Parade float will highlight the life-changing power of tissue and organ donation

ALACHUA, Fla., Dec. 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AxoGen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AXGN), a global leader in developing and marketing innovative surgical solutions for peripheral nerve injuries, today announced that Dylan Harvey was selected to ride on the 2018 Donate Life Rose Parade^® float that will be featured in the annual Tournament of Roses^® parade. The parade takes place in Pasadena on New Year’s Day.

Dylan Harvey, 19, was a sophomore in high school when he was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident and spent several weeks in the ICU undergoing multiple surgeries to repair injuries to his left arm and right leg. Once stabilized, however, Dylan was unable to move most of his left arm due to significant nerve damage. Physicians suggested his arm may need to be amputated. In 2015, Dylan underwent nerve reconstruction including the implant of a processed nerve allograft from donated tissue. Today, Dylan helps his father run an electronics business and is currently pursuing acting and filmmaking classes. His participation in the parade is sponsored by AxoGen Corporation.

Damaged peripheral nerves can be surgically repaired, but the window of time for effective outcomes is limited, so expertise from a nerve specialist must be sought quickly. Fortunately, the Harvey family found David Adelson, M.D., the director of Barrow Neurological Institute and chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Dr. Adelson performed surgery and utilized AxoGen’s Avance^® Nerve Graft to help repair the damaged nerve in Dylan’s left arm.  

“If it weren’t for Dr. Adelson and the generosity of a nerve tissue donor, I could be sitting here in a vastly different state,” said Dylan. “I encourage everyone to become a tissue and organ donor, and am grateful for the opportunity to share my personal story by participating as a rider on the Donate Life Rose Parade^® float.”

Avance^® Nerve Graft is an off the shelf processed human nerve allograft intended for the surgical repair of peripheral nerve discontinuities. Using Avance^® Nerve Graft eliminates the comorbidities associated with a second surgical site.

“Nearly a million Americans undergo surgical procedures to repair peripheral nerve damage every year,” said Karen Zaderej, president and chief executive officer of AxoGen. “There are many causes of peripheral nerve damage – from car accidents, to power tool accidents, to severe cuts. Nerve damage can result in loss of sensation or movement and reduced quality of life. AxoGen is dedicated to transforming nerve repair by providing innovative solutions to surgeons and their patients.”

Dylan will ride alongside 16 other organ, eye, or tissue recipients, honoring their donors. The Donate Life Rose Parade^® float is the centerpiece of a national effort of more than 50 organizations to reach a broad audience with the simple, life-giving message that organ, eye, and tissue donation saves and improves lives.

About Donate Life America
Donate Life America is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit alliance of national organizations and state teams across the United States committed to increasing organ, eye and tissue donation. Donate Life America manages and promotes the national brand for donation, Donate Life, and assists Donate Life State Teams and national partners in facilitating high-performing donor registries; developing and executing effective multi-media donor education programs; and motivating the American public to register now as organ, eye and tissue donors.

About AxoGen
AxoGen (AXGN) is the leading company focused specifically on the science, development and commercialization of technologies for peripheral nerve regeneration and repair. We are passionate about helping to restore nerve function and quality of life to patients with peripheral nerve injuries by providing innovative, clinically proven and economically effective repair solutions for surgeons and health care providers. Peripheral nerves provide the pathways for both motor and sensory signals throughout the body. Every day, people suffer traumatic injuries or undergo surgical procedures that impact the function of their peripheral nerves. Damage to a peripheral nerve can result in the loss of muscle or organ function, the loss of sensory feeling, or the initiation of pain.

AxoGen's platform for nerve repair features a comprehensive portfolio of products, including Avance^® Nerve Graft, an off-the-shelf processed human nerve allograft for bridging severed nerves without the comorbidities associated with a second surgical site, AxoGuard^® Nerve Connector, a porcine submucosa extracellular matrix (ECM) coaptation aid for tensionless repair of severed nerves, AxoGuard^® Nerve Protector, a porcine submucosa ECM product used to wrap and protect injured peripheral nerves and reinforce the nerve reconstruction while preventing soft tissue attachments, and Avive^® Soft Tissue Membrane, a minimally processed human umbilical cord membrane that may be used as a resorbable soft tissue covering to separate tissue layers and modulate inflammation in the surgical bed. Along with these core surgical products, AxoGen also offers AcroVal^® Neurosensory & Motor Testing System and AxoTouch^® Two-Point Discriminator. These evaluation and measurement tools assist health care professionals in detecting changes in sensation, assessing return of sensory, grip, and pinch function, evaluating effective treatment interventions, and providing feedback to patients on nerve function. The AxoGen portfolio of products is available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and several other European and international countries.

Cautionary Statements Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This Press Release contains "forward-looking" statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations or predictions of future conditions, events, or results based on various assumptions and management's estimates of trends and economic factors in the markets in which we are active, as well as our business plans. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "continue," "may," "should," "will," and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding our assessment on our internal control over financial reporting, our growth, our 2017 and 2018 guidance, product development, product potential, financial performance, sales growth, product adoption, market awareness of our products, data validation, our visibility at and sponsorship of conferences and educational events. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. Forward-looking statements in this release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect AxoGen's business and its market, particularly those discussed in the risk factors and cautionary statements in AxoGen's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements are representative only as of the date they are made and, except as required by law, AxoGen assumes no responsibility to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contact:
Annette Ruzicka
AxoGen Corporate & Investor Communications
aruzicka@AxoGenInc.com
763.458.4193