Item 1A. Risk Factors 17
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 30
Item 2. Properties 30
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 31
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 31
PART II
Item 6. [Reserved] 32
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 46
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 48
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 49
Item 9B. Other Information 49
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 49
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 50
Item 11. Executive Compensation 50
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 50
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statements Schedule 50
SIGNATURES 56
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
OVERVIEW
The terms “we,” “our,” “us,” “Company,” "Integra LifeSciences," and “Integra” refer to Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries, unless the context suggests otherwise.
Integra LifeSciences is a global leader in regenerative tissue technologies and neurological solutions dedicated to limiting uncertainty for clinicians so they can focus on providing the best patient care. Founded in 1989 with the acquisition of an engineered collagen technology platform used to repair and regenerate tissue, Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “IART.” Integra has developed numerous product lines from this technology for applications ranging from burn and deep tissue wounds to the repair of dura mater in the brain, as well as nerves and tendons. The Company has expanded its base regenerative technology business to include surgical instruments, neurosurgical products and advanced wound care through global acquisitions and product development to meet the evolving needs of its customers and enhance patient care.
Integra products are sold in more than 130 countries through a direct sales force as well as distributors and wholesalers. We manufacture and sell medical technologies and products in two reportable business segments: Codman Specialty Surgical ("CSS") and Tissue Technologies ("TT"). The CSS segment, which represents approximately two-thirds of our total revenue, consists of market-leading technologies and instrumentation used for a wide range of specialties, such as neurosurgery, neurocritical care and otolaryngology. We are the world leader in neurosurgery and one of the top three providers in instruments used in precision, specialty, and general surgical procedures. Our TT segment generates about one-third of our overall revenue and focuses on three main areas: complex wound surgery, surgical reconstruction, and peripheral nerve repair.
We have key manufacturing and research facilities located in California, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Utah, France, Germany, Ireland and Switzerland. We source most of our handheld surgical instruments and dural sealant products through specialized third-party vendors.
Vision
We aspire to continue to be a worldwide leader in neurosurgery and reconstructive surgery with a portfolio of leading businesses that delivers outstanding customer experiences through innovation, execution and teamwork to positively impact the lives of millions of patients and their families.
Strategy
Integra is committed to delivering high quality products that positively impact the lives of millions of patients and their families. We focus on four key pillars of our strategy: 1) enabling an execution-focused culture, 2) optimizing relevant scale, 3) advancing innovation and agility, and 4) leading in customer experience. We believe that by sharpening our focus on these areas through improved planning and communication, optimization of our infrastructure, and strategically aligned acquisitions, we can build scale, increase competitiveness and achieve our long-term goals.
To this end, the executive leadership team has established the following key priorities aligned to the following areas of focus:
Strategic Acquisitions. An important part of the our strategy is pursuing strategic transactions and licensing agreements that increase relevant scale in the clinical areas in which Integra competes. Our growth strategy includes the acquisition of businesses, assets or products lines to increase the breadth of our offerings, the reach of our product portfolios and drive relevant scale to our customers. On December 6, 2022, the Company completed the acquisition of Surgical Innovation Associates, Inc. ("SIA"), which develops, markets and sells DuraSorb®, a resorbable synthetic matrix for plastic and reconstructive surgery. This acquisition will advance Integra’s global strategy in breast reconstruction, expanding plans to access the U.S. market where SIA is pursuing pre-market approval for use in implant-based breast reconstruction ("IBBR"). We also continued to expand our product offering of regenerative technologies from our 2021 acquisition of ACell, Inc. ("ACell"), an innovative regenerative medicine company specializing in the manufacturing of porcine urinary bladder extracellular matrices. See Note 4, Acquisitions and Divestitures, to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K) for additional details.
New Product Introductions and Portfolio Optimization. We are investing in innovative product development to drive a multi-generational pipeline for our key product franchises. Our product development efforts span across our key global franchises focused on potential technological innovationsfor significant returns on investment. In addition to new product development, we are funding studies to gather clinical evidence to support launches, ensure market access and improve reimbursement for existing products. In addition to acquisitions and organic reinvestment, we continually look to optimize our portfolio towards higher growth and higher margin businesses.
As such, we may opportunistically divest businesses or discontinue products where we see limited runway for future value creation in line with our aspirations due in part to changes in the market, business fundamentals or the regulatory environment.
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In August 2022, we completed the sale of our non-core traditional wound care ("TWC") business to Gentell, LLC ("Gentall") for $28.8 million, which consists of $27.8 million in cash plus $1.0 million in contingent consideration which may be received upon the achievement of certain revenue-based performance milestones. In January 2021, we completed the sale of our Extremity Orthopedics business to Smith & Nephew USD Limited ("Smith & Nephew"), a subsidiary of Smith & Nephew plc, for approximately $240 million in cash. Our portfolio optimization actions over the past two years have allowed us to increase our focus on Integra’s core portfolio of market-leading products in neurosurgery, surgical instrumentation and regenerative tissue and moves us closer to achieving our long-term organic growth and profitability targets. See Note 4, Acquisitions and Divestitures, to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K) for additional details.
Commercial Channel Investments. Investing in our sales channels is a core part of our strategy to create specialization and greater focus on reaching new and existing customers and addressing their needs. To support our commercial efforts in Tissue Technologies, we utilize a two-tier specialist model to increase our presence in focused segments to help serve the evolving needs of our customers. In addition, we continue to build upon our leadership brands across our product franchises in both CSS and TT to engage customers through enterprise-wide contracts with leading hospitals, integrated delivery networks and global purchasing organizations in the United States. Internationally, we have increased our commercial resources significantly in key emerging markets and are making investments to support our sales organization and maximize our commercial opportunities. Domestically, we have also increased our TT sales force in the United States to support the expanded regenerative tissue product portfolio that includes ACell products. These investments in our international and domestic sales channel position us well for expansion and long-term growth.
Customer Experience. We aspire to be ranked as a best-in-class provider and are committed to strengthening our relationships with all customers. We continue to invest in technologies, systems and processes to enhance the customer experience. In 2022, we outsourced certain transactional back-office finance and customer service activities to enhance customer quality, build scale for future growth, and capture cost efficiencies. We also launched digital tools and programs, resources and virtual product training to drive continued customer familiarity with our growing portfolio of medical technologies globally. .
BUSINESS SEGMENTS
Integra currently manufactures and sells our products and technologies in the following two global reportable business segments: Codman Specialty Surgical and Tissue Technologies. We include financial information regarding our reportable business segments and certain geographic information under "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and Note 16, Segment and Geographic Information to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K).
Codman Specialty Surgical
The Codman Specialty Surgical business consists of a broad portfolio of market-leading brands, such as Codman®, DuraGen®, DuraSeal®, CUSA®, Mayfield®,Bactiseal®, and Certas® Plus,which are used for the management of multiple disease states, including brain tumors, traumatic brain injury, hydrocephalus and other neurological conditions. The growth in this business in the recent years has been fueled by geographic expansion and new product registrations in markets, such as China, Japan, and Europe, which we expect to continue in the near-to-long term.
In 2022, we made progress to several enhancements to our CUSA Clarity Tissue Ablation System. The extended laparoscopic tip was launched in the U.S. to enhance laparoscopic liver procedures. In addition, a single-sided bone tip received 510(k) clearance. Commercial launch is expected in the first quarter of 2023. We continue to update our CUSA Clarity platform by incorporating new ultrasonic handpiece and integrated electrosurgical capabilities.
Moreover, we are expanding into minimally invasive surgery ("MIS") and the surgical management of intracerebral hemorrhages ("ICH"), with the 2021 clinical launch of Aurora® Surgiscope®, a proprietary surgical solution with integrated visualization and capabilities designed specifically for use in deep-seated brain lesions. We continue to gather clinical evidence using this same technology for early surgical intervention of ICH. We believe this technology offers the promise of transforming the standard of care in neurosurgery. In 2022, we launched the Aurora® Evacuator with Coagulation device in the U.S., designed to be used in conjunction with our Aurora Surgiscope to safely address and evacuate blood in the brain caused by hemorrhagic stroke.
Rounding out the portfolio is a catalog of surgical headlamps and surgical instrumentation, as well as after-market service. With thousands of surgical instrument products, including specialty surgical instruments, we call on the central sterile processing unit of hospitals and acute care surgical centers. Additionally, through a strong U.S. distribution model, we serve the needs of hundreds of medical offices.
We also expanded our product offerings in 2021 with the launch of our new intracranial pressure ("ICP") monitoring system, CereLink® in the U.S. and Europe and continued the global rollout in the first half of 2022. See additional discussion regarding certain matters with CereLinkunder "Item 1A. Risk Factors" under the heading Risks Related to our Regulatory Environment
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and under "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - General - FDA Matters" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our global commercial network includes clinical specialists, a large direct global sales force and strategic partnerships and distributors that serve hospitals, integrated health networks, group purchasing organizations, clinicians, surgery centers and health care providers.
Tissue Technologies
The Tissue Technologies segment consists of five unique regenerative technology areas - highly engineered bovine collagen, bovine dermis, porcine urinary bladder, human amniotic tissue, and resorbable synthetic mesh. This broad regenerative platform, which includes multiple leading brands such as Integra® Dermal Matrices, AmnioExcel®, SurgiMend®, MicroMatrix® and NeuraGen®, primarily addresses the needs of plastic, reconstructive and general surgeons focused on the treatment of acute wounds, such as burns, chronic wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers, and surgical tissue repair, such as hernia, tendon, peripheral nerve repair and protection. During 2022, we completed the acquisition of Surgical Innovation Associates, Inc. ("SIA"), which is seeking approval by the U.S Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") of the PMA application for its core technology, DuraSorb, for use in IBBR.
We have a specialized sales organization composed of directly employed sales representatives, as well as specialty distributors, organized based upon their call point. Our wound reconstruction sales representatives call on surgeons doing procedures in limb salvage, trauma, wound reconstruction and burns, chronic wounds primarily in the inpatient wound care clinic setting. We also have a dedicated surgical reconstruction sales team focused on plastic and reconstructive surgery and hernia procedures with differentiated products. Finally, we have a distributor network focused on biologics. Outside the U.S., we have a combination of direct and indirect sales channels in international markets to sell certain product lines.
This business segment also includes private-label sales of a broad set of our regenerative and wound care technologies. Our customers are other medical technology companies that sell to end markets primarily in spine, surgical and wound care.
We anticipate new product introductions and new clinical indications will continue to contribute to the growth of the segment. In 2022, we launched NeuraGen® 3D Nerve Guide Matrix, a resorbable implant for repair of peripheral nerve discontinuities and engineered to create an optimized environment for nerve regeneration. In the third quarter of 2021, we filed the PMA application for a specific indication for SurgiMend in the use of post-mastectomy breast reconstruction, for which we hope to obtain FDA approval in 2024.
COMPETITION
Our competitors for CSS are Medtronic, Inc., Stryker Corporation, Becton Dickinson and Company, and B. Braun Medical, Inc. In addition, we compete with many smaller specialized companies and larger companies that do not otherwise focus on the offerings of Codman Specialty Surgical technologies. We rely on the depth and breadth of our sales and marketing organization, our innovative technologies, and our procurement and manufacturing operations to maintain our competitive position.
Our competition for TT includes Smith & Nephew plc, Organogenesis Holdings Inc., MiMedx Group, Inc., Allergan PLC, Becton Dickinson and Company, and Axogen, Inc. We compete with many additional companies who partially participate in soft tissue reconstruction of complex wounds, peripheral nerve repair and surgical reconstruction. In addition, our products also compete against medical practices that treat a condition without using a medical device or any particular product, such as medical practices that utilize autograft tissue instead of our dermal regeneration products, duraplasty products and nerve repair products. Depending on the product line, we compete based on our products' features, strength of our sales force or distributors, sophistication of our technology and cost effectiveness of our solution.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Our research and development activities focus on identifying unmet surgical needs and addressing those needs with innovative solutions and products. We apply our core competency in regenerative technology to innovate products for neurosurgical, wound applications, plastic surgery, and reconstructive surgery and we have extensive R&D development programs for our core platforms of electromechanical technologies. Additionally, we conduct products and clinical studies to generate efficacy and health economic evidence.
Regenerative Technologies.Integra was the first company to receive a FDA claim for regeneration of dermal tissue and is a world leader in regenerative technology. Because regenerative technology products represent a fast-growing, high-margin opportunity for us, we allocate a large portion of our research and development budget to these projects. Our regenerative technology development program applies our expertise in bioengineering to a range of biomaterials including natural materials such as purified collagen, intact human or animal tissues, honey as well as resorbable synthetic polymers with our DuraSorband DuraSealproduct lines. These unique product designs are used for neurosurgical and reconstructive surgical applications, as well as dermal regeneration, including the healing of chronic and acute wounds, tendon and nerve repair. Our regenerative
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technology platform includes our legacy Integra® Dermal Regeneration Template ("IDRT") products and complementary technologies that we have acquired. Our collagen manufacturing capability, combined with our history of innovation, including our launch of NeuraGen 3D, provides us with strong platform technologies for multiple indications.
