Avertix Medical, Inc. (“Avertix” or the “Company”), formerly known
as Angel Medical Systems, Inc., a company focused on improving
long-term management and outcomes of high-risk coronary disease in
patients who have survived one or more heart attacks, and BIOS
Acquisition Corporation (dba BioPlus Acquisition Corp.) (“BIOS”)
(Nasdaq: BIOS), a special purpose acquisition company, today
announced that the companies have entered into a definitive merger
agreement for a business combination (the “Transaction”) that would
result in Avertix becoming a publicly traded company on Nasdaq. The
Transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2023. The
combined company, which will be named Avertix Medical, Inc., will
have an enterprise value of approximately $195 million, and the
common stock of the combined company is expected to be listed on
Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “AVRT.”
Avertix is a medical technology company
commercializing an implantable device for cardiovascular disease
management. The Guardian™ System is the first and only FDA-approved
Class III implantable device designed to detect heart attacks in
real-time, including silent and atypical symptomatic heart attacks,
providing life-saving alerts to patients and healthcare
professionals. Avertix’s ALERTS clinical trial showed the Guardian
System enables heart attack patients to seek urgent medical
attention earlier than patients who relied only on symptoms.
"With its ability to detect early signs of a
heart attack and alert patients and healthcare providers, the
Guardian System has the potential to transform the approach to
cardiac care and improve patient quality of life and outcomes,”
said Tim Moran, President and Chief Executive Officer of Avertix,
who will lead the combined company upon closing of the Transaction.
“We are thrilled to join forces with BIOS to accelerate the
commercialization, adoption and continued development of the
Guardian System. We look forward to leveraging BIOS’ expertise and
resources to bring this critical technology to more patients
worldwide."
According to the World Health Organization,
cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally. In
the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also
reports that heart disease is the leading cause of death, with over
800,000 heart attacks every year. Approximately 25% of these heart
attack survivors will experience a second heart attack within five
years of their first.
The Transaction is expected to provide Avertix
access to the necessary financial resources to expand commercially
and to continue improving and developing its innovative product,
equipping both patients and healthcare providers with lifesaving
tools that aim to provide peace of mind.
"Avertix is a company at the forefront of
cardiovascular disease management," said Ross Haghighat, Chief
Executive Officer of BIOS. "We believe the combined company has the
potential to not only improve patient outcomes but also save lives.
Our shared mission is to transform the landscape of cardiovascular
disease management, and we look forward to bringing this vision to
fruition while generating significant value for our
shareholders."
Avertix Investment
Highlights:
- Founded in 2001,
with its headquarters in New Jersey, Avertix is a leading medical
technology company committed to advancing life-sustaining patient
care and the long-term management of advanced cardiovascular
disease through innovation, clinical science and
collaboration.
- The Company's
flagship product, the Guardian System, is the first and only
FDA-approved implantable patient-alerting system designed to warn
patients to seek medical attention for acute coronary syndrome
(ACS) events, including heart attacks. The device was granted a
transitional pass-through (TPT) payment category by CMS, providing
outpatient facilities with an incremental Medicare payment for
procedures in which the Guardian System is used.
- According to the
American Heart Association, as of 2018, the Guardian System is
estimated to have a total addressable market of $2 billion in the
U.S. alone.
- Avertix has a
strong intellectual property portfolio, including over 50 issued
patents.
- The Company has
a seasoned management team with extensive experience in medical
technology development, regulatory affairs and
commercialization.
Transaction Overview
Upon the closing of the Transaction and assuming
no redemptions by BIOS’ public shareholders, Avertix plans to
retain up to approximately $239 million of cash held in the Trust
Account on its balance sheet, which would provide financial
flexibility and facilitate internal and external growth
opportunities.
After the closing of the Transaction, and
assuming no redemptions, and inclusive of ESOP top up, BIOS’ public
shareholders are expected to own approximately 50% of the
outstanding shares of the combined company, with existing Avertix
shareholders owning approximately 29%.
The Transaction has been approved by the boards
of directors of Avertix and BIOS, and its completion is subject to
customary closing conditions, including the approval of BIOS’
shareholders and the satisfaction or waiver of a $40 million
minimum cash condition. The Transaction is expected to close during
the second half of 2023. Additional information about the proposed
transaction, including a copy of the Business Combination Agreement
and Plan of Reorganization, will be provided in a Current Report on
Form 8-K to be filed by BIOS with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”) and available at www.sec.gov. For more
information, visit avertix.com.
Advisors
Honigman LLP is acting as legal counsel to
Avertix. Cooley LLP and Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP are
acting as U.S. legal counsel to BIOS. Walkers (Cayman) LLP is
acting as Cayman legal counsel to BIOS. LifeSci Capital LLC is
acting as the fairness opinion provider to the board of directors
of BIOS.
About Avertix Medical, Inc.
Avertix is a cutting-edge medical device
company offering the first and only FDA-approved Class III
implantable device that can detect silent and atypical symptomatic
heart attacks in real-time. With a robust portfolio of U.S. patents
pertaining to Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) events, Avertix is at
the forefront of innovation in cardiovascular care and is committed
to improving patient outcomes and saving lives through advanced
medical technologies. For more information, visit avertix.com.
About BIOS Acquisition
Corporation
BIOS Acquisition Corporation was formed for the
purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset
acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business
combination with one or more businesses. It is focused on
identifying opportunities in the healthcare industry across the
U.S., EU, Israel and Australasia.
