Dextera Surgical Appoints Mark Soberman M.D., Leader in Thoracic Surgery, as Medical Director

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., June 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dextera Surgical Inc. (Nasdaq:DXTR) today announced the appointment of Mark Soberman, M.D., MBA, FACS, to the position of medical director. In this role, Dr. Soberman will focus on expanding Dextera Surgical’s presence in minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery by working with key opinion leaders around the world to develop techniques for using the MicroCutter 5mm stapler with 80 degrees of articulation in surgical procedures. He will also lead the creation of Dextera Surgical’s first clinical advisory board in thoracic surgery.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c78dcbb7-e679-4742-ac98-691266bcdf68

“Mark’s vast clinical experience and leadership position within the thoracic surgery community, as well as his deep understanding of healthcare economics, is a key advantage to Dextera,” said Julian Nikolchev, president and CEO of Dextera Surgical. “We are very excited to have Mark join our team at this critical and exciting time for the company, and know that he will be instrumental in furthering our commitment to developing tools that provide significant clinical advantages in the minimally invasive surgery market.”

Dr. Soberman is a practicing thoracic surgeon who also serves as medical director of the Oncology Service Line and chief physician executive, Monocacy Health Partners at Frederick Regional Health System in Frederick, Md. He is a reviewer for the Annals of Thoracic Surgery and a member of a variety of surgical, oncology and physician executive societies, including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, General Thoracic Surgical Club, American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Society for Clinical Oncology. Additionally, Dr. Soberman serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees for the Association of Community Cancer Centers and is the Association’s president-elect for 2017.

“There has been very little innovation recently in surgical stapler technology. The MicroCutter, by virtue of its slim profile and 80 degrees of articulation, has the potential to accelerate the advancement of minimally invasive techniques in thoracic surgery,” said Dr. Soberman. “Dextera is committed to putting breakthrough technologies in the hands of surgeons as they work to improve surgical techniques and outcomes, and I am very pleased to be a part of that effort.”

About Dextera Surgical
Dextera Surgical designs and manufactures proprietary stapling devices for minimally invasive surgical procedures. In the U.S., surgical staplers are routinely used in more than one million minimally invasive laparoscopic, video-assisted or robotic-assisted surgical procedures annually.

The company’s signature proprietary technology, the MicroCutter 5/80 Stapler, is the world’s first and only five-millimeter surgical stapler that articulates to 80 degrees in each direction. As the smallest-profile articulating stapler available today, the MicroCutter 5/80 Stapler may reduce the amount of dissection and tissue handling required to position the stapler in confined spaces, enabling access to difficult-to-reach anatomy.  The cartridge-based device’s small size and wide articulation range is designed to enhance the surgeon’s access and visualization at the surgical site, and to mitigate limitations on the advancement of minimally invasive surgical approaches created by larger stapling devices.

Dextera Surgical also markets the only automated anastomosis devices for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery on the market today: the C-Port® Distal Anastomosis Systems and PAS-Port® Proximal Anastomosis System. These products, sold by Dextera Surgical under the Cardica brand name, have demonstrated long-term reliable clinical performance for more than a decade.

MicroCutter Indication Information
The MicroCutter 5/80 Stapler is manufactured and cleared for use in the United States for transection and resection in multiple open or minimally invasive urologic, thoracic and pediatric surgical procedures, as well as application for transection, resection and/or creation of anastomoses in the small and large intestine, and the transection of the appendix. The MicroCutter 30 White Reload has application in vascular tissue. 

Forward-Looking Statements
The statements in this press release regarding Dextera Surgical’s beliefs as to the benefits expected to be obtained from the use of the MicroCutter 5/80 Stapler, are “forward-looking statements.” There are a number of important factors that could cause results to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements, including: that Dextera Surgical may not be successful in its efforts to complete the development of its combination device (designed to use two different size cartridges) or achieve optimization of Dextera Surgical’s supply chain for its combination device; that Dextera Surgical may not receive regulatory clearance for indications not currently cleared; as well as other risks detailed from time to time in the company’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, under the caption “Risk Factors.” Dextera Surgical expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein. You are encouraged to read Dextera Surgical’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, available at www.sec.gov.

CONTACT: Contact:

Investors:
Bob Newell
Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer
(650) 331-7133
investors@dexterasurgical.com

Media:
Jessica Volchok
(310) 849-7985
jessica@nicoleosmer.com

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