In 2020, we announced positive clinical and economic data on Integra® Bilayer Wound Matrix ("IBWM") in complex lower extremity reconstruction based on two retrospective studies recently published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. As surgeons look for ways to efficiently and effectively repair and close wounds, IBWM helps address the efficiency needed in operating rooms by reducing both the operating time and costs to hospitals and patients. In 2021, we completed one of the largest diabetic foot ulcers ("DFU"), randomized controlled trials of the PriMatrix® Dermal Repair Scaffold for the management of DFU. This multi-center study enrolled more than 225 patients with chronic DFU's over the course of 12-week treatments and 4-week follow-up phases. The results of this study, which was published in the Journal of Wound Care, demonstrated that PriMatrix plus standard of care ("SOC") consisting of sharp debridement, infection elimination, use of dressings and offloading was significantly more likely to achieve complete wound closure compared with SOC alone, with a median number of one application of the product. Integra is currently pursuing pre-market approval for implant-based breast reconstruction with our Surgimend product. In 2022, we acquired SIA, which is also pursuing a pre-market approval for IBBR. By offering two distinct product solutions, we believe we have the opportunity to build a leading position in the market. We completed design control activities in 2022 for a Q1 2023 launch of Cytal and MicroMatrix in Europe and a pilot launch of the Cardion Pericardial Patch to gain clinical experience for finding a private label partner for that product.
Electromechanical Technologies and Instrumentation. Because our electromechanical products and instruments address significant needs in surgical procedures and limit uncertainty for surgeons, we continue to invest in approvals for new indications and next generation improvements to our market-leading products. We have several active programs focused on life cycle management and innovation for capital and disposable products in our portfolio. Our product development efforts are focused on core clinical applications in cerebrospinal fluid ("CSF") management, neuro-critical care monitoring, minimally invasive instruments and electrosurgery and ultrasonic medical technologies, as well as our ambition to transform the standard of care in neurosurgery with product advancements in MIS and ICH. Our lighting franchise is among the most dynamic in the industry.
We are focused on the development of core clinical applications in our electromechanical technologies portfolio. In 2022, we made progress to several enhancements to our CUSA Clarity Tissue Ablation System. The extended laparoscopic tip was launched in the U.S. to enhance laparoscopic liver procedures. In addition, a single-sided bone tip received 510(k) approval. Commercial launch is expected in the first quarter of 2023. We continue to update our CUSA Clarity platform by incorporating new ultrasonic handpiece and integrated electrosurgical capabilities. We continue to work with several instrument partners to bring new surgical instrument platforms to the market.
We are focused on the development of core clinical applications in our electromechanical technologies portfolio. In June 2022, we launched the Neutus® EVD system, our first external ventricular drain (“EVD") in China. The Neutus EVD system is manufactured in China by Shanghai Haoju Medical Technology Co., Ltd. under an exclusive distribution arrangement. The device is used in the management of cerebrospinal fluid and is highly complementary to our Bactiseal® catheter and advanced intercranial pressure monitoring products.
In the third quarter of 2021, we launched our CereLink ICP Monitor System in the U.S. and Europe and continued the global rollout in the first half of 2022.On August 18, 2022, the Company, after consultation with the FDA and other regulatory authorities outside of the United States, initiated an immediate voluntary global product removal of all CereLink® intracranial pressure monitors. See Item 1A. Risk Factors, under the heading Risks Related to our Regulatory Environment and under Item 7. General Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - FDA Matters of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion.
In 2022, we continued to advance the early-stage technology platforms we acquired in 2019. Through the acquisition of Arkis Biosciences, Inc. ("Arkis") we added a platform technology, CerebroFlo® external ventricular drainage ("EVD"), catheter with Endexo® technology, a permanent additive designed to reduce the potential for catheter obstruction due to thrombus formation. The CerebroFlo EVD Catheter has demonstrated an average of 99% less thrombus accumulation onto its surface, in vitro, compared to a market leading EVD catheter. Our work to combine our bactiseal antimicrobial technology with the Endexo anti-occlusive technology obtained through our 2019 acquisition of Arkis continues to progress for both a silicone-based hydrocephalus and EVD project.
In 2019, we also acquired Rebound Therapeutics Corporation ("Rebound Therapeutics"), a company that specialized in single-use medical device, known as Aurora Surgiscope, which is the only tubular retractor system designed for cranial surgery with an integrated access channel, camera and lighting. In the third quarter of 2021, we conducted a limited clinical launch of the Aurora Surgiscope for use in minimally invasive neurosurgery as well as initiated a registry called MIRROR to collect data on early surgical intervention using this same technology platform for the treatment of ICH. In 2022, we launched the Aurora®
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Evacuator with Coagulation device in the U.S., designed to be used in conjunction with our Aurora Surgiscope to safely address and evacuate blood in the brain caused by hemorrhagic stroke.
RESOURCES
In general, raw materials essential to our businesses are readily available from multiple sources. For reasons of quality assurance, availability, or cost effectiveness, certain components and raw materials are available only from a sole supplier. Our practice is to maintain sufficient inventory of components so that our production will not be significantly disrupted even if a particular component or material is not available for a period of time.
Certain of our products, including but not limited to our dermal regeneration products, duraplasty products, wound care products, and nerve and tendon repair products, contain material derived from bovine tissue. We take great care to provide products that are safe and free of agents that can cause disease. In particular, the collagen used in the products that we manufacture is derived from the deep flexor tendon of cattle less than 24 months old from New Zealand, a country that has never had a reported case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("BSE") (otherwise known as mad cow disease), from the U.S. or from fetal bovine dermis. The World Health Organization classifies different types of cattle tissue for relative risk of BSE transmission. Deep flexor tendon and fetal bovine skin are in the lowest-risk category for BSE transmission, and therefore considered to have a negligible risk of containing the agent that causes BSE.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
We seek patent and trademark protection for our key technology, products and product improvements, both in the U.S. and in selected foreign countries. When determined appropriate, we have enforced and plan to continue to enforce and defend our patent and trademark rights. In general, however, we do not rely solely on our patent and trademark estate to provide us with any significant competitive advantages as it relates to our existing product lines. We also rely upon trade secrets and continuing technological innovations to develop and maintain our competitive position. In an effort to protect our trade secrets, we have a policy requiring our employees, consultants and advisors to execute proprietary information and invention assignment agreements upon commencement of employment or consulting relationships with us. These agreements also provide that all confidential information developed or made known to the individual during the course of their relationship with us must be kept confidential, except in specified circumstances.
AccuDrain®, AmnioExcel®, Aquasonic®, Auragen®, Aurora® Surgiscope®, Bactiseal®, BioDFence®, BioDOptix®, Brainet®, Budde®, BuzzTM, CereLink®, CerebroFlo® EVD Catheter with Endexo® Technology, Codman®, Codman Accu-Flo®, Codman Bicol®, Codman® Certas® Plus, Codman® Hakim®Programmable valve, Codman Holter®, Codman ICP Express®, Codman Microsensor®, Codman VersaTru®, Codman VPV®, Contour-Flex®, Cranioplastic®, CRW®, CRW PrecisionTM, CthermTM, CUSA®, Cytal®, DirectLink®, DuraGen®, DuraSeal®, DuraSorb®, Gentrix®, HeliCote®, HeliPlug®, HeliTape®, HeliMend®, Helistat®, Helitene®, HermeticTM, Hy-Tape®, Integra®, IntegraLink®, Isocool®, Jarit®, Lead-LokTM, Licox®, LimiTorrTM, Luxtec®, Mayfield®, MatriStem UBMTM, MediHoney®, MicroFrance®, MicroMatrix®, Miltex®, MischlerTM, MoniTorr ICPTM, Natus®, NeuraGen®, NeuraWrapTM, Nicolet®, Omnigraft®, Omni-Tract®, OSV II®, Padgett®, PriMatrix®, PureflowTM, Q-SnorTM, RedmondTM, RevizeTM, Ruggles®, Signacreme®, SurgiMend®, TCC-EZ®, TenoGlide®, TissueMend®, Ultra VSTM, VersaTru®, Xtrasorb®, zRIPTM, and the Integra logo are some of the material trademarks of Integra LifeSciences Corporation and its subsidiaries. MAYFIELD® is a registered trademark of SM USA, Inc., and is used by Integra under license.
SEASONALITY
Revenues during our fourth quarter tend to be stronger than other quarters because many hospitals increase their purchases of our products during the fourth quarter to coincide with the end of their budget cycles in the U.S. In general, our first quarter usually has lower revenues than the preceding fourth quarter, the second and third quarters have higher revenues than the first quarter, and the fourth quarter revenues are the highest in the year. The main exceptions to this pattern occur because of material acquisitions as well as impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
GOVERNMENT REGULATION AND COMPLIANCE
We are a manufacturer and marketer of medical devices and Human Tissue and Cell Based Products ("HCT/Ps") and therefore are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA, the Center for Medicare Services of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, other federal governmental agencies and, in some jurisdictions, by state and foreign governmental authorities. These regulations govern the introduction of new medical devices and HCT/Ps, the observance of certain standards with respect to the design, manufacture, testing, labeling, promotion and sales of the products, the maintenance of certain records, the ability to track devices, the reporting of potential product defects, the import and export of products, and other matters.
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United States Food and Drug Administration
Our products are subject to extensive regulation particularly as to safety, efficacy and adherence to FDA Quality System Regulation, and related manufacturing standards. Medical device products are subject to rigorous FDA and other governmental agency regulations in the United States and similar regulations of foreign agencies abroad. The FDA regulates the design, development, research, preclinical and clinical testing, introduction, manufacture, advertising, labeling, packaging, marketing, distribution, import and export, and record keeping for such products, in order to ensure that medical products distributed in the United States are safe and effective for their intended use. In addition, the FDA is authorized to establish special controls to provide reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of most devices. Non-compliance with applicable requirements can result in import detentions, fines, civil and administrative penalties, injunctions, suspensions or losses of regulatory approvals, recall or seizure of products, operating restrictions, refusal of the government to approve product export applications or allow us to enter into supply contracts, and criminal prosecution. The regulatory process for obtaining product approvals and clearances can be onerous and costly. The FDA requires, as a condition to marketing a medical device in the U.S., that we secure a Premarket Notification clearance pursuant to Section 510(k) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (the "FD&C Act"), or an approved PMA application (or supplemental PMA application). Obtaining these approvals and clearances can take up to several years and may involve preclinical studies and clinical trials. The FDA also may require a post-approval clinical study as a condition of approval. To perform clinical trials for significant risk devices in the U.S. on an unapproved product, we are required to obtain an Investigational Device Exemption from the FDA. The FDA also may require a filing for approval prior to marketing products that are modifications of existing products or new indications for existing products. Moreover, after clearance/approval is given, if the product is shown to be hazardous or defective, the FDA and foreign regulatory agencies have the power to withdraw the clearance or approval, as the case may be, or require us to change the device, its manufacturing process or its labeling, to supply additional proof of its safety and effectiveness or to recall, repair, replace or refund the cost of the medical device. Because we currently export medical devices manufactured in the U.S. that have not been approved by the FDA for distribution in the U.S., we are required to obtain approval/registration in the country to which we are exporting and maintain certain records relating to exports and make these available to the FDA for inspection, if required.
Human Cells, Tissues and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products
Integra, through its wholly-owned subsidiary BioD LLC ("BioD"), is involved with the recovery, processing, storage, transportation and distribution of donated amniotic tissue. The FDA has specific regulations governing HCT/Ps. An HCT/P is a product containing, or consisting of, human cells or tissue intended for transplantation into a human patient. Examples of HCT/Ps include bone, ligament, skin and cornea.
Some HCT/Ps fall within the definition of a biological product, medical device or drug regulated under the FD&C Act. These biologic, device or drug HCT/Ps must comply both with the requirements exclusively applicable to HCT/Ps and, in addition, with requirements applicable to biologics, devices or drugs, including premarket clearance or approval from the FDA.
Section 361 of the Public Health Service Act ("Section 361") authorizes the FDA to issue regulations to prevent the introduction, transmission or spread of communicable disease. HCT/Ps regulated as “361” HCT/Ps are subject to requirements relating to registering facilities and listing products with the FDA, screening and testing for tissue donor eligibility, and Good Tissue Practices when processing, storing, labeling, and distributing HCT/Ps, including required labeling information, stringent record keeping, and adverse event reporting.
