MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

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for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

or

for the transition period from                to                     .

Commission File Number 0-18592

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MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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 1600 West Merit Parkway, South Jordan, Utah 84095

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

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Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (801) 253-1600

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒  No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒  No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒ 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐  No ☒ 

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant on June 30, 2020, based upon the closing price of the common stock as reported by the NASDAQ Global Select Market on such date, was approximately $2.5 billion. As of February 24, 2021, the registrant had 55,690,669 shares of common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the following document are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Report: the registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to our 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

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PART I

Unless otherwise indicated in this report, “Merit,” “we,” “us,” “our,” and similar terms refer to Merit Medical Systems, Inc. and our consolidated subsidiaries.

DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This report includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements in this report, other than statements of historical fact, are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of these provisions, including any projections of earnings, revenues or other financial items, any statements of the plans and objectives of our management for future operations, any statements concerning proposed new products or services, any statements regarding the integration, development or commercialization of the business or any assets acquired from other parties, any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance, and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “seeks,” “believes,” “estimates,” “potential,” “forecasts,” “continue,” or other forms of these words or similar words or expressions, or the negative thereof or other comparable terminology. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations or any of the forward-looking statements will prove to be correct, and actual results will likely differ, and could differ materially, from those projected or assumed in the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on any such forward-looking statements.

All subsequent forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Our actual results will likely differ, and may differ materially, from anticipated results. Financial estimates are subject to change and are not intended to be relied upon as predictions of future operating results. All forward-looking statements included in this report are made as of the date hereof and are based on information available to us as of such date. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement. If we do update or correct one or more forward-looking statements, investors and others should not conclude that we will make additional updates or corrections.

Our future financial condition and results of operations, as well as any forward-looking statements, are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. Please see Item 1A “Risk Factors” for a discussion of these risks and uncertainties.

DISCLOSURE REGARDING TRADEMARKS

This report includes trademarks, tradenames and service marks that are our property or the property of other third parties. Solely for convenience, such trademarks and tradenames sometimes appear without any “™” or “®” symbol. However, failure to include such symbols is not intended to suggest, in any way, that we will not assert our rights or the rights of any applicable licensor, to these trademarks and tradenames.

Item 1.Business.

Our Company

Merit Medical Systems, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of proprietary medical devices used in interventional, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, particularly in cardiology, radiology, oncology, critical care and endoscopy. We strive to be the most customer-focused company in healthcare. Each day we are determined to make a difference by understanding our customers’ needs and innovating and delivering a diverse range of products that improve the lives of people and communities throughout the world. We believe that long-term value is created for our customers, employees, shareholders, and communities when we focus outward and are determined to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

Merit Medical Systems, Inc. was founded in 1987 by Fred P. Lampropoulos, Kent W. Stanger, Darla Gill and William Padilla. Initially we focused our operations on injection and insert molding of plastics. Our first product was a specialized control syringe used to inject contrast solution into a patient’s arteries for a diagnostic cardiac procedure called an

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angiogram. Since that time, our sales, products and product lines have expanded substantially, both through internal research and development projects and through strategic acquisitions.

Business Strategy

Our business strategy focuses on five target areas as follows:

We conduct our operations through a number of domestic and foreign subsidiaries and representative offices. Our principal offices are located at 1600 West Merit Parkway, South Jordan, Utah, 84095, and our telephone number is (801) 253-1600. We maintain an internet website at www.merit.com.

COVID-19 Pandemic

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During the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a pervasive impact on our business, suppliers, customers, employees, families and communities. Because of the global nature of the pandemic, authorities have implemented numerous measures designed to contain the virus, including travel bans and restrictions, border closures, quarantines, shelter-in-place orders, business limitations and shutdowns. Notwithstanding the challenges we faced during the past year, we responded to adjust to changes in demand for various products. We also responded to the needs of governmental and other entities to obtain swabs used in COVID-19 testing kits. In addition, we quickly implemented stringent safety protocols to promote the safety of our employees in the workplace while producing essential medical products. In March 2020, we put into place temperature screening stations, work-at-home policies for non-operations employees, restrictions to permit only “business critical” visitors in our facilities, social-distancing standards, face mask requirements and restrictions on business travel.

