.jpg)
NOT SO FAST, MY FRIEND!
The continued quagmire that is the CryoLife/Medafor relationship appears set to continue according to This latest Press Release from CryoLife.
Background
After a failed takeover bid by CryoLife they encouraged Medafor shareholder's to withhold their votes at a recent Medafor shareholder meeting. This was rejected by 95% of the 70% of attendee's and one disappointed shareholder will no doubt be Jim Karerchersuch who commented "I say get rid of CryoLife and let investors make some money,".
Expenses in the tussle continue to escalate for both companies with Medafor CEO Shope stating... "The real problem for Medafor is the distraction and expense stemming from CryoLife's takeover bid and continuing litigation, Shope said. Had it not been for the $1.2 million the company shelled out for legal expenses last year, Medafor would have been profitable, ."
and another online source stating ...."Anderson, who launched the hostile takeover attempt of Medafor in 2009 and chose several public venues to prosecute his case, spent approximately $6 million in the effort."
Conclusions
For those on the sidelines this extremely public battle has been an intriguing insight. Lately barely concealed personal attacks are now appearing in certain news articles relating to CryoLife CEO Steven Andersons, age and absence from the shareholder meeting despite his residence in MN. Meanwhile Medafor management were brought under the spotlight with the CryoLife claim "that Medafor's CEO and chief financial officer earned a combined $700,000 last year." Medafor management also denied any issues related to the fact that Medafor senior executives, and Pennsylvania residents Shope and Pasquale don't live in Minnesota, where the company's 21 employees are based. With Pasquale claiming it isn't necessary to live locally.
Investors and Distributors must be feeling unsettled by the lack of clarity in terms of supply, and without any public statement from Medafor or the courts (where both companies appear more comfortable communicating) the status quo appears confusing.
One positive indication from this mess is that plant-based hemostatic technology is certainly worth fighting for. Medafor partner Orthovita must have an eye on these occurences, as will other key China manufacturer Starch Medical.