The American Association of Tissue Banks ("AATB") has issued operating standards for tissue banking. Compliance with these standards is a requirement in order to become an AATB-accredited tissue establishment. In addition, some states have their own tissue banking regulations. We are licensed or have permits for tissue banking in California, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Oregon, and Tennessee. In Tennessee, we are registered with the FDA Center for Biological Evaluations and Research.
Procurement of certain human organs and tissue for transplantation is subject to the restrictions of the National Organ Transplant Act, which prohibits the transfer of certain human organs, including skin and related tissue for valuable consideration, but permits the reasonable payment associated with the removal, transportation, implantation, processing, preservation, quality control and storage of human tissue and skin. BioD is a registered Tissue Bank and is involved with the recovery, storage and transportation of donated human amniotic tissue.
On June 22, 2015, the FDA issued an Untitled Letter (the "Untitled Letter") alleging that BioD's morselized amniotic membrane tissue-based products do not meet the criteria for regulation as HCT/Ps solely under Section 361 and that, as a result, BioD would need a biologics license to lawfully market those morselized products. Since the issuance of the Untitled Letter, BioD and the Company has made known to the FDA their disagreement with the FDA’s assertion that certain products are more than minimally manipulated. The FDA has not changed its position that certain of the BioD acquired products are not eligible for marketing solely under Section 361. In July 2020, the FDA issued the final guidance document related to human tissue titled, “Regulatory Considerations for Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products: Minimal Manipulation and Homologous Use” (the “2020 HCT/P Final Guidance”). The 2020 HCT/P Final Guidance document supersedes the November 2017 guidance by the same title.
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The HCT/P Final Guidance maintains the FDA’s position that products such as the Company’s morselized amniotic membrane tissue-based products do not meet the criteria for regulation solely as HCT/Ps. In addition, in the November 2017 guidance, the FDA articulated a risk-based approach to enforcement and, while some uses for amniotic membrane tissue-based products would have as much as thirty-six months of enforcement discretion, other high risk uses could be subject to immediate enforcement action. The 2020 HCT/P Final Guidance maintained this approach and extended the discretionary enforcement period to May 31, 2021.
Considering the risk of enforcement action, the Company discontinued the manufacturing of all morselized amniotic membrane tissue-based products prior to May 31, 2021. We no longer distribute these products. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has not received any further notice of enforcement action from the FDA regarding its morselized amniotic membrane tissue-based products.
Medical Device Regulations
Unless an exemption applies, the FDA requires that a manufacturer introducing a new medical device or a new indication for use of an existing medical device obtain either a Section 510(k) premarket notification clearance or a PMA, before introducing it into the U.S. market. The type of marketing authorization is generally linked to the classification of the device. The FDA classifies medical devices into one of three classes (Class I, II or III) based on the degree of risk the FDA determines to be associated with a device and the level of regulatory control deemed necessary to ensure the device’s safety and effectiveness.
The process of obtaining a Section 510(k) clearance generally requires the submission of performance data and often clinical data, which in some cases can be extensive, to demonstrate that the device is “substantially equivalent” to a device that was on the market before 1976 or to a device that has been found by the FDA to be “substantially equivalent” to such a pre-1976 device, a predecessor device is referred to as “predicate device.” As a result, FDA clearance requirements may extend the development process for a considerable length of time. In addition, in some cases, the FDA may require additional review by an advisory panel, which can further lengthen the process. The PMA process, which is reserved for new devices that are not substantially equivalent to any predicate device and for high-risk devices or those that are used to support or sustain human life, may take several years and requires the submission of extensive performance and clinical information.
Medical devices can be marketed only for the indications for which they are cleared or approved. After a device has received 510(k) clearance for a specific intended use, any change or modification that significantly affects its safety or effectiveness, such as a significant change in the design, materials, method of manufacture or intended use, may require a new 510(k) clearance or PMA approval and payment of an FDA user fee. The determination as to whether or not a modification could significantly affect the device’s safety or effectiveness is initially left to the manufacturer using available FDA guidance; however, the FDA may review this determination to evaluate the regulatory status of the modified product at any time and may require the manufacturer to cease marketing and recall the modified device until 510(k) clearance or PMA approval is obtained. The manufacturer may also be subject to significant regulatory fines or penalties.
We also are required to register with the FDA as a medical device manufacturer and any devices we manufacture and distribute pursuant to clearance or approval by the FDA are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA and certain state agencies. These include product listing and establishment registration requirements, which help facilitate FDA inspections and other regulatory actions, and our manufacturing sites are subject to periodic inspection by the FDA for compliance with the FDA's Quality System Regulations. These regulations require that we manufacture our products and maintain our documents in a prescribed manner with respect to design, manufacturing, testing and control activities. Further, we are required to comply with various FDA requirements and other legal requirements for labeling and promotion. If the FDA believes that a company is not in compliance with applicable regulations, it may issue a warning letter, institute proceedings to detain or seize products, issue a recall order, impose operating restrictions, enjoin future violations and assess civil penalties against that company, its officers or its employees and may recommend criminal prosecution to the U.S. Department of Justice. All Integra manufacturing facilities participate in the Medical Device Single Audit Program and are audited annually for compliance with the Quality System for US FDA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and Japan.
Medical device regulations also are in effect in many of the countries in which we do business outside the U.S. In the European Economic Area ("EEA"), which is comprised of the 27 member states of the European Union plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, medical devices need to comply with specific requirements. These requirements were previously known as "Essential Requirements" under the former EU Medical Devices Directive (Council Directive 93/42/EEC, or MDD) and are now defined "General Safety and Performance Requirements (GSPR)" under the new EU Medical Devices Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2017/745, or "EU MDR"). Although the requirements set forth in the EU MDR are generally consistent with those laid out in the MDD (with a few exceptions), the EU MDR is intended, among other things, to establish a uniform, transparent, predictable and sustainable regulatory framework across the EEA for medical devices and ensure a high level of safety and health while supporting innovation. These laws range from comprehensive medical device approval and Quality System requirements for some or all of our medical device products to simpler requests for product data or certifications. Under the European Union Medical Device Directive, medical devices must meet the Medical Device Directive standards and receive
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CE Mark Certification prior to marketing in the EEA. Although we continue to transition our certification profile to meet the new EU MDR requirements, these stricter regulations set forth in the EU MDR may pose additional challenges for Integra to continue marketing products in the EU as these regulations come into force. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors - We are subject to stringent domestic and foreign medical device regulations and oversight and any adverse action may adversely affect our ability to compete in the marketplace and our financial condition and business operations” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
CE Mark Certification requires a comprehensive quality system program, technical documentation, clinical evaluation and data on the product which are then reviewed, by a Notified Body. A Notified Body is an organization designated by the national governments of the EU member states to make independent judgments about whether a product complies with the requirements established by each CE marking directive. The Medical Device Directive, Medical Device Regulation, ISO 9000 series and ISO 13485 are recognized international quality standards that are designed to ensure that we develop and manufacture quality medical devices. Other countries are also instituting regulations regarding medical devices or interpreting and enforcing existing regulations more strictly. Compliance with these regulations requires extensive documentation and clinical reports for our products, revisions to labeling, and other requirements such as facility inspections to comply with the registration requirements. A recognized Notified Body audits our facilities annually to verify our compliance with the ISO 13485 Quality System standard.
Certain countries, as well as the EU, have issued regulations that govern products that contain materials derived from animal sources. Regulatory authorities are particularly concerned with materials infected with the agent that causes BSE. These regulations affect our dermal regeneration products, duraplasty products, hernia repair products, biomaterial products for the spine, nerve and tendon repair products and certain other products, all of which contain material derived from bovine tissue. Although we take great care to provide that our products are safe and free of agents that can cause disease, products that contain materials derived from animals, including our products, may become subject to additional regulation, or even be banned in certain countries, because of concern over the potential for prion transmission. Significant new regulations, a ban of our products, or a movement away from bovine-derived products because of an outbreak of BSE could have a material, adverse effect on our current business or our ability to expand our business. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors – Risks Related to our Regulatory Environment" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Postmarket Requirements. After a device is cleared or approved for commercial distribution, numerous regulatory requirements apply. These include the FDA Quality System Regulations which cover the procedures and documentation of the design, testing, production, control, quality assurance, labeling, packaging, sterilization, storage and shipping of medical devices; the FDA's general prohibition against promoting products for unapproved or 'off-label' uses; 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; and the Reports of Corrections and Removals regulation, which require manufacturers to report recalls and field corrective actions to the FDA if initiated to reduce a risk to health posed by the device or to remedy a violation of the FD&C Act. Postmarket requirements are also followed globally where our products are registered and approved. These foreign jurisdictions have similar requirements to the FDA which include reporting requirements such as adverse events and recalls.
Other regulations
Anti-Bribery Laws. In the U.S., we are subject to laws and regulations pertaining to healthcare fraud and abuse, including anti-kickback laws and physician self-referral laws that regulate the means by which companies in the health care industry may market their products to hospitals and health care professionals and may compete by discounting the prices of their products. Similar anti-bribery laws exist in many of the countries in which we sell our products outside the U.S., as well as the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (which addresses the activities of U.S. companies in foreign markets). Our products also are subject to regulation regarding reimbursement, and U.S. healthcare laws apply when a customer submits a claim for a product that is reimbursed under a federally funded healthcare program. These global laws require that we exercise care in designing our sales and marketing practices, including interactions with healthcare professionals, and customer discount arrangements. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors – We are exposed to a variety of risks relating to our international sales and operations” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details.
Import-export. Our international operations subject us to laws regarding sanctioned countries, entities and persons, customs, and import-export. Among other things, these laws restrict, and in some cases can prevent, U.S. companies from directly or indirectly selling goods, technology or services to people or entities in certain countries. In addition, these laws require that we exercise care in our business dealings with entities in and from foreign countries.
Hazardous materials. Our research, development and manufacturing processes involve the controlled use of certain hazardous materials. We are subject to country-specific, federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the use, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of these materials and certain waste products. We believe that our environmental, health and safety procedures for handling and disposing of these materials comply with the standards prescribed by the controlling laws and regulations. However, risk of accidental releases or injury from these materials is possible. These risks are managed to minimize or eliminate associated business impacts. In the event of this type of accident, we could be held liable for damages
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and face a liability that could exceed our resources. We could be subject to a regulatory shutdown of a facility that could prevent the distribution and sale of products manufactured there for a significant period of time, and we could suffer a casualty loss that could require a shutdown of the facility in order to repair it, any of which could have a material, adverse effect on our business. Although we continuously strive to maintain full compliance with respect to all applicable global environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, we could incur substantial costs to fully comply with future laws and regulations, and our operations, business or assets may be negatively affected. Furthermore, global environmental, health and safety compliance is an ongoing process. Integra has compliance procedures in place for compliance with Employee Health & Safety laws, driven by a centrally led organizational structure that ensures proper implementation, which is essential to our overall business objectives.
In addition to the above regulations, we are, and may be, subject to regulation under country-specific federal and state laws, including, but not limited to, requirements regarding record keeping, and the maintenance of personal information, including personal health information. As a public Company, we are subject to the securities laws and regulations, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. We also are subject to other present and could be subject to possible future, local, state, federal and foreign regulations.
Third-Party Reimbursement. Healthcare providers that purchase medical devices generally rely on third-party payors, including, in the U.S., the Medicare and Medicaid programs and private payors, such as indemnity insurers, employer group health insurance programs and managed care plans, to reimburse all or part of the cost of the products. As a result, demand for our products is and will continue to be dependent in part on the coverage and reimbursement policies of these payors. The manner in which reimbursement is sought and obtained varies based upon the type of payor involved and the setting in which the product is furnished and utilized. Reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid and other third-party payors may be subject to periodic adjustments as a result of legislative, regulatory and policy changes, as well as budgetary pressures. Possible reductions in, or eliminations of, coverage or reimbursement by third-party payors, or denial of, or provision of uneconomical reimbursement for new products may affect our customers' revenue and ability to purchase our products. Any changes in the healthcare regulatory, payment or enforcement landscape relative to our customers' healthcare services have the potential to significantly affect our operations and revenue.
Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Laws and Regulations. As a business with a significant global footprint, compliance with evolving regulations and standards in data privacy and cybersecurity (relating to the confidentiality and security of our information technology systems, products such as medical devices, and other services provided by us) may result in increased costs, lower revenue, new complexities in compliance, new challenges for competition, and the threat of increased regulatory enforcement activity. Our business relies on the secure electronic transmission, storage and hosting of sensitive information, including personal information, financial information, intellectual property, and other sensitive information related to our customers and workforce.