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The COVID-19 response by hospitals and healthcare professionals has placed a severe strain on healthcare systems around the world. Many of our hospital customers have been prioritizing their efforts on their COVID-19 response and have diverted focus and resources away from their normal operations and restricted access to their sites in efforts to contain the spread of the virus. The prioritization of COVID-19 treatment and containment has presented us with unique operational challenges, including delays in purchasing decisions by customers, obstacles to our ability to market, deliver and service our products, and disruptions and delays in our logistics and supply chain. We refer you to “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Position and Results of Operations” for a more detailed discussion of the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic disruptions, and the actual operational and financial impacts that we have experienced to date.

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Products

We design, develop, market and manufacture, through our own operations and contract manufacturers, medical products that offer a high level of quality, value and safety to our customers, as well as the patients they serve. Our products are used in the following clinical areas: radiology; diagnostic and interventional cardiology; interventional radiology; neurointerventional radiology; vascular, general and thoracic surgery; electrophysiology; cardiac rhythm management; interventional pulmonology; interventional nephrology; orthopaedic spine surgery; interventional oncology; pain

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management; outpatient access centers; intensive care; computed tomography; ultrasound; and interventional gastroenterology.

The success of our products is enhanced by the extensive experience of our management team in the healthcare industry, our experienced direct sales force and distributors, our ability to provide custom procedural solutions such as kits, trays and procedural packs at the request of our customers, and our dedication to offering facility-unique solutions in the markets we serve worldwide.

We conduct our business through two operating segments: cardiovascular (which includes peripheral intervention, cardiac intervention, custom procedural solutions, and original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”)) and endoscopy. For information relating to our operating segments and product categories, see Note 13 to our consolidated financial statements set forth in Item 8 of this report and Management’s Discussion and Analysis set forth in Item 7 of this report. We revised these product categories during 2020 and reported historical revenue under these revised product categories for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017 in a Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on April 3, 2020.

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The following sections describe our principal product offerings by reporting segment and product category.

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Cardiovascular

We offer a broad line of medical devices used to gain and maintain vascular access. These products include our micropuncture kits, angiographic needles, our family of Prelude® sheath introducers and a wide range of guide wires and safety products. Our cardiovascular segment includes the following product categories: peripheral intervention, cardiac intervention, custom procedural solutions, and OEM.

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Peripheral Intervention

Our peripheral intervention products support the minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment of diseases in peripheral vessels and organs throughout the body, excluding the heart. Products in our peripheral intervention product category are organized into the following product groups: peripheral intervention, spine, and oncology.

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Merit Vascular - Peripheral

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Our peripheral intervention products include product offerings in the following product portfolios: access (peripheral), angiography, biopsy, drainage, delivery systems, embolotherapy, and intervention (peripheral). The principal product offerings in our access (peripheral) portfolio include our:

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The products in our angiography portfolio are used to identify blockages and other disease states in the blood vessel. The principal product offerings in our angiography portfolio include our:

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We offer an extensive line of soft tissue biopsy products and accessories. The principal product offerings in our biopsy portfolio include our soft tissue core needle biopsy and accessory products including our innovative CorVocet® Biopsy System for soft tissue biopsy procedures, designed to cut a full-core of tissue, providing large specimens for pathological examination.

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We offer a broad line of drainage products. The principal product offerings in our drainage portfolio include our:

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The principal product offerings in our delivery systems portfolio include our:

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Our embolotherapy products treat disease by blocking or slowing the flow of blood into the arteries or delivering chemotherapy drugs in the treatment of primary and metastatic liver cancer. The principal product offerings in our embolotherapy portfolio include our:

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The products in our intervention (peripheral) portfolio are chiefly used to remove blood clots, retrieve foreign bodies in blood vessels and assist with placing balloons and stents to treat arterial disease. The principal product offerings in our intervention (peripheral) portfolio include our:

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Merit Spine

Our spine products are used in the treatment of vertebral compression fractures and metastatic spinal tumors and in musculoskeletal biopsy procedures. Our spine product line includes the following product portfolios: vertebral augmentation, radiofrequency ablation, and bone biopsy systems. Our primary product offerings in the vertebral augmentation and radiofrequency ablation portfolios include our:

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The bone biopsy systems portfolio contains a full offering of manual bone biopsy products, including our Madison™, Huntington™, Kensington™, Preston™ and Westbrook™ biopsy products.

