NuVasive acquires Ellipse Technologies and with it the MAGEC Spinal Bracing and Distraction System

NuVasive announced it will acquire Ellipse Technologies for $380 million and $30 million in revenue-based milestone payments. The move will enable the NuVasive to treat early onset scoliosis via Ellipse's FDA-cleared MAGnetic External Control (MAGEC) Spinal Bracing and Distraction System. NuVasive said the technology enables noninvasive postoperative adjustments to the implants, reduces repeat procedures, while providing strong clinical outcomes. The elimination of repeated surgical distractions drastically reduces hospitalization, neuro-monitoring, anesthesia exposure, and the incidence of infection, enabling better outcomes for these children and providing overall cost savings in their treatment. The MAGEC system is intended for skeletally immature patients less than 10 years of age with severe progressive spinal deformities associated with or at risk of thoracic insufficiency syndrome. To date, the MAGEC system has been used in approximately 300 procedures in the United States and 1500 procedures worldwide.