For example, in the U.S., the collection, maintenance, protection, use, transmission, disclosure and disposal of certain personal information and the security of medical devices are regulated at the U.S. federal and state, and industry levels. U.S. federal and state laws protect the confidentiality of certain patient health information, including patient medical records, and restrict the use and disclosure of patient health information by health care providers. For example, in the U.S. we are obligated to comply with the requirements of the Health Insurance and Portability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (collectively, “HIPPA”). Under HIPAA, the Department of Health and Human Services has issued regulations, including the HIPAA Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rules, to protect the privacy and security of protected health information used or disclosed by covered entities including health care providers and their business associates, as well as covered subcontractors. HIPAA also regulates standardization of data content, codes and formats used in health care transactions and standardization of identifiers for health plans and providers. Penalties for violations of HIPAA regulations include significant civil and criminal penalties for each violation. In addition, the FDA has issued guidance advising manufacturers to take cybersecurity risks into account in product design for connected medical devices and systems, to assure that appropriate safeguards are in place to reduce the risk of unauthorized access or modification to medical devices that contain software and reduce the risk of introducing threats into hospital systems that are connected to such devices. The FDA also issued guidance on post market management of cyber security in medical devices.
Outside the U.S., we are impacted by the privacy and data security requirements at the international, national and regional level, and on an industry specific basis. Legal requirements in these countries relating to the collection, storage, handling and transfer of personal data and, potentially, intellectual property continue to evolve with increasingly strict enforcement regimes. In Europe, for example, we are subject to EU General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") which requires member states to impose minimum restrictions on the collection, use and transfer of personal data and includes, among other things, a requirement for prompt notice of data breaches to data subjects and supervisory authorities in certain circumstances and significant fines for non-compliance. The GDPR also requires companies processing personal data of individuals residing in the EU to comply with EU privacy and data protection rules.
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Please refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors – We are subject to requirements relating to information technology which could adversely affect our business” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional discussion of the risks accompanying compliance with data privacy and cybersecurity laws and regulations.
These laws and regulations impact the ways in which we use and manage personal data, protected health information, and our information technology systems. They also impact our ability to move, store, and access data across geographic boundaries. Compliance with these requirements may require changes in business practices, complicate our operations, and add complexity and additional management and oversight needs. They also may complicate our clinical research activities, as well as product offerings that involve transmission or use of clinical data.
HUMAN CAPITAL
Workforce Demographics
As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately 3,722 regular full and part time employees and 874 contingent, subcontracted, and outsourced partners.
70% of our employees are located in the United States, 21% in Europe, 2% in Latin America and Canada and 7% in Asia Pacific which includes Australia and New Zealand.
Diversity and Inclusion
A diverse workforce and an inclusive culture and work environment is a business priority and a key to our long-term success. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion starts at the top with our Board of Directors and CEO. At all levels of the Company, we focus on attracting, retaining, and developing our diverse talent.
Leadership Commitment and Accountability
Executive leadership set diversity and inclusion goals for the Company on an annual basis. Advancing diversity and inclusion initiatives to build stronger teams has been a company-wide goal and the direct engagement of executive leadership in advancing diversity and inclusion initiatives helps to promote awareness throughout the Company.
Leadership Councils, Employee Resource Groups and External Partnerships
We are accountable to our diversity commitment through our leadership councils, employee resource groups, and external partnerships.
•The Women’s Leadership Council, established in 2017 and chaired by our President & Chief Executive Officer, Jan De Witte, is a results-oriented advisory group comprised of ten of our senior women leaders across Integra. The
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specific charter of the Council is to work together to identify ways to continue to attract and retain female talent, advance the development of our women into leadership roles, increase the cultural awareness of the value of inclusion and diversity in our Company, and create specific development forums for our high performing women at Integra.
•Employee Resources Groups encourage a culture of awareness and inclusion, assist in the attraction and retention of diverse talent, and help colleagues develop leadership skills. Members of the Executive Leadership Team serve as sponsors for each of Integra’s employee resource groups. Integra currently has six Employee Resources Groups:
◦Women of Integra Networks (WIN) with 20+ chapters globally
◦African American Affinity Group
◦Veteran Employee Resource Group
◦Indian American Network
◦Asian American and Pacific Islander Network
◦Integra PRIDE (LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group)
•We reinforce our commitment to diversity by partnering with other organizations focused on driving inclusion in the workplace including the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion in the work place and Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, an association dedicated to further the advancement and impact of women in the business of healthcare.
Promoting an inclusive culture through learning opportunities
To help drive our culture of inclusion, our colleagues participate in programs focused on how to manage bias, value differences, and develop inclusive leadership skills.
•Members of our executive leadership, senior management team, and larger scope leaders participated in a 1⁄2 day Microinequities training. The content includes understanding unconscious bias and microinequities, how to identify microinequities in day-to-day decisions and actions as leaders, and ways to mitigate microinequities on an individual and organizational level.
•In 2020, we launched two foundational programs to promote diversity and inclusion: Introduction to Managing Unconscious Bias, a course that creates awareness of unconscious biases in the workplaces and tools to build-bias breaking skills and Practicing Inclusion which examines what practicing inclusion in the workplace looks like. These trainings are now mandatory for all new Integra hires.
•We regularly provide educational content and resources to aid our colleagues as they build cultural competency and inclusive leadership skills
Gender Diversity
We believe that our company is stronger and will deliver strong operating results, when we build diverse teams and leverage broad perspectives to meet the needs of our shareholders, customers, colleagues, and communities we serve.
The breakout of our colleagues by gender:
48% of Integra’s overall population is female, 52% male. We continue to strive to ensure our diversity in our leadership ranks is representative of our overall population. Through mentorship, sponsorship, recruitment efforts, and development programs we look to continue to grow our population of females in leadership roles at Integra. Currently, 38% of our executive leaders and 43% of senior leaders (non-executive vice presidents) are female.
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In partnership with Leadership Edge, a company founded by women leaders and dedicated to growing and mentoring women. Integra sponsors the Excel Women’s Leadership Program. The program is designed to accelerate the development and advancement of high potential, mid-career female leaders into senior leadership roles. The program has assisted in further building our pipeline of women leaders with 60% of the program’s graduates being promoted into roles with increased responsibility.
Compensation and Benefits
Our compensation philosophy is designed to reinforce and align with our mission, business strategy, and financial needs. We invest in the physical, emotional and financial well-being of our employees through our robust compensation and benefit programs. We provide market-competitive compensation and benefits based on benchmarking surveys we conduct regularly for all position levels against relevant peer companies. Our annual and long-term incentive packages are linked directly to business and individual performance, with a balance of short- and long-term financial and strategic objectives. We have an employee stock purchase plan. Eligibility for non-salary benefits such as salary continuance, life insurance, health insurance, and similar benefits, follows local regulations and practices.
Integra is a pay-for-performance company committed to fair pay. All compensation decisions are made without regard to personal characteristics such as, but not limited to, gender, race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, religion, or veteran status. As part of our commitment to compensation equity, Integra regularly conducts a pay equity analysis, reviewing how our organization compensates employees against external and internal data in conjunction with the role and scope of each position and making adjustments if necessary.
Talent Development and Retention
We have comprehensive and effective human capital development programs in place because we believe that the personal success of our employees is critical to the overall success of our business. To build a diverse and talented organization, we have invested in honing our recruiting and hiring processes to attract top talent and engage new hires from the very beginning of their experience at Integra.
We offer a variety of opportunities for our employees to learn and grow. Continued learning and development is a critical component of employee job satisfaction, retention, and career advancement—and ultimately, a driver of business success. We encourage and promote experiential, collaborative, and formal learning programs. Employees are also encouraged to discuss with their managers the skills, training, and experience needed to grow and develop. In addition to several skills-based trainings
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available (technical, sales, leadership ability) to all employees, managers may recommend external job-specific development programs to employees. These programs are paid for directly by Integra.
Employee Health and Safety:
Integra is committed to providing a safe environment for all employees and visitors. We rely on our environmental, health and safety management systems as well as entrusting our managers to oversee and ensure health and safety at their respective sites and foster a workplace culture to achieve that end. We implement our approach globally by our systems and support at regional and country levels from colleagues that implement proper safety protocols, identify and correct hazards, and remain safety conscious at all times. Managers are expected to enforce health and safety regulations, including compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Our Environmental Health and Safety ("EH&S") organizational structure incorporates both workplace EH&S coordinators and compliance teams. We have developed an Incident Procedure Policy and General Safety Rules that guide our colleagues to improve our workplace environment, improve safety, and reduce risk and costs.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have placed a high priority on employee health, providing resources to support our workforce. At the outset of the pandemic, we sought to protect the health and safety of our employees unable to work remotely, including those in research and development, quality, manufacturing, distribution and sales roles. Such measures included the institution of robust hygiene practices, distribution of personal protective equipment, and the adoption of increased sanitation and social distancing protocols. We continue to actively monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and its variants and respond based on guidance from U.S. and global health organizations, relevant governmental guidance, and evolving practices.
Employee Engagement & Wellbeing
We regularly seek employee feedback and sentiment about our workplace through global engagement surveys conducted on a bi-annual basis. After each survey is complete, we share detailed results with senior management and all employees within each department. Each function or division appoints survey administrators who work with their respective teams to understand the feedback and establish action items. We believe this process enables us to monitor employee engagement and create a continuously improving, satisfying work environment for our employees.
We are committed to improving the quality of life of our employees and their families. Our health and wellbeing programs differ by country and typical benefits include comprehensive health insurance, disability coverage, workplace accommodations, parental leave and other leaves of absence based on health or life events (e.g., bereavement), employee assistance programs, fitness reimbursement, and flu shots. We also provide on-demand health advocates to help employees navigate the health insurance system, access to digital health solutions, a weight management program, smoking cessation assistance, a substance use disorder helpline, a diabetes health program and other similar programs to drive healthy behaviors and awareness.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION ABOUT GEOGRAPHIC AREAS
Financial information about our geographical areas is set forth in our financial statements Note 16, Segment and Geographic Information, to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K).
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the “Exchange Act"). In accordance with the Exchange Act, we file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission, ("the SEC"). Our financial information may be viewed, including the information contained in this report, and other reports we file with the SEC, on the Internet, without charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we file them with the SEC, in the “SEC Filings” page of the Investor Relations section of our website at www.integralife.com. A copy may also be obtained for any of these reports, without charge, from our Investor Relations department, 1100 Campus Road, Princeton, NJ 08540. Alternatively, reports filed may be viewed or obtained through the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
We have made statements in this report, including statements under “Business” and “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, ("the Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us including, among other things:
•the on-going and possible future effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic disruptions, including supply chain constraints and inflation, on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows;
•general economic and business conditions, both nationally and in our international markets, including the effect of the continuing worldwide macroeconomic uncertainty;
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•our expectations and estimates concerning future financial performance, financing plans and the impact of competition;
•anticipated trends in our business;
•anticipated demand for our products, particularly capital equipment;
•our ability to produce and deliver products in sufficient quantities to meet sales demands;
•our expectations concerning our ongoing restructuring, integration and manufacturing transfer and expansion activities;
•existing and future regulations affecting our business, and enforcement of those regulations;
•our failure to comply with the substantial regulation related to quality standards applicable to our manufacturing and quality processes could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations;
•our ability to obtain additional debt and equity financing to fund capital expenditures, working capital requirements and acquisitions;
•physicians' willingness to adopt our recently launched and planned products, third-party payors' willingness to provide or continue reimbursement for any of our products and our ability to secure regulatory approval for products in development;
•initiatives launched by our competitors;
•our ability to protect our intellectual property, including trade secrets;
•our ability to complete acquisitions, integrate operations post-acquisition and maintain relationships with customers of acquired entities;
•our ability to remediate all matters identified in FDA observations and warning letters that we received or may receive; and
•other risk factors described in Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Forward-looking statements can be identified by forward-looking words such as “believe,” “may,” “could,” “might,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “seek,” “plan,” “expect,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions in this report. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this report may not occur and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
GLOBAL CHALLENGES AND MACROECONOMIC CONDITIONS
The continuing worldwide macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty may adversely affect our business and prospects.
Global economic disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have continued to impact the global supply chain, primarily through constraints on raw materials and electronic components. Additionally, we have observed a reduction in both inbound and outbound transportation capacity as a result of port closures and delays associated with the pandemic, which is causing longer lead times in receiving raw materials, as well as increased freight costs. These highly competitive and constrained supply chain conditions are increasing our cost of sales, which has and may continue to adversely impact our profitability. Given the ongoing uncertainty regarding the duration and extent of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are uncertain as to the duration and extent of constraint on our supply chain and are unable to predict the extent to which it will affect our global operations.