BIOS Acquisition Corporation’s leadership and
board differentially consists of recognized industry leaders,
including CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CSOs, auditors, investors, bankers and
experts covering all functional disciplines needed to maximize the
value creation opportunity for a healthcare company. BIOS
Acquisition Corporation brings over 200 years of collective
experience in: (1) identifying, developing and marketing value
creating healthcare assets, (2) private and public company
financing and deal-making, 3) audit and accounting, and 4) advisory
and board experience. The BIOS Acquisition Corporation team has
demonstrated commitment to building valuable assets and can be
leveraged as true long-term partners who can help maximize the
value creation opportunity for a potential business
combination.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements included in this Press
Release are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements
for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,”
“may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,”
“expect,” “would,” “plan,” “potential,” and similar expressions
that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not
statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words
does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. All
statements, other than statements of present or historical fact
included in this Press Release, regarding BIOS’ proposed
acquisition of Avertix, BIOS’ ability to consummate the proposed
transactions, the benefits of the proposed transactions and the
combined company’s future financial performance as well as the
combined company’s strategy, demand for products and services, use
cases for products and services, anticipated business model and
future operations, estimated market growth, size and opportunity,
plans and objectives of management, and among others, are
forward-looking statements. These statements are based on various
assumptions, whether or not identified in this Press Release, and
on the current expectations of Avertix’s management and are not
predictions of actual performance, and, as a result, are subject to
risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are
provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to
serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a
guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of
fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult
or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many
factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from
the forward-looking statements in this Press Release, including but
not limited to: the inability of the parties to successfully or
timely consummate the Transaction; the risk that the Transaction
may not be completed by BIOS’ business combination deadline and the
potential failure to obtain an extension of the business
combination deadline by BIOS; failure to realize the anticipated
benefits of the Transaction; the occurrence of any event, change or
other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the
definitive transaction agreement; Avertix’s history of operating
losses; Avertix’s ability to engage physicians to utilize and
prescribe its solution; changes in reimbursement practices;
technological changes in Avertix’s market; Avertix’s ability to
protect its intellectual property; Avertix 's material weaknesses
in financial reporting; and the Avertix’s ability to navigate
complex regulatory requirements. The foregoing list of factors is
not exhaustive. Please carefully consider the foregoing factors and
the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors”
section of the final prospectus to BIOS’ registration statement on
Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-249676), the registration
statement on Form S-4 to be filed with the SEC by BIOS and other
documents filed or that may be filed by BIOS from time to time with
the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks
and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to
differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking
statements.
There may be additional risks that neither BIOS
nor Avertix presently know or that BIOS and Avertix currently
believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to
differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In
addition, forward-looking statements reflect BIOS’ and Avertix’s
expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of
the date of this Press Release. BIOS and Avertix anticipate that
subsequent events and developments will cause BIOS’ and Avertix’s
assessments to change. However, while BIOS and Avertix may elect to
update these forward-looking statements at some point in the
future, BIOS and Avertix specifically assume no obligation and do
not intend to do so, nor do they intend to revise these
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by
applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be
relied upon as representing BIOS’ and Avertix’s assessments as of
any date subsequent to the date of this Press Release. Neither BIOS
nor Avertix gives any assurance that either BIOS or Avertix, or the
combined company, will achieve its expectations. Accordingly, undue
reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements
as predictions of future events.
Important Information
BIOS intends to file with the SEC a Registration
Statement on Form S-4 (as amended or supplemented, the
“Registration Statement”), which will include a preliminary proxy
statement/prospectus of BIOS, which will be both the proxy
statement to be distributed to holders of BIOS’ ordinary shares in
connection with the solicitation of proxies for the vote by BIOS‘
shareholders with respect to the proposed Transaction and related
matters as may be described in the Registration Statement, as well
as the prospectus relating to the offer and sale of the securities
to be issued in the Transaction. After the Registration Statement
is declared effective, BIOS will mail a definitive proxy
statement/prospectus and other relevant documents to its
shareholders. BIOS shareholders and other interested persons are
advised to read, when available, the preliminary proxy
statement/prospectus, and amendments thereto, and the definitive
proxy statement/prospectus in connection with BIOS’ solicitation of
proxies for its shareholders’ meeting to be held to approve the
Transaction and related matters because the proxy
statement/prospectus will contain important information about BIOS
and Avertix and the proposed Transaction.
The definitive proxy statement/prospectus will
be mailed to shareholders of BIOS as of a record date to be
established for voting on the proposed Transaction and related
matters. Shareholders may obtain copies of the proxy
statement/prospectus, when available, without charge, at the SEC’s
website at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to:
BioPlus Acquisition Corp., 260 Madison Avenue, Suite 800, New York,
NY 10026 or by emailing info@Biosspac.com
Participants in the
Solicitation
This press release is not a solicitation of a
proxy from any investor or securityholder. However, BIOS and
Avertix and their respective directors, officers and other members
of their management and employees may be deemed to be participants
in the solicitation of proxies from BIOS’ shareholders with respect
to the proposed business combination and related matters. Investors
and securityholders may obtain more detailed information regarding
the names, affiliations and interests of the directors and officers
of BIOS and Avertix in the proxy statement/prospectus relating to
the proposed business combination when it is filed with the SEC.
These documents may be obtained free of charge from the sources
indicated above.
No Offer or Solicitation
This press release is for informational purposes
only and is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to
sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of
an offer to buy or subscribe for any securities or a solicitation
of any vote of approval, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or
transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer,
solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or
qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a
prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, and otherwise in accordance with
applicable law.
Contacts
Investor RelationsMike CavanaughICR
WestwickeMike.Cavanaugh@westwicke.com +1-617-877-9641
Media RelationsSean LeousICR
WestwickeSean.Leous@westwicke.com+1-646-866-4012
Holly Windlermedia@avertix.com
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