Merit Oncology

Our oncology products are dedicated to the accurate diagnosis and localization of breast and soft tissue tumors and the innovative treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Our primary product offerings in our oncology portfolio include our:

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Cardiac Intervention

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We manufacture and sell a variety of products designed to treat various heart conditions. Products in our cardiac intervention product category are organized into the following product portfolios: access (cardiac), angiography, electrophysiology and CRM, fluid management, hemodynamic monitoring, hemostasis, and intervention (cardiac).

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Merit Vascular - Cardiac

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The principal product offerings in our access portfolio (cardiac) include our family of Prelude® Introducer Sheaths, for both radial and femoral access, featuring our Prelude IDeal™ Hydrophilic Sheath Introducer, an ultra-thin wall introducer sheath that provides more room for the insertion of catheters and other devices in the radial artery.

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The principal product offerings in our angiography portfolio include our InQwire® Guide Wires and Performa® Diagnostic and Ultimate™ catheters for femoral and radial procedures.

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Electrophysiology is the study of diagnosing and treating abnormal electrical activities of the heart. Cardiac rhythm management (“CRM”) is the field of cardiac disease therapy that relates to the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias or the improper beating of the heart. The principal product offerings in our electrophysiology and CRM portfolio include our:

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The product offerings in our fluid management portfolio include manifolds, control syringes and tubing.

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The principal product offerings in our hemostasis portfolio include our Prelude SYNC EVO™ and PreludeSYNC Distal™ Radial Compression devices, designed to reduce and stop blood flow after radial access procedures, and the SafeGuard® Pressure Assisted Device which provides hemostasis after femoral procedures.

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The principal product offerings in our intervention (cardiac) portfolio include a full line of inflation devices and hemostasis valves, including the BasixCompak™, basixTOUCH™, basixALPHA™ (added in late 2020), Blue Diamond™ and DiamondTouch™ inflation devices and the PhD™ Hemostasis Valve, the latest addition to our hemostasis valve portfolio.

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Custom Procedural Solutions

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Our custom procedural solutions product category is comprised of standard and custom kit and pack solutions that include items needed for peripheral procedures, safety and waste management products, and hemostasis accessories. Our kit and pack solutions can optimize efficiency and reduce cost and waste. The principal product offerings in this product category include:

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OEM

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We provide coating services for medical tubes and wires under OEM brands in addition to many of the products identified above. We offer coated tubes and wires to customers on a spool or as further manufactured components including guide wire components, coated mandrels/stylets and coated needles.

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We also manufacture and sell sensor components for microelectromechanical systems. These components consist of piezoresistive pressure sensors in various forms, including bare silicon die, die mounted on ceramic substrates, and fully calibrated components for numerous applications both inside and outside the healthcare industry.

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Endoscopy

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The products in our endoscopy operating segment, Merit Endotek™, are organized in two product portfolios: gastroenterology and pulmonary.

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Our gastroenterology products include a complete range of innovative, gastrointestinal solutions. Our primary product offerings in our gastroenterology portfolio include our:

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Our pulmonary products consist of laser-cut tracheobronchial stents, advanced over-the-wire and direct visualization delivery systems and dilation balloons to endoscopically dilate strictures. Our primary product offerings in our pulmonary portfolio include our:

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We also offer a variety of kits and accessories for endoscopy and bronchoscopy procedures.

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Marketing and Sales

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Target Market/Industry. Our principal target markets are peripheral intervention, cardiac intervention, interventional oncology, critical care and endoscopy. Within these markets our products are used in the following clinical areas: diagnostic and interventional cardiology; interventional radiology; neurointerventional radiology; vascular, general and thoracic surgery; electrophysiology; cardiac rhythm management; interventional pulmonology; interventional nephrology; orthopedic spine surgery; interventional oncology; pain management; breast cancer surgery; outpatient access centers; intensive care; computed tomography; ultrasound; and interventional gastroenterology.

