical acceptance by clinicians throughout the United States. The awarding of this contract is a testament to the consistency and strength of the product portfolio that this company was built on.”

Within the interventional fluid management category, Merit offers an integrated suite of products designed to effectively manage patient fluid levels, imaging media, and waste in diagnostic and interventional procedures. Merit’s interventional fluid management portfolio complements Merit’s cardiac and peripheral intervention products such as the Prelude IDeal™ and PreludeSYNC™.

Merit’s interventional fluid management products are designed to meet clinicians’ unique clinical requirements. Merit offers standard and customized options that can improve safety, optimize efficiency (by minimizing set-up and take-down time), and reduce costs within the diagnostic and interventional environment. For more information on Merit’s line-up of interventional fluid management solutions, including instructions for use, visit www.merit.com/cardiovascular-and-critical-care/interventional-fluid-management.

Premier is a leading healthcare improvement company, uniting an alliance of approximately 4,000 U.S. hospitals and 165,000 other providers to transform healthcare. With integrated data and analytics, collaboratives, supply chain solutions, and advisory and other services, Premier enables better care and outcomes at a lower cost.

ABOUT MERIT
Founded in 1987, Merit Medical Systems, Inc. is engaged in the development, manufacture and distribution of proprietary disposable medical devices used in interventional, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, particularly in cardiology, radiology, oncology, critical care and endoscopy. Merit serves client hospitals worldwide with a domestic and international sales force and clinical support team totaling in excess of 300 individuals. Merit employs approximately 6,300 people worldwide with facilities in South Jordan, Utah; Pearland, Texas; Richmond, Virginia; Malvern, Pennsylvania; Rockland, Massachusetts; San Jose and Aliso Viejo, California; Maastricht and Venlo, The Netherlands; Paris, France; Galway, Ireland; Beijing, China; Tijuana, Mexico; Joinville, Brazil; Markham, Ontario, Canada; Melbourne, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; Reading, United Kingdom; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Singapore.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements contained in this release which are not purely historical, including, without limitation, statements regarding Merit's forecasted plans and projected results of the execution of the group purchasing agreement discussed above, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Merit's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such risks and uncertainties include inherent risks and uncertainties relating to Merit’s internal forecasts and projections; risks relating to Merit's potential inability to successfully manage growth through acquisitions generally, including the inability to effectively integrate acquired operations or products or commercialize technology acquired through completed, proposed or future transactions; expenditures relating to research, development, testing and regulatory approval or clearance of Merit's products and risks that such products may not be developed successfully or approved for commercial use; governmental scrutiny and regulation of the medical device industry, including governmental inquiries, investigations and proceedings involving Merit;  restrictions on Merit's liquidity or business operations resulting from its debt agreements; infringement of Merit's technology or the assertion that Merit's technology infringes the rights of other parties; product recalls and product liability claims; changes in customer purchasing patterns or the mix of products Merit sells; risks and uncertainties associated with Merit’s information technology systems, including the potential for breaches of security and evolving regulations regarding privacy and data protection; the potential of fines, penalties or other adverse consequences if Merit's employees or agents violate the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or other laws or regulations; the pending exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union and uncertainties about when, how or if such exit will occur; laws and regulations targeting fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry; potential for significant adverse changes in governing regulations, including reforms to the procedures for approval or clearance of Merit's products by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration or comparable regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions; changes in tax laws and regulations in the United States or other countries; increases in the prices of commodity components; negative changes in economic and industry conditions in the United States or other countries; termination or interruption of relationships with Merit's suppliers, or failure of such suppliers to perform; fluctuations in exchange rates; uncertainties relating to the LIBOR calculation method and the potential phasing out of LIBOR; concentration of a substantial portion of Merit's revenues among a few products and procedures; development of new products and technology that could render Merit's existing products obsolete; market acceptance of new products; volatility in the market price of Merit's common stock; modification or limitation of governmental or private insurance reimbursement policies; changes in healthcare policies or markets related to healthcare reform initiatives; failure to comply with applicable environmental laws; changes in key personnel; work stoppage or transportation risks; introduction of products in a timely fashion; price and product competition; availability of labor and materials; fluctuations in and obsolescence of inventory; and other factors referred to in Merit's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and other materials filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All subsequent forward-looking statements attributable to Merit or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Actual results will likely differ, and may differ materially, from anticipated results. Financial estimates are subject to change and are not intended to be relied upon as predictions of future operating results, and Merit assumes no obligation to update or disclose revisions to those estimates.

Contact:  Anne-Marie Wright, Vice President, Corporate Communications
Phone:    (801) 208-4167  e-mail: awright@merit.com  Fax: (801) 253-1688

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