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Neodent USA Contests Nobel Biocare's Allegations of Patent Infringement in the USAANDOVER, Mass. --(Business Wire)-- In response to the recent announcement made by Nobel Biocare Holding AG, Neodent USA said today that it intends to vigorously defend itself against Nobel's allegations of patent infringement relating to one of its range of implants. The implant in question, Neodent's Drive CM, is one of several implants that the company introduced in the USA in March, which offer excellent alternatives for dentists and patients who want high quality, state-of-the-art, proven implant solutions at an attractive competitive price. Prior to launching Drive CM, Neodent obtained in-depth evaluations to ensure that its designs respected all valid intellectual property rights. Drive CM incorporates features, such as an innovative connection, which differentiate it from Nobel Biocare's implant. The current complaint appears to be based on patents that Nobel Biocare obtained after Drive CM was introduced in the USA. Neodent is looking into the allegations carefully and will respond appropriately. "The preliminary design of NobelActive® was invented and developed by an Israeli team at AlphaBioTec Ltd - not originally by Nobel Biocare, as many people believe. We did our homework before launching our range of implants in the US, especially the Drive CM, and we are confident that we have not infringed any patents", said Tony Susino, CEO of Neodent USA. "In its media release, Nobel Biocare has sent a clear signal to the dental community that our implant is 'strikingly similar' to theirs. Nobel sees that we have a very attractive, high quality alternative." Neodent relies on a strong clinical track record that has been built up over 20 years. Its proven system has earned the trust of more than 30,000 clinicians, and the company has sold well over five million implants worldwide. Like most implant systems, its products are supported by the company's own clinical experience as well as clinical and scientific findings published by third parties in the public domain - for example concerning high grade titanium, implant designs, surface technology, etc. Most companies rely on third-party documentation in applications for regulatory approvals based on substantial equivalence. About Neodent Founded in 1993, Neodent is Latin America's leading dental implant company. It was the first Brazilian company in the implant sectr to receive certification from the Ministry of Health. The company opened its own premises in Curitiba in 1998, where its headquarters and a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility are located. Neodent employs more than 900 employees, operates more than 21 branches in Brazil and works with a wide network of distributors positioning the company as the market leader in the LATAM region. Neodent also has subsidiaries and distributors in other geographies targeting the non-premium segment in these markets. It places considerable importance on education and training with the aim of ensuring quality treatment standards and patient care. It does this through the ILAPEO (The Latin American Institute of Dental Research and Education), one of the largest dedicated implant training centers in the world, offering courses to thousands of participants from all over the world each year. ___________________________________________________________________
Neodent USA, Inc. 60 Minuteman Road, Andover, MA 01810 Disclaimer This media release contains certain 'forward-looking statements', which reflect the current views of management and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These include risks related to the success of and demand for Neodent USA's products, the potential for the Company's products to become obsolete, the Company's ability to defend its intellectual property, the Company's ability to develop and commercialize new products in a timely manner, the dynamic and competitive environment in which the Company operates, the regulatory environment, changes in currency exchange rates, the Company's ability to hire and retain key talented individuals, to generate revenues and profitability, to realize its expansion projects in a timely manner, and to maintain its business relationships with suppliers, customers and other third parties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this report. Neodent is providing the information in this release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in it as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Nobel Biocare and NobelActive are trademarks of the Nobel Biocare group.
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