According to statistics published by the National Center for Health Statistics, cardiovascular disease continues to be a leading cause of death and a significant health problem in the U.S. Treatment options range from dietary changes to surgery, depending on the nature of the specific disease or disorder. Endovascular techniques, including angioplasty, stenting and endoluminal stent grafts, continue to represent important therapeutic options for the treatment of vascular disease. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and is the second leading cause of cancer death among women. We derive a large percentage of our revenues from sales of products used during percutaneous diagnostic and interventional procedures such as angiography, angioplasty and stent placement, and we intend to pursue additional sales growth by building on our existing market position in both core technology and accessory products.

Marketing Strategy. Traditionally, as part of our product sales and marketing efforts, we attend major medical conventions throughout the world pertaining to our target markets and invest in market development including physician training, peer-to-peer education, and patient outreach. Due to the various restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, during 2020 most medical conventions in which we have participated transitioned to virtual meetings. Additionally, we work closely with major healthcare facilities and physicians involving our primary target markets in the areas of training, therapy awareness programs, clinical studies and ongoing product research and development.

In general, our target markets are characterized by rapid change resulting from technological advances and scientific discoveries. We plan to continue to develop and launch innovative products to support clinical trends and to address the increasing demands of these markets.

Product Development Strategy. Our product development is focused on identifying and introducing a regular flow of profitable products that meet customer needs. To stay abreast of customer needs, we frequently seek suggestions from health care professionals working in the fields of medicine in which we offer or develop products. Suggestions for new products and product improvements may also come from engineers, marketing and sales personnel, physicians and technicians who perform clinical procedures.

When we believe that a product suggestion demonstrates a sustainable competitive advantage, meets customer needs, fits strategically and technologically with our business and has a good potential financial return, we generally assemble a “project team” comprised of individuals from our sales, marketing, engineering, manufacturing, legal and quality assurance departments. This team works to identify the customer requirements, integrate the design, compile necessary documentation and testing, and prepare the product for market introduction. We believe that one of our competitive strengths is our capacity to conceive, design, develop and introduce new products.

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U.S. and International Sales. Sales of our products in the U.S. accounted for approximately 57%, 58% and 56% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. In the U.S., we have a dedicated, direct sales organization primarily focused on selling to end-user physicians, hospitals and alternate site facilities (e.g., office-based labs), major buying groups and integrated healthcare networks.

Internationally, we employ sales representatives and contract with independent dealer organizations and custom procedure tray manufacturers to distribute our products worldwide, including territories in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Oceania, Central and South America, Mexico and Canada. In 2020, our international sales declined approximately 1.3% below our 2019 international sales and accounted for approximately 43% of our net sales.

Our largest non-U.S. market is China, which represented approximately 12% of our net sales in 2020 and reported net sales of approximately $113.2 million, $113.3 million, and $92.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. We maintain a distribution center and administrative office in Beijing. We also have small sales offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. We sell our products through more than 500 distributors in mainland China, who are responsible for reselling our products, primarily to hospitals. We use the “modified direct” sales approach in China, employing sales personnel throughout China who work with our distributors to promote the clinical advantages of our products to clinicians and other decision makers at hospitals.

In 2020, we experienced a significant disruption of our busines throughout the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many medical procedures that use our products were delayed or canceled. While the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still unknown at this time, if the reduction in medical procedures continues or declines, we will continue to see a material adverse impact on our global operations, as well as our overall financial condition. For further discussion of risks and uncertainties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, please refer to disclosure under the heading “The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted our business and operations around the world and may continue to materially and adversely impact our business, operations and financial results.” set forth in Item 1A “Risk Factors”.

In Europe, the Middle East and Africa (“EMEA), we have both direct and modified direct sales operations. Such sales operations are active throughout the region, including the largest markets in Western, Southern, Central and Eastern Europe and the emerging markets within EMEA.

Our direct sales personnel are principally engaged in each of our divisions. Marketing teams responsible for each division operate clinical education programs, often directed by leading subject matter personnel, who provide technical instruction on techniques and therapies to physicians, nurses and technologists. We are currently conducting education programs specific to radial access, spinal intervention, surgical grafts, wire-free tumor localization and electrophysiology.

We require our international dealers to store products and sell directly to customers within defined sales territories. Each of our products must be approved for sale under the laws of the country in which it is sold. International dealers are responsible for compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, as well as all applicable laws and regulations in their respective countries.

We consider training to be a critical factor in the success of our sales force. Members of our sales force are trained by our clinical marketers, our staff professionals, consulting physicians, and senior field trainers in their respective territories.