Continued concerns about the systemic impact of potential long-term and wide-spread recession and geopolitical issues, including the war in Ukraine, have contributed to increased market volatility and diminished expectations for economic growth in the world. Our business and results of operations have been and may continue to be adversely impacted by changes in macroeconomic conditions, including inflation, rising interest rates and the accessibility of capital markets. Uncertainty about global economic conditions may also cause decreased demand for our products and services and increased competition, which could result in lower sales volume and downward pressure on the prices for our products, longer sales cycles, and slower adoption of new technologies. A weakening of macroeconomic conditions may also adversely affect our suppliers, which could result in interruptions in supply.
Market acceptance of our medical products in the U.S. and other countries is dependent upon the medical equipment purchasing and procurement practices of our customers, patient need for our products and procedures and the reimbursement of patients' medical expenses by government healthcare programs and third-party payors. The continuing uncertainty surrounding global economic conditions and financial markets may cause the purchasers of medical equipment to decrease their procurement activities. Economic uncertainty, an increase in unemployment rates, as well as increasing health insurance premiums, co-payments and deductibles may adversely affect demand for our products and procedures. Furthermore, governments and other third-party payors around the world facing tightening budgets could move to further reduce the reimbursement rates or the scope of coverage offered, which could adversely affect sales of our products.
Public health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have had, and could in the future have, a negative effect on our business.
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Our global operations and interactions with healthcare systems, providers and patients around the world expose us to risks associated with public health crises, including epidemics and pandemics such as COVID-19. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant volatility and uncertainty in the global and regional economies, leading to changes in consumer and business behavior, market fluctuations, materials and product shortages and restrictions on business and individual activities, all of which are materially impacting supply and demand in broad sectors of the world markets. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic, together with general macroeconomic conditions, have led to disruptions in the global supply chain, primarily through a lack of availability of raw materials and electronic components. We have experienced challenges associated with material and component availability for certain product lines, longer shipping and delivery times for raw materials and components, constrained logistics capacity related to the movement of our products, availability of skilled labor and increased costs of raw materials, components, labor, and freight and courier services. Regional COVID-19 case volumes (including those related to subsequent variants), actions taken by governmental authorities, private businesses and individuals, such as “shelter-in-place” orders and restrictions on travel and access to our customers or temporary closures of our facilities or the facilities of our suppliers, disruption and/or higher costs to the Company’s supply chain, staffing shortages in hospitals and labor constraints in our facilities, could further impact our gross margins and our ability to ship our products and supply our customers.
The emergence of new variants, vaccinations and public health measures are driving the pace of economic recovery unevenly in various regions. The direct and indirect disruptions caused by the pandemic and the responses of both governments and individuals could negatively impact the number of surgical and medical intervention procedures performed and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. The extent to which fear of exposure to or actual effects of COVID-19, new variants, disease outbreak, epidemic or a similar widespread health concern impacts our business will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, such as the speed and extent of geographic spread of the disease, the duration of the outbreak, travel restrictions, the efficacy of vaccination and treatment; impact on the U.S. and international healthcare systems, the U.S. economy and worldwide economy; the timing, scope and effectiveness of U.S. and international governmental response; and the impact on the health, well-being and productivity of our employees.
RISKS RELATING TO OUR BUSINESS
Our operating results may fluctuate.
Our operating results, including components of operating results such as gross margin and operating expenses, may fluctuate from time to time, and such fluctuations could affect our stock price. Our operating results have fluctuated in the past and can be expected to do so from time to time in the future. Some of the factors that may cause these fluctuations include:
•economic conditions worldwide, which could affect the ability of hospitals and other customers to purchase our products and could result in a reduction in elective and non-reimbursed operative procedures;
•the impact of acquisitions, our ability to integrate acquisitions, and our restructuring activities including portfolio rationalization, and divestitures;
•risks related to COVID-19 and other epidemics or similar widespread health concerns;
•expenditures for major initiatives, including acquired businesses and integrations thereof and restructuring;
•the timing of significant customer orders, which tend to increase in the fourth quarter coinciding with the end of budget cycles;
•increased competition for a wide range of customers across all our product lines in the markets our products are sold;
•market acceptance of our existing products, as well as products in development;
•retention of current employees and recruiting of new employees in light of market competition for talent and relevant skills;
•the timing of regulatory approvals as well as changes in country-specific regulatory requirements;
•changes in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies of countries in which we do business;
•changes in the variable interest rates of our debt instruments which could impact debt service requirements;
•potential backorders, lost sales and expenses incurred in connection with product recalls or field corrective actions;
•disruption of our operations and sales resulting from extreme weather conditions or natural disasters that damage our manufacturing, distribution, or infrastructure of those facilities, or the suppliers and service providers for those facilities;
•our ability to manufacture and ship our products efficiently or in sufficient quantities to meet sales demands;
•changes in the cost or decreases in the supply of raw materials and services, including sterilization, energy, steel and honey;
•the timing of our research and development expenditures;
•reimbursement for our products by third-party payors such as Medicare, Medicaid, private and public health insurers and foreign governmental health systems;
•the ability to maintain existing distribution rights to and from certain third parties;
•the ability to maintain business if or when we opt to convert such business from distributors to a direct sales model;
•the ability of our commercial sales representatives to obtain sales targets in a reasonable time frame;
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•the impact of changes to our sales organization, continued channel expansion, including increased specialization;
•peer-reviewed publications discussing the clinical effectiveness of the products we sell;
•inspections of our manufacturing facilities for compliance with Quality System Regulations (Good Manufacturing Practices), which could result in Form 483 observations, warning letters, injunctions or other adverse findings from the FDA or from equivalent regulatory bodies, and corrective actions, procedural changes and other actions that we determine are necessary or appropriate to address the results of those inspections, any of which may affect production and our ability to supply our customers with our products;
•changes in regulations or guidelines that impact the sales and marketing practices for products that we sell;
•the increased regulatory scrutiny of certain of our products, including products which we manufacture for others, could result in removal from the market or involve field corrective actions that could affect the marketability of our products;
•enforcement or defense of intellectual property rights;
•changes in tax laws, or their interpretations; and
•the impact of goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges if future operating results of the acquired businesses are significantly less than the results anticipated at the time of the acquisitions.
The industry and market segments in which we operate are highly competitive, and we may be unable to compete effectively with other companies.
There is intense competition among medical device companies. We compete with established medical technology companies in many of our product areas. Competition also comes from early-stage companies, universities, research institutions and other non-profit entities. In certain cases, our products compete primarily against medical practices that treat a condition without using a device or any particular product, such as the medical practices that use autograft tissue instead of our dermal regeneration products, duraplasty products and nerve repair products, or that use other technologies that cost less than our products. Many of our competitors have access to greater financial, technical, research and development, marketing, manufacturing, sales, distribution, administrative, consulting and other resources than we do. Our competitors may be more effective at developing commercial products or navigating the regulatory approval process in the markets in which we operate. They may be able to gain market share by offering lower-cost products or products that enjoy better reimbursement from third-party payors and foreign governmental health systems.
Our competitive position depends on our ability to achieve market acceptance for our products, develop new products, implement marketing plans, secure regulatory approval for products under development, demonstrate clinical and economic effectiveness, obtain and maintain reimbursement coverage and funding under third-party payors and foreign governmental health systems, obtain patent protection and produce products consistently in sufficient quantities to meet demand. We may need to develop new applications for our products to remain competitive. Technological advances by one or more of our current or future competitors or their achievement of superior reimbursement from third-party payors and foreign governmental health systems could render our present or future products obsolete or uneconomical. Our future success will depend upon our ability to compete effectively against current technology as well as to respond effectively to technological advances, changes in customers' requirements or in payor or regulatory evidence requirements. Additionally, purchasing decisions of our customers may be based on clinical evidence or comparative effectiveness studies and, because of our vast array of products, we might not be able to fund the studies necessary to gain entry or maintain our position or provide the required information to compete effectively. Other companies may have more resources available to fund such studies. For example, competitors have launched and are developing products to compete with our dural repair products, regenerative skin, neuro critical care monitors and ultrasonic tissue ablation devices, among others. In the current environment of managed care, consolidation among health care providers, increased competition, and declining reimbursement rates, we have been increasingly required to compete on the basis of price. Competitive pressures could adversely affect our profitability. Given these factors, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to compete effectively or continue our level of success in the areas in which we compete.
Changes in the healthcare industry may require us to decrease the selling price for our products, may reduce the size of the market for our products, or may eliminate a market, any of which could have a negative impact on our financial performance.
Trends toward managed care, healthcare cost containment and other changes in government and private sector initiatives in the U.S. and other countries in which we do business are placing increased emphasis on the delivery of more cost-effective medical therapies that could adversely affect the sale and/or the prices of our products. For example:
•third-party payors of hospital services and hospital outpatient services, including Medicare, Medicaid, private and public health insurers and foreign governmental health systems, annually revise their payment methodologies, which can result in stricter standards for reimbursement of hospital charges for certain medical procedures or the elimination of reimbursement;
•several foreign countries have implemented reforms of their respective healthcare sectors in an effort to reduce healthcare spending, including restricting funding to only those medical technologies and procedures with proven effectiveness, increasing patient co-payments and providing for payback measures. Governmental health systems have revised and continue to consider revisions of healthcare budgets, which could result in stricter standards for implementing certain medical procedures, increased scrutiny of medical devices, and downward pricing pressure;
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•Medicare, Medicaid, private and public health insurer and foreign governmental cutbacks could create downward pricing pressure on our products;
•in the U.S., Medicare and Medicaid coverage as well as commercial payor coverage determinations could reduce or eliminate reimbursement or coverage for certain of our wound matrix, amniotic, surgical reconstruction and advanced wound dressing products as well as other products in most regions, negatively affecting our market for these products, and future determinations could reduce or eliminate reimbursement or coverage for these products in other regions and could reduce or eliminate reimbursement or coverage for other products;
•there has been a consolidation among healthcare facilities and purchasers of medical devices in the U.S., some of whom prefer to limit the number of suppliers from whom they purchase medical products, and these entities may decide to stop purchasing our products or demand discounts on our prices;
•in the U.S., we are party to contracts with group purchasing organizations, which negotiate pricing for many member hospitals, require us to discount our prices for certain of our products and limit our ability to raise prices for certain of our products, particularly surgical instruments;
•there is economic pressure to contain healthcare costs in domestic and international markets, and, regardless of the consolidation discussed above, providers generally are exploring ways to cut costs by eliminating purchases or driving reductions in the prices that they pay for medical devices, or increasing clinical or economic evidence thresholds for product formularies;
•there are proposed and existing laws, regulations and industry policies in domestic and international markets regulating the sales and marketing practices and the pricing and profitability of companies in the healthcare industry;
•proposed laws or regulations may permit hospitals to provide financial incentives to doctors for reducing hospital costs, will award physician efficiency, and will encourage partnerships with healthcare service and goods providers to reduce prices; and
•there have been initiatives by third-party payors and foreign governmental health systems to challenge the prices charged for medical products that could affect our ability to sell products on a competitive basis.
Any and all of the above factors could materially and adversely affect our levels of revenue and our profitability.
Our current strategy involves growth through acquisitions, which requires us to incur substantial costs and potential liabilities for which we may never realize the anticipated benefits, and also requires us to successfully integrate acquired businesses into our business operations in order to avoid our business being materially and adversely affected.
In addition to internally generated growth, our current strategy involves growth through acquisitions. Between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022, we have acquired two businesses at a total cost of approximately $358.4 million which amount includes our acquisition of ACell, Inc. in January 2021 for $306.9 million and our acquisition of Surgical Innovation Associates, Inc. for $51.5 million in December 2022. Both of these acquisitions added products to our complex wound management and plastic and reconstructive surgery product portfolios, respectively, and provides additional growth opportunities for our TT segment.
We may be unable to continue to implement our growth strategy and it may ultimately be unsuccessful. A significant portion of our growth in revenues has resulted from, and is expected to continue to result from, the acquisition of businesses or products complementary to our own. We engage in evaluations of potential acquisitions and are in various stages of discussion regarding possible acquisitions, certain of which, if consummated, could be significant to us. Any new acquisition could result in material transaction expenses, increased operating, amortization and interest expenses, and possible in-process research and development charges for acquisitions that do not meet the definition of a “business,” any of which could have a material, adverse effect on our operating results. Certain businesses that we acquire may not have adequate financial, disclosure, regulatory, quality or other compliance controls at the time we acquire them and could require significant expenditures to address those controls or subject us to increased risk. As we grow by acquisition, we must manage and integrate the new businesses to bring them into our systems for financial, disclosure, compliance, regulatory and quality control, realize economies of scale, and control costs. Failure to integrate acquired businesses and operations (including acquired employees and systems), retain key customers and suppliers of any acquired business or manage the cost of providing our products or price our products appropriately could preclude realization of the full benefits that we expect from there transactions. Our failure to meet the challenges involved in integrating the business in order to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisitions could cause an interruption of, or loss of momentum in, our activities and could materially and adversely affect our results of operations. In addition, acquisitions involve other risks, including diversion of management resources otherwise available for the running of our business and the development of our business as well as risks associated with entering markets in which our marketing teams and sales force has limited experience or where experienced distribution alliances are not available. Some acquisitions may include the need for ongoing product development to occur consistent with time sensitive milestones in order for the Company to achieve its commercial projections for the acquisition. Our future profitability will depend in part upon our ability to develop our resources to adapt to these new products or business areas and to identify and enter into or maintain satisfactory distribution networks. As a result of our acquisitions of other healthcare businesses, we may be subject to the risk of unanticipated business uncertainties, regulatory and other compliance matters or legal liabilities relating to those acquired businesses for which the sellers of the acquired businesses may not indemnify us, for which we may not be able to obtain insurance (or adequate insurance), or for which the indemnification may not be sufficient to cover the ultimate liabilities. We
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may not be able to identify suitable acquisition candidates in the future, obtain acceptable financing or consummate any future acquisitions. Certain potential acquisitions are subject to antitrust and competition laws, which laws could impact our ability to pursue strategic acquisitions and could result in mandated divestitures. If we are unsuccessful in our acquisition strategy, we may be unable to meet our financial targets and our financial performance could be materially and adversely affected.
