Current Report

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 


FORM 8-K

 


CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) of the

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 27, 2006

 


AtriCure, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 


 

Delaware   000-51470   34-1940305

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

  (Commission File Number)  

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

6033 Schumacher Park Drive

West Chester, OH

  45069
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (513) 755-4100

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 


Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 



Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers.

We announced today that Gene R. McGrevin resigned from our Board of Directors, effective December 1, 2006. The resignation did not involve any disagreement with us concerning any matter relating to our operations, policies or practices. At the time of his resignation, Mr. McGrevin was a member of our Compensation Committee.

A copy of the press release announcing Mr. McGrevin’s resignation is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits.

 

No.   

Description

99.1    Press Release of AtriCure, Inc. dated as of November 28, 2006.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

ATRICURE, INC.
By:  

/s/ David J. Drachman

  David J. Drachman
  President and Chief Executive Officer

Dated: November 28, 2006


EXHIBIT LIST

 

No.   

Description

99.1    Press Release of AtriCure, Inc. dated as of November 28, 2006.
Press Release

Exhibit 99.1

LOGO

Contacts:

 

AtriCure, Inc.

David J. Drachman

President and Chief Executive Officer

(513) 755-5758

ddrachman@atricure.com

  

The Ruth Group

Nick Laudico (investors)

(646) 536-7030

nlaudico@theruthgroup.com

 

Jason Rando (media)

(646) 536-7025

jrando@theruthgroup.com

Press Release

AtriCure Director Gene McGrevin Resigns to Devote Himself to New Position

WEST CHESTER, Ohio – November 28, 2006 – AtriCure, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRC), a medical device company focused on developing, manufacturing and selling innovative surgical devices, announced today the resignation of Gene R. McGrevin from the Company’s Board of Directors, effective December 1, 2006. Mr. McGrevin has recently been appointed Chairman of the Board at a privately-held medical device company that plans to file for an initial public offering on a European exchange. In this newly-appointed position, Mr. McGrevin has committed a majority of his time to the privately-held company’s IPO process and subsequent operational responsibilities. The resignation did not involve any disagreement with the Company concerning any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices.

AtriCure’s Board composition remains in full compliance with all corporate governance requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. The resignation brings AtriCure’s Board to a total of eight members, six of whom are independent.

Richard M. Johnston, AtriCure’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, said, “We thank Gene for his contributions to our Board and wish him luck on his challenging new endeavor. As the majority of our Board is currently independent, we do not anticipate filling the vacancy created by Gene’s resignation at this time.”

About AtriCure, Inc.

AtriCure, Inc. is a medical device company focused on developing, manufacturing and selling innovative surgical devices to create precise lesions, or scars, in soft and cardiac tissues. Medical journals have described the adoption by leading cardiothoracic surgeons of the AtriCure bipolar ablation system as a standard treatment alternative during open-heart surgical procedures to


safely, rapidly and reliably create lesions in cardiac, or heart, tissue to block the abnormal electrical impulses that cause atrial fibrillation, a rapid, irregular quivering of the upper chambers of the heart. Atrial fibrillation affects more than 2.4 million people in the U.S. and predisposes them to a five fold increased risk of stroke.

The FDA has cleared the AtriCure bipolar ablation system for the ablation, or destruction, of soft tissues in general and non-cardiac related surgical procedures but to date has not cleared or approved the system for cardiac use or for the treatment of AF. The FDA has cleared the AtriCure Isolator(TM) Transpolar(TM) Pen for the ablation of cardiac tissue and the evaluation of cardiac arrhythmias, but the Isolator(TM) Transpolar(TM) Pen has not been approved for the treatment of AF.

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements that address activities, events or developments that AtriCure expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, such as earnings estimates, other predictions of financial performance, launches by AtriCure of new products and market acceptance of AtriCure’s products. Forward-looking statements are based on AtriCure’s experience and perception of current conditions, trends, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate under the circumstances and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond AtriCure’s control. These risks and uncertainties include the rate and degree of market acceptance of AtriCure’s products, AtriCure’s ability to develop and market new and enhanced products, the timing of and ability to obtain and maintain regulatory clearances and approvals for its products, the timing of and ability to obtain reimbursement of procedures utilizing AtriCure’s products, competition from existing and new products and procedures or AtriCure’s ability to effectively react to other risks and uncertainties described from time to time in AtriCure’s SEC filings, such as fluctuation of quarterly financial results, reliance on third party manufacturers and suppliers, litigation or other proceedings, government regulation and stock price volatility. AtriCure does not guarantee any forward-looking statement, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. AtriCure undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward- looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.