BW)(BIOLASE-TECH)(BLTI) BIOLASE Technology Announces New Sales Management Team
Business Editors and Health/Medical Writers
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 23, 1997--BIOLASE Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: BLTI) Tuesday announced the appointments of Richard W. Shock, National Director of Dental Sales, and Alan B. Reich, Midwest Area Manager of Dental Sales, to the company. Shock and Reich join BIOLASE following long tenures with Premier Laser Systems Inc. as National Sales Manager and Senior Area Sales Manager, respectively. Shock's background includes a variety of high-tech sales and marketing positions with Premier Laser Systems, American Dental Technologies and Interpore International. Prior to his dental laser experience, his responsibilities involved medical product marketing and sales at Merck Pharmaceuticals, Becton-Dickinson and American Hospital Supply. Reich also has a background in dental and medical products that includes sales positions with Premier Laser Systems, Coulter Corp. and Hitschfel Optical Instruments. Shock's primary responsibilities at BIOLASE will include the development and management of a domestic dental sales force and overseeing the anticipated domestic market introduction of BIOLASE's Millennium system, an advanced alternative to the traditional dental drill and scalpel. Reich shall be responsible for direct sales of the Millennium system in the midwest region. Millennium is a unique laser-based, HydroKinetic tissue-cutting system in which an erbium laser rapidly energizes and transforms atomized water droplets into microscopic, high-speed water particles that cut hard and soft tissues. Millennium cuts tissue as precisely as a laser, but without the thermal damage typically associated with traditional laser systems. Millennium units are presently being shipped to Germany where they have received approval for both hard and soft tissue dental applications. Millennium has also received CE certification, which makes it eligible for marketing and sales throughout the fourteen countries comprising the European Community. BIOLASE is actively pursuing clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the Millennium for hard tissue dental applications in the United States and is presently conducting clinical studies to establish the safety and efficacy of various dental hard tissue applications. The company does not intend to market the Millennium system for hard tissue dental applications in the United States unless and until such clearance is received from the FDA. "Combined, Rick and Alan bring in excess of 12 years of laser and dental sales experience with them to BIOLASE, and they will be enormous assets to the company," said Donald A. La Point, president and chief executive officer of the company. "We are in the process of organizing personnel and resources for the anticipated sales growth domestically, and Rick and Alan will be instrumental in helping us achieve our domestic sales goals. We are extremely pleased with their decision to join BIOLASE, given their knowledge and experience in the dental and medical product areas, and we look forward to their contribution to the success of the company." BIOLASE Technology manufactures and markets advanced medical, dental and surgical products, including laser systems, HydroKinetic surgical cutting systems, specialized biomaterials for dentistry and other medical specialties, and products for use in endodontic applications. -0- NOTE: The matters discussed in this news release include forward looking statements which are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in such forward looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not |