These risks may be heightened in cases where the majority of the former businesses’ operations, employees and customers are located outside the U.S. Any one or all of these factors could increase operating costs or lower anticipated financial performance. Many of these factors are also outside of our control. In addition, dispositions of certain key products, technologies and other rights, including pursuant to conditions imposed on us to obtain regulatory approvals, may affect our business operations.
Even if the operations of the businesses are integrated successfully, we may not realize the full benefits of the acquisition, including the synergies, cost savings or sales or growth opportunities that we expect. These benefits may not be achieved within the anticipated time frame, or at all. Additional unanticipated costs could be incurred in the integration of the businesses. All of these factors could cause a reduction to our earnings per share, decrease or delay the expected accretive effect of the transaction, and negatively impact the price of our common stock.
Our future financial results could be adversely affected by impairments or other charges.
We are required to test both goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis based upon a fair value approach, rather than amortizing them over time. We are also required to test goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment between annual tests if an event occurs such as a significant decline in revenues or cash flows for certain products, or the discount rates used in the calculations of discounted cash flows change significantly, or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce our enterprise fair value below its book value. If such a decline, rate change or circumstance were to materialize, we may record an impairment of these intangible assets that could be material to the financial statements. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Critical Accounting Estimates” of this report.
The guidance on long-lived assets requires that we assess the impairment of our long-lived assets, including finite-lived intangible assets, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable as measured by the sum of the expected future undiscounted cash flows.
Also, Company decisions and other economic factors relating to our trade names may occur over time. For instance, we may discontinue certain products in the future as we continue to assess the profitability of our product lines. As a result, we may need to record impairment charges or accelerate amortization on certain trade names or technology-related intangible assets in the future.
The value of a medical device business is often volatile, and the assumptions underlying our estimates made in connection with our assessments under the guidance may change as a result of that volatility or other factors outside our control and may result in impairment charges. The amount of any such impairment charges could be significant and have a material, adverse effect on our reported financial results for the period in which the charge is taken and could have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities, including the notes and the common stock into which they may be converted.
Lack of market acceptance for our products or market preference for technologies that compete with our products could reduce our revenues and profitability.
Market acceptance of our products depends on many factors, including our ability to convince prospective customers that our technology is an attractive alternative to other technologies, to manufacture products in sufficient quantities and at acceptable costs, and to supply and service sufficient quantities of our products directly or through our distribution alliances. For example, the use of autograft tissue is a well-established means for repairing the dermis, and it competes for acceptance in the market with our collagen-based wound care products. In addition, unfavorable payment amounts or adverse coverage determinations of third-party payors, including Medicare, Medicaid, private and public health insurers, and foreign governmental health systems, regarding our products or third-party determinations that favor a competitor’s product over ours, could harm acceptance or continued use of our products.For example, greater market acceptance of our wound graft products may ultimately depend on our ability to demonstrate that coverage and reimbursement are available and favorable, or because they are an attractive, cost-effective alternative to other treatment options.
If there are negative events in the healthcare industry, whether real or perceived, there could be a negative impact on the industry as a whole. The industry is subject to rapid and continuous change arising from, among other things, consolidation, technological improvements, the pressure on governments, third-party payors and providers to reduce healthcare costs, and healthcare reform legislation and initiatives domestically and internationally. In addition, our future success depends, in part, on our ability to license and develop additional products. Even if we determine that a product candidate has medical benefits, the cost of commercializing, either through internal development or payments associated with licensing arrangements, could be too high to justify development and we could ultimately face competitors with more effective products and better reimbursement status that cost less and are ready for commercial introduction before our products. If we are unable to develop additional commercially viable products, our future prospects could be materially and adversely affected.
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One or more of these factors could vary unpredictably, and such variations could have a material, adverse effect on our competitive position. We may not be able to adjust our contemplated plan of development to meet changing market demands.
It could be difficult to replace some of our suppliers.
Outside vendors, some of whom are sole-source suppliers, provide key components and raw materials used in the manufacture of our products. Although we believe that alternative sources for many of these components and raw materials are available, any interruption in supply of a limited or sole-source component or raw material could harm our ability to manufacture our products until a new or alternative source of supply is identified and qualified. In addition, an uncorrected defect or supplier’s variation in a component or raw material, either unknown to us or incompatible with our manufacturing process, could harm our ability to manufacture products. We may not be able to find a sufficient alternative supplier in a reasonable time period, or on commercially reasonable terms, if at all, and our ability to produce and supply our products could be impaired. We believe that these factors are most likely to affect the following products that we sell:
•our collagen-based products and bovine-based products, such as the Integra Dermal Regeneration Template and wound matrix products, the DuraGen® family of products, our Absorbable Collagen Sponges, PriMatrix® and SurgiMend products;
•our products made from silicone, such as our neurosurgical shunts and drainage systems and hemodynamic shunts;
•products which use many different specialty parts, electrical components, or chemicals from numerous suppliers, such as our intracranial monitors, shunts, catheters, tissue ablation, and headlights;
•our biosynthetic products, including the DuraSeal sealant system and DuraSorb biosynthetic mesh scaffold;
•products which are amniotic tissue-based
•products which are porcine tissue-based;
•products that use medical grade leptospermum honey, such as our Medihoney products; and
•our TCC-EZ® total contact cast system products.
The availability of amniotic tissue-based products depends upon, among other factors, the availability of tissue from human donors. Access to donated amniotic tissue could also be adversely impacted by regulatory changes or evolving public perceptions of the donor process.
Additionally, many of our products require sterilization by third-party suppliers. To the extent these suppliers are unable to provide sterilization services, whether due to lack of capacity, regulatory requirements, environmental concerns such as those relating to ethylene oxide or otherwise, we may be unable to transition sterilization to other suppliers in a timely or cost effective manner, or at all, which could have an adverse impact on our operating results.
Our supply chain and our cost of goods also may be negatively impacted by unanticipated price increases due to factors such as global economic disruptions, electronic component shortages, fear of future or ongoing pandemics, inflation, including wage inflation, recessionary conditions and geopolitical events, including the war in Ukraine, all of which are beyond our control or the control of our suppliers.
While it is our policy to maintain sufficient inventory of components so that our production will not be significantly disrupted even if a particular component or material is not available for a period of time, we remain at risk that we will not be able to qualify new components or materials quickly enough to prevent a disruption if one or more of our suppliers ceases production of important components or materials.
We may experience difficulties, delays, performance impact or unexpected costs from consolidation of facilities and transfer of manufacturing facilities.
In recent years, we consolidated several facilities or transferred manufacturing operations from third parties to our existing internal manufacturing facilities and may further undertake similar consolidations or transfers in the future in order to improve our cost structure, achieve increased operating efficiencies, and improve our competitive standing or results of operations and/or to address unfavorable economic conditions. As part of these initiatives, we may also lose favorable tax incentives or not be able to renew leases on acceptable terms. We may further reduce staff, make changes to certain capital projects, close certain production operations and abandon leases for certain facilities that will not be used in our operations. In conjunction with any actions, we will continue to make significant investments and build the framework for our future growth. We may not realize, in full or in part, the anticipated benefits and savings from these efforts because of unforeseen difficulties, delays, implementation issues or unexpected costs. If we are unable to achieve or maintain all of the resulting savings or benefits to our business or other unforeseen events occur, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.
We may have significant product liability exposure and our insurance may not cover all potential claims.
We are exposed to product liability and other claims if our technologies or products are alleged to have caused harm. We may not be able to obtain insurance for the potential liability on acceptable terms with adequate coverage or at reasonable costs. Any potential product liability claims could exceed the amount of our insurance coverage or may be excluded from coverage under the terms of the policy. Our insurance may not be renewed at a cost and level of coverage comparable to that then in effect.
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Economic and political instability around the world could adversely affect the ability of hospitals, other customers, suppliers and distributors to access funds or otherwise have available liquidity, which could reduce orders for our products or interrupt our production or distribution or result in a reduction in elective and non-reimbursed operative procedures.
Economic and political instability around the world could adversely affect the ability of hospitals and other customers to access funds to enable them to fund their operating and capital budgets. As a result, hospitals and other customers could reduce budgets or put all or part of their budgets on hold or close their operations, which could have a negative effect on our sales, particularly the sales of capital equipment such as our ultrasonic surgical aspirators, neuromonitors and cranial stabilization products, or result in a reduction in elective and non-reimbursed procedures. The occurrence of those economic conditions could make it more difficult for us to accurately forecast and plan our future business activities and depending on their severity, could have a material, adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our private-label product lines depend significantly on key relationships with third parties, which we could be unable to establish and maintain.
Our private-label business depends in part on entering into and maintaining long-term supply agreements with third parties. The third parties with whom we have entered into agreements might terminate these agreements for a variety of reasons, including developing other sources for the products that we supply. Termination of our most important relationships could adversely affect our expectations for the growth of private-label products.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT
The adoption of healthcare reform in the U.S. and initiatives sponsored by other governments may adversely affect our business, results of operations and/or financial condition.
Our operations may be substantially affected by potential fundamental changes in the global political, economic and regulatory landscape of the healthcare industry. Government and private sector initiatives to limit the growth of healthcare costs are continuing in the U.S., and in many other countries in which we do business, causing the marketplace to put increased emphasis on the delivery of more cost-effective treatments. These initiatives include price regulation, competitive pricing, coverage and payment policies, comparative effectiveness of therapies, technology assessments and managed-care arrangements. The adoption of some or all of these initiatives could have a material, adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
In the United States, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”), signed into law in March 2010, includes several provisions that impact our businesses in the U.S. The ACA includes provisions that, among other things, reduce and/or limit Medicare reimbursement, require all individuals to have health insurance (with limited exceptions), and require detailed disclosure of transfers of value made to healthcare professionals. Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the Affordable Care Act was enacted, including The Budget Control Act of 2011, The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 and Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, which, among other things, have reduced payments under Medicare and Medicaid to certain healthcare providers or altered the formula by which Medicare makes annual payment adjustments. Congress also drafts and introduces, from time to time, legislation that could significantly change the statutory provisions governing the regulation of medical devices. In addition, the FDA may change its clearance and approval policies, adopt additional regulations or revise existing regulations, or take other actions, which may prevent or delay approval or clearance of our future products under development or impact our ability to modify our currently cleared products on a timely basis. For example, over the last several years, the FDA has proposed reforms to its 510(k) clearance process, and such proposals could include increased requirements for clinical data and a longer review period, or could make it more difficult for manufacturers to utilize the 510(k) clearance process for their products.
We cannot predict what impact ongoing uncertainty regarding federal and state health reform proposals, including the implementation or repeal of the ACA, judicial review and interpretation of the ACA and other healthcare laws, instability of the insurance markets, changes in the U.S. administration and policy, an expansion in government’s role in and/or additional proposals and/or changes to the U.S. health care system or its legislation will have on our customer’s purchasing decisions and/or reimbursement which could have a material adverse effect on our business. We expect that additional state and federal health care reform measures will be adopted in the future, including those initiatives affecting coverage and reimbursement for our products, any of which could limit the amounts that federal and state governments will pay for health care products and services, which could adversely affect the growth of the market for our products or demand for our products, or result in additional pricing pressures. We cannot predict the ultimate content, timing or effect of any healthcare reform legislation or the impact of potential legislation on us. We continue to monitor the implementation of such legislation and, to the extent new market or industry trends or new governmental programs evolve, we will consider implementing or implement programs in response.
We are subject to stringent domestic and foreign medical device regulations and oversight and any adverse action may adversely affect our ability to compete in the marketplace and our financial condition and business operations.
Our products, development activities and manufacturing processes are subject to extensive and rigorous regulation by numerous government agencies, including the FDA and comparable foreign agencies, as discussed in “Part 1, Item 1. Business –
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Government Regulation.” To varying degrees, each of these agencies monitors and enforces our compliance with laws and regulations governing the development, testing, manufacturing, labeling, marketing and distribution of our medical devices. We are also subject to regulations that may apply to certain of our products that are Drug/Device Combination products or are considered to be subject to pharmaceutical regulations outside the U.S. The process of obtaining marketing approval or clearance from the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory agencies for new products, or for enhancements or modifications to existing products could be costly, time consuming and burdensome, lead to failed clinical trials or weakened clinical evidence, involve modifications, repairs or replacements of our products and result in limitations on the indicated use of our products, which may negatively impact our ability to market our products and services, result in delays or prevent full commercial realization of future products or service. Furthermore, failure to obtain timely approvals or renewals may result in significant penalties and fines. Additional regulations govern the approval, initiation, conduct, monitoring, documentation and reporting of clinical studies to regulatory agencies in the countries or regions in which they are conducted. Failure to comply, could subject us to significant enforcement actions and sanctions, including halting the study, rejection of data generated in the study, seizure of investigational devices or data, sanctions against investigators, civil or criminal penalties, and other actions. In addition, without the data from one or more clinical studies, it may not be possible for us to secure the data necessary to support certain regulatory submissions, to secure reimbursement or demonstrate other requirements. We cannot assure that access to clinical investigators, sites and subjects, documentation and data will be available on the terms and timeframes necessary.
We are subject to extensive complex regulatory requirements by domestic and foreign government agencies and any failure to comply with our ongoing responsibilities under their applicable laws and regulations could result in a material adverse impact on our business. Failure to comply with applicable regulations could result in future product recalls, injunctions preventing the shipment of products or other enforcement actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We also are subject to the European Medical Device Regulation, which was adopted by the European Union (“EU”) as a common legal framework for all EU member states. The implementation for Class I products occurred on May 26, 2021 and the EUDAMED Database was implemented on May 26, 2022. Under this regulation, companies that wish to manufacture and distribute medical devices in EU member states must meet certain quality system, and safety requirements as well as ongoing product monitoring responsibilities. Companies must also obtain a “CE” marking (i.e., a mandatory conformity marking for certain products sold within the European Economic Area) for their products. Complying with the requirements of these regulations may require us to incur significant expenditures. Expenditures for European Union Medical Device Regulation compliance activities amounted to $45.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and we anticipate incurring additional expenditures in connection with our on-going efforts to obtain certification for our products under the European Medical Device Regulation. Various penalties exist for non-compliance with the laws implementing the European Medical Device Regulations which if incurred, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and cash flows.
Further, the regulatory environment in China continues to evolve, and officials in the Chinese government exercise broad discretion in deciding how to interpret and apply regulations. It is possible that the Chinese government's current or future interpretation and application of existing or new regulations will negatively impact our China operations, result in regulatory investigations or lead to fines or penalties.
In addition, we are subject to laws and regulations that govern the means by which companies in the healthcare industry may market their products to healthcare professionals and may compete by discounting the prices of their products, including for example, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the federal False Claims Act, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, state law equivalents to these federal laws that are meant to protect against fraud and abuse and analogous laws in foreign countries. Violations of these laws are punishable by criminal and civil sanctions, including, but not limited to, in some instances civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, and exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. Although we exercise care in structuring our sales and marketing practices and customer discount arrangements to comply with those laws and regulations, we cannot assure that:
•government officials charged with responsibility for enforcing those laws will not assert that our sales and marketing practices or customer discount arrangements are in violation of those laws or regulations; or
•government regulators or courts will interpret those laws or regulations in a manner consistent with our interpretation.
We have in place policies and procedures for compliance that we believe are at least as stringent as those set forth in the AdvaMed Code of Ethics which was developed by AdvaMed, a trade association that represents the medical device industry, and which is intended to represent best practices with respect to medical device companies' interactions with healthcare providers. We regularly train our sales and marketing personnel on our policies regarding sales and marketing practices. Pursuant to the AdvaMed Code, we have certified our adoption of the AdvaMed Code. The sales and marketing practices of our industry have been the subject of increased scrutiny from federal and state government agencies, and we believe that this trend will continue. Various hospital organizations, medical societies and trade associations are establishing their own practices that may require detailed disclosures of relationships between healthcare professionals and medical device companies or ban or restrict certain marketing and sales practices such as gifts and business meals. Since these laws, regulations and ultimate enforcement continue to evolve, we cannot predict with certainty, what, if any, impact, changes to them may have on our business or our customers.
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Outside of the U.S. we are subject to privacy and data security regulations at the international, national and regional level, as well as on an industry specific basis. For example, in Europe, we are subject to the EU General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") which is related to the collection, processing, storage, transfer and use of personal data. In the U.S., we are subject to the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”) and other similar laws in the United States, at both the federal and state level. Noncompliance with GDPR could trigger fines of up to 4% of global annual revenues. In addition, we are subject to the new China Personal Information Protection Law that went into effect November 1, 2021 which focuses on protecting personal information and cross border transfers of the information. Compliance with these requirements, either individually or in the aggregate, may require changes in business practices added complexity and additional management oversight. They also may complicate our clinical research activities, as well as product offerings that involve transmission or use of clinical data. Non-compliance may result in proceedings against us by governmental or other entities and/or significant fines which could negatively impact our reputation and adversely affect our business.
Should we delay or fail to comply with one or more of the regulatory requirements we could have reduced sales, increased costs, delays to new product introductions, enhancements or our strategic plans, or harm to our reputation or competitiveness, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.
Our medical device products are subject to reporting requirements and recalls, even after receiving regulatory clearance, approval or certification, which could harm our reputation, business and financial results.
After a device is placed on the market, numerous regulatory requirements apply, which require manufacturers to follow, among other things, design, testing, production, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures during the manufacturing process; labeling regulations, which prohibit the promotion of products for unapproved or “off-label” uses and impose other restrictions on labeling; and medical device reporting regulations that require us to report to FDA or similar governmental bodies in other countries if our products may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or malfunction in a way that would be reasonably likely to contribute to death or serious injury if the malfunction were to recur. The FDA and similar governmental bodies in other countries have the authority to require the recall of our products in the event of material deficiencies or defects in design or manufacture or in the event that a product poses an unacceptable risk to health. We may, under own initiative, recall a product if a reasonable possibility of serious injury or any material deficiency in a device is found, or withdraw a product to improve device performance or for other reasons.
Recalls of any of our products may divert managerial and financial resources and have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. A recall could harm our reputation with customers and consumers which could reduce the sales of our products. In addition, the FDA or other foreign governmental agencies may implement enforcement actions in connection with a recall which could impair our product offerings and be harmful to our business and financial results.
Certain of our products contain materials derived from animal sources and may become subject to additional regulation.
Certain of our products are derived from bovine or porcine tissue sources.As a result, we may experience difficulties in processing and producing our bovine and porcine tissue products at scale, including problems related to yields, quality control and assurance, tissue availability, adequacy of control policies and procedures and availability of skilled personnel.
With respect to bovine, among other products, our dermal regeneration products, duraplasty products, wound care products, bone void fillers, nerve and tendon repair products and certain other products, contain material derived from bovine tissue. In 2022, 43.3% of our revenues derived from products containing material derived from bovine tissue. Products that contain materials derived from animal sources, including food, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, are subject to scrutiny in the media and by regulatory authorities. Regulatory authorities are concerned about the potential for the transmission of disease from animals to humans via those materials. This public scrutiny has been particularly acute in Japan and Western Europe with respect to products derived from animal sources, because of concern that materials infected with the agent that causes bovine spongiform encephalopathy, otherwise known as BSE or mad cow disease, may, if ingested or implanted, cause a variant of the human Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, an ultimately fatal disease with no known cure. The World Organization for Animal Health recognizes the U.S. as having a negligible risk for BSE, which is the highest status available.
We take care to provide that our products are safe and free of agents that can cause disease. In particular, we qualified a source of collagen from a country outside the U.S. that is considered BSE/TSE-free. The World Health Organization classifies different types of bovine tissue for relative risk of BSE transmission. Deep flexor tendon and bovine fetal skin, which are used in our products, are in the lowest-risk categories for BSE transmission and are therefore considered to have a negligible risk of containing the agent that causes BSE (an improperly folded protein known as a prion). Nevertheless, products that contain materials derived from animals, including our products, could become subject to additional regulation, or even be banned in certain countries, because of concern over the potential for the transmission of prions. Significant new regulations, or a ban of our products, could have a material, adverse effect on our current business or our ability to expand our business.
Certain countries, such as Japan, China, Taiwan and Argentina, have issued regulations that require our collagen products be sourced from countries where no cases of BSE have occurred, and the EU has requested that our dural replacement products and other products that are used in neurological tissue be sourced from a country where no cases of BSE have occurred. Currently, we source bovine fetal hides from the U.S. and purchase tendon from the U.S. and New Zealand. New Zealand has
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never had a case of BSE. We received approval in the U.S., the EU, Japan, Taiwan, China, Argentina as well as other countries for the use of New Zealand-sourced tendon in the manufacturing of our products. If we cannot continue to use or qualify a source of tendon from New Zealand or another country that has never had a case of BSE, we could be prohibited from selling our collagen products in certain countries.
We are subject to current and potential future requirements relating to protection of the environment, such as hazardous materials regulations, which may impose significant compliance or other costs on us.
Certain of our processes in manufacturing and research and development involve the controlled use of certain hazardous materials. In addition, we own and/or lease a number of facilities at which hazardous materials have been used in the past. Finally, we have acquired various companies that historically have used certain hazardous materials and that have owned and/or leased facilities at which hazardous materials have been used. For all of these reasons, we are subject to federal, state, foreign, and local laws and regulations governing the use, manufacture, storage, transportation, handling, treatment, remediation, and disposal of hazardous materials and certain waste products (“Environmental, Health, Safety and Transportation Laws”). Although we believe that our procedures for handling, transporting, and disposing of hazardous materials comply with the Environmental, Health, Safety and Transportation Laws, such laws may be amended in ways that increase our cost of compliance, perhaps materially.
Furthermore, the potential risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials cannot be eliminated, and there is also a risk that such contamination previously has occurred in connection with one of our facilities or in connection with one of the companies we have purchased. In the event of such an accident or contamination, we could be held liable for any damages that result and any related liability could exceed the limits or fall outside the coverage of our insurance and could exceed our resources. We may not be able to maintain insurance on acceptable terms or at all.
Our business and operations are subject to risks related to climate change.
The long-term effects of global climate change present both physical risks (from the increased frequency of extreme weather conditions or natural disasters) and transition risks (from regulatory requirements or technology changes). Such extreme weather conditions could pose physical risks to our facilities and disrupt operation of our supply chain and may impact operational costs. Concern over global climate change could result in new legal or regulatory requirements designed to mitigate the effects of climate change on the environment. If such laws or regulations are more stringent than current legal or regulatory requirements, we may experience increased compliance burdens and costs to meet the regulatory obligations and such measures may interrupt our operations or the operations of our suppliers, potentially leading to higher costs, and therefore negatively impact our results of operations.
We are subject to requirements relating to information technology which could adversely affect our business.
If we are unable to maintain reliable information technology systems and prevent disruptions, outages, or data breaches, we may suffer regulatory consequences in addition to business consequences. Our worldwide operations means that we are subject to laws and regulations, including data protection and cyber security laws and regulations, in many jurisdictions. The variety of U.S. and international privacy and cybersecurity laws and regulations impacting our operations are described in “Item 1. Business - Government Regulation - Other Factors - Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Laws and Regulations." We have programs to ensure compliance with such laws and regulations. However, there is no guarantee that we will avoid enforcement actions by governmental bodies. Enforcement actions may be costly and interrupt regular operations of our business. In addition, there has been a developing trend of civil lawsuits and class actions relating to breaches of consumer data held by large companies or incidents arising from other cyber-attacks. While Integra has not been named in any such suits, if a substantial breach or loss of data were to occur, we could become a target of such litigation.
If we do not retain our key personnel and attract and retain other highly skilled employees, our business could suffer.
If we fail to recruit, develop and retain the necessary personnel, our business and our ability to obtain new customers, develop new products and provide acceptable levels of customer service could suffer. The success of our business is heavily dependent on the leadership of our key management personnel. Our success also depends on our ability to recruit, develop and retain and motivate highly skilled sales, marketing, manufacturing and scientific personnel. Competition for these persons in our industry is intense, and we may not be able to successfully recruit, train or retain qualified personnel. We are experiencing increasing challenges in building and retaining our workforce in certain markets, where pressure from inflation and competition have exacerbated turnover and retention trends continuing from the COVID-19 pandemic. Labor shortages and competition for qualified personnel could cause disruptions in our business operations.
RISKS RELATED TO TAX AND DEBT
We may have additional tax liabilities.
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and many foreign jurisdictions and are commonly audited by various tax authorities. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes. Although we believe that our tax estimates are reasonable, the final determination of tax audits and any related litigation could be materially different
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from our historical income tax provisions and accruals. The results of an audit or litigation could have a material, adverse effect on our financial statements in the period or periods for which that determination is made.
Changes in tax laws or exposures to additional tax liabilities could negatively impact the Company's operating results.
We are subject to income taxes, as well as taxes that are not income-based, in both the U.S. and many foreign jurisdictions. Taxes could significantly increase due to changes in tax laws or changes in our interpretation of those laws. For example, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, a global policy forum, is developing a global tax framework that, if implemented, includes a global minimum tax rate of 15%. Taxes could also significantly increase due to changes in accounting guidance. Our future effective tax rate could be unfavorably affected by numerous factors including a change in, or the interpretation of, tax rules and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate (including changes in legislation currently being considered), a change in our geographic earnings mix, and/or to the jurisdictions in which we operate, or a change in the measurement of our deferred taxes.
Our leverage and debt service obligations could adversely affect our business.
Our leverage and debt service obligations could adversely affect our business. As of December 31, 2022, our total consolidated external debt was approximately $1.5 billion (See Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Note 5, Debt, to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K) for a discussion of our consolidated external debt). We may also incur additional indebtedness in the future. Our substantial indebtedness could have material, adverse consequences, including:
•making it more difficult for us to satisfy our financial obligations;
•increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic, regulatory and industry conditions, and placing us at a disadvantage compared to our competitors that are less leveraged;
•limiting our ability to compete and our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry in which we operate; and
•limiting our ability to borrow additional funds for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and general corporate or other purposes.
Our debt service obligations will require us to use a portion of our operating cash flow to pay interest and principal on indebtedness instead of for other corporate purposes, including funding future expansion of our business, acquisitions, and ongoing capital expenditures, which could impede our growth. In addition, our ability to comply with, renegotiate or extend the Company’s debt obligations will depend on our operating and financial performance, which in turn is subject to prevailing economic conditions and financial, business and other factors beyond our control. Any disruptions in our operations, the financial markets, or the overall economy, including as a result of COVID-19, may adversely affect the availability and cost of credit to us and/or our ability to comply with our existing obligations.
Changes in the calculation and or complete replacement of LIBOR could have an impact on our business.
The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, announced in July 2017 that it will no longer persuade or require banks to submit rates for LIBOR. On March 5, 2021, the ICE Benchmark Administration, which administers LIBOR, and the FCA announced that all LIBOR settings will either cease to be provided by any administrator, or no longer be representative immediately after December 31, 2021, for all non-U.S. dollar LIBOR settings and one-week and two-month U.S. dollar LIBOR settings, and immediately after June 30, 2023 for the remaining U.S. dollar LIBOR settings. We have multiple debt facilities which utilizes a variable rate equal to Eurodollar LIBOR rate as a component of our interest rate.
Management expects all LIBOR-based contracts to be replaced by the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), which is calculated based on overnight transactions under repurchase agreements backed by Treasury securities. The Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a group of private-market participants convened by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and the New York Federal Reserve, has recommended the use of SOFR as a more robust reference rate alternative to LIBOR. The use of SOFR as a substitute for LIBOR is, however, voluntary and may not be suitable for all market participants. There can be no assurance that the replacement rate will be economically equivalent to LIBOR, which could result in higher interest rates for us under our debt facilities. There is no guarantee that a transition from LIBOR to SOFR will not result in financial market disruptions, significant increases in benchmark rates, or our borrowing costs, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Our intellectual property rights may not provide meaningful commercial protection for our products, potentially enabling third parties to use our technology or very similar technology and could reduce our ability to compete in the market.
To compete effectively, we depend, in part, on our ability to maintain the proprietary nature of our technologies and manufacturing processes, which includes the ability to obtain, protect and enforce patents on our technology and to protect our
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trade secrets. We own or have licensed patents that cover aspects of some of our product lines. Our patents, however, may not provide us with any significant competitive advantage. Others may challenge our patents and, as a result, our patents could be narrowed, invalidated or rendered unenforceable. Competitors may develop products similar to ours that our patents do not cover. In addition, the approval or rejection of patent applications may take several years and our current and future patent applications may not result in the issuance of patents in the U.S. or foreign countries.
Our competitive position depends, in part, upon unpatented trade secrets, which we may be unable to protect.
Our competitive position also depends upon unpatented trade secrets, which are difficult to protect. We cannot assure that others will not independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information and techniques or otherwise gain access to our trade secrets, that our trade secrets will not be disclosed or that we can effectively protect our rights to unpatented trade secrets.
In an effort to protect our trade secrets, we require our employees, consultants and advisors to execute confidentiality and invention assignment agreements upon commencement of employment or consulting relationships with us. These agreements provide that, except in specified circumstances, all confidential information developed or made known to the individual during the course of their relationships with us must be kept confidential. We cannot assure, however, that these agreements will provide meaningful protection for our trade secrets or other proprietary information in the event of the unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential information.
Our success will depend partly on our ability to operate without infringing or misappropriating the proprietary rights of others.
We may be sued for infringing the intellectual property rights of others. In addition, we may find it necessary, if threatened, to initiate a lawsuit seeking a declaration from a court that we do not infringe the proprietary rights of others or that their rights are invalid or unenforceable. If we do not prevail in any litigation, in addition to any damages we might have to pay, we would be required to stop the infringing activity (which could include a cessation of selling the products in question) or obtain a license for the proprietary rights involved. Any required license may be unavailable to us on acceptable terms, if at all. In addition, some licenses may be nonexclusive and allow our competitors to access the same technology we license.
If we fail to obtain a required license or are unable to design our products so as not to infringe on the proprietary rights of others, we may be unable to sell some of our products, and this potential inability could have a material, adverse effect on our revenues and profitability.
We may be involved in lawsuits relating to our intellectual property rights and promotional practices, which may be expensive.
To protect or enforce our intellectual property rights, we may have to initiate or defend legal proceedings, such as infringement suits or opposition proceedings, against or by third parties. In addition, we may have to institute proceedings regarding our competitors’ promotional practices or defend proceedings regarding our promotional practices. Legal proceedings are costly, and, even if we prevail, the cost of the legal proceedings could affect our profitability. In addition, litigation is time-consuming and could divert management's attention and resources away from our business. Moreover, in response to our claims against other parties, those parties could assert counterclaims against us.
RISKS RELATED TO GLOBAL OPERATIONS
If any of our facilities or those of our suppliers were damaged and/or our manufacturing or business processes interrupted, we could experience lost revenues and our business could be seriously harmed.
Damage to our manufacturing, distribution, development and/or research facilities because of fire, extreme weather conditions, natural disaster, power loss, communications failure, geopolitical disruption, unauthorized entry or other events, such as a flu or other health epidemic, such as COVID-19, could significantly disrupt our operations, the operations of suppliers and critical infrastructure and delay or prevent product manufacture and shipment during the time required to repair, rebuild or replace the damaged facilities. Certain of our manufacturing facilities are located in Puerto Rico, which in the past has experienced both severe hurricanes and other natural disasters. Climate change may increase both the frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions and natural disasters and, consequently, risks to our operations and growth. Although we maintain property damage and business interruption insurance coverage on these facilities, our insurance might not cover all losses under such circumstances, and we may not be able to renew or obtain such insurance in the future on acceptable terms with adequate coverage or at reasonable costs.
We are exposed to a variety of risks relating to our international sales and operations.
We generate significant revenues outside the U.S. in multiple foreign currencies, and in U.S. dollar-denominated transactions conducted with customers who generate revenue in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. For those foreign customers who purchase our products in U.S. dollars, currency fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which those
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customers do business may have a negative impact on the demand for our products in foreign countries where the U.S. dollar has increased in value compared to the local currency.
Since we have operations based outside the U.S. and we generate revenues and incur operating expenses in multiple foreign currencies, we experience currency exchange risk with respect to those foreign currency-denominated revenues and expenses. Our most significant currency exchange risk relates to transactions conducted in Australian dollars, British pounds, Canadian dollars, Chinese yuan, Euros, Japanese yen, and Swiss francs.
We cannot predict the consolidated effects of exchange rate fluctuations upon our future operating results because of the number of currencies involved, the variability of currency exposure and the potential volatility of currency exchange rates. Although we address currency risk management through regular operating and financing activities, and, on a limited basis, through the use of derivative financial instruments, those actions may not prove to be fully effective. For a description of our use of derivative financial instruments, see Note 6, Derivative Instruments to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K).
Our international operations subject us to laws regarding sanctioned countries, entities and persons, customs, import-export, laws regarding transactions in foreign countries, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and local anti-bribery and other laws regarding interactions with healthcare professionals, and product registration requirements. Among other things, these laws restrict, and in some cases prevent, U.S. companies from directly or indirectly selling goods, technology or services to people or entities in certain countries. In addition, these laws require that we exercise care in structuring our sales and marketing practices and effecting product registrations in foreign countries.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict and resulting sanctions and export restrictions are creating barriers to doing business in Russia and adversely impacting global supply chains. While we have no manufacturing, distribution or direct material suppliers in the region, we are closely monitoring the potential raw material or supplier impact in both Russia and Ukraine. Materials like palladium and neon, which are both dependent on Russia supply, are part of broader semiconductor shortages in industry. Additional sanctions, export restrictions, and potential countermeasures within Russia may lead to greater uncertainty and geopolitical shifts in Asia that could cause additional adverse impacts on global supply chains and our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
The United Kingdom’s (“UK”) exit from the European Union on January 31, 2020, commonly referred to as Brexit, has caused, and may continue to cause uncertainty in the global political markets. It is possible that Brexit could, among other things, affect the legal and regulatory environments, including the regulatory landscape concerning medical devices, to which our business is subject, impose greater restrictions on imports and exports between the UK and the EU and other parties, increase currency volatility and create economic and political uncertainty in the region.
As we seek to continue to expand and strengthen our international operations, we may experience difficulty in growing our sales in certain new markets and other international markets in which we are attempting to increase our presence due to, among other things, customer acceptance, undeveloped and/or unfamiliar distribution channels, regulatory restrictions and changes, and business knowledge of these markets.
From time to time, proposals are made to significantly change existing trade agreements and relationships between the U.S. and other countries. In recent years, the U.S. government has implemented substantial changes to U.S. trade policies, including import restrictions, increased import tariffs and changes in U.S. participation in multilateral trade agreements, such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to replace the former North American Free Trade Agreement. The ongoing global economic competition and trade tensions between the U.S. and China has resulted in the U.S. government assessing supplemental tariffs on certain goods imported from China and China’s assessment of retaliatory tariffs on certain imports of U.S. goods into China. In addition, the United States has assessed or proposed supplemental tariffs and quantitative restrictions on U.S. imports of certain products from other countries as well. Owing to the complex relationships between the U.S. and such other countries, political, diplomatic, military, or other events could result in business disruptions, including increased regulatory enforcement against companies, tariffs, trade embargoes, export restrictions and the termination or modification of existing trade agreements. The imposition of such restrictions could increase the cost of the Company’s products and the components and raw materials that go into making them, require the Company to change its operations and the products it offers and negatively impact consumer confidence and spending, all of which, both individually and in the aggregate, could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
GENERAL RISK FACTORS
Cyber-attacks or other disruptions to our information technology systems could adversely affect our business.
We are increasingly dependent on sophisticated information technology for our infrastructure and to support business decisions. Our information systems require an ongoing commitment of significant resources to maintain, protect, and enhance existing systems and develop new systems to keep pace with continuing changes in information processing technology, evolving systems and regulatory standards, the increasing need to protect patient and customer information, and changing customer
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patterns. An experienced third party maintains the enterprise business system used to support our transaction processing, accounting and financial reporting, and supply chain and manufacturing processes. Any significant breakdown, intrusion, interruption, corruption, or destruction of these systems, as well as any data breaches, could have a material, adverse effect on our business.
Third parties may attempt to breach our systems and may obtain data relating to patients, proprietary or sensitive information. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we may face increased cybersecurity risks due to our reliance on internet technology and the number of our employees who are working remotely, which may create additional opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities. If we, or third parties on whom we rely, fail to maintain or protect our information systems and data integrity effectively, we could lose existing customers, have difficulty attracting new customers, suffer backlash from negative public relations, have regulatory sanctions or penalties imposed, have increases in operating expenses, incur expenses or lose revenues as a result of a data privacy breach, or suffer other adverse consequences.