OEM Sales. Our global OEM Division sells components and finished devices, including molded components, sub-assembled goods, custom kits and bulk non-sterile goods, to medical device manufacturers. These products may be combined with other components and products from other companies and sold under a Merit or customer label. Products sold by our OEM Division can be customized and enhanced to customer specifications, including packaging, labeling and a variety of physical modifications. Our OEM Division serves customers with a staff of regional sales representatives based in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and a dedicated OEM Engineering and Customer Service Group.

Customers

We provide products to hospitals and alternate site-based physicians, technicians and nurses. Hospitals and acute care facilities in the U.S. purchase our products through our direct sales force, distributors, OEM partners, or custom procedure

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tray manufacturers who assemble and combine our products in custom kits and packs. Outside the U.S., hospitals and acute care facilities generally purchase our products through our direct sales force, or, in the absence of a sales force, through independent distributors or OEM partners.

Research and Development

Our research and development operations have been central to our historical growth, and we believe they will be critical to our continued growth. In recent years, our commitment to innovation led to the introduction of several new products, improvements to our existing products and expansion of our product lines, as well as enhancements and new equipment in our research and development facilities.

We continue to develop new products and make improvements to our existing products utilizing many different sources. Our Chief Executive Officer and our Executive Vice President of Global Research & Development work closely with our sales and marketing teams to incorporate feedback from physicians and clinicians in the field, which can lead to innovative new products and improvements to our existing products.

Currently, we have research and development facilities in California, Texas, Utah, Ireland, France, and Singapore.

Manufacturing

We manufacture many of our products utilizing our proprietary technology and our expertise in plastic injection and insert molding. We generally contract with third parties for the tooling of our molds, but we design and own most of our molds. We utilize our experience in injection and insert molding technologies in the manufacture of most of the custom components used in our products. We have received International Standards Organization (“ISO”) 13485:2016 certification for our facilities in California, Virginia, Texas, Utah, Ireland, France, Mexico, The Netherlands and Singapore. We have also received ISO 9001:2015 certification for our coatings facility in Venlo, The Netherlands and our Merit Sensor Systems, Inc. (“Merit Sensors”) facility in South Jordan, Utah. Merit Sensors develops and markets silicon pressure sensors to a range of enterprises and presently supplies the sensors we utilize in our digital inflation devices and blood pressure sensors.

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Given the specialization of our manufacturing personnel and processes in our Utah and Ireland facilities, we possess the capability to strategically shift the manufacture of more technologically advanced products to those facilities and utilize the manufacturing capacity of our other facilities for more commoditized products. The actual determination of manufacturing location will be based upon multiple factors, including technological capabilities, market demand, acquisition and integration activities and economic and competitive conditions.

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We currently produce and package all of our embolic products. Manufacturing of our embolic products includes the synthesis and processing of raw materials and third-party manufactured compounds.

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We have packaging and manufacturing facilities located in Texas, Virginia, Utah, Mexico, Brazil, Ireland, France, The Netherlands, and Singapore. See Item 2. “Properties.”

We have distribution centers located in Virginia, Utah, Canada, Brazil, The Netherlands, United Kingdom (“UK”), South Africa, Russia, South Korea, India, New Zealand, Japan, China and Australia.

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Competition

The medical products industry is highly competitive. Many of our competitors are much larger than us and have access to greater resources. We also compete with smaller companies that sell single or limited numbers of products in specific product lines or geographies. We compete globally in several market areas, including radiology; diagnostic and interventional cardiology; interventional radiology; neurointerventional radiology; vascular, general and thoracic surgery; electrophysiology; cardiac rhythm management; interventional pulmonology; interventional nephrology; orthopedic spine surgery; interventional oncology; pain management; outpatient access centers; intensive care; computed tomography; ultrasound; and interventional gastroenterology.

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The principal competitive factors in the markets in which our products are sold are quality, price, value, device features, customer service, breadth of line, and customer relationships. We believe our products have achieved market acceptance primarily due to the quality of materials and workmanship of our products, clinical outcomes, their innovative design, our willingness to customize our products to fit customer needs, and our prompt attention to customer requests. Some of our primary competitive strengths are our relative stability in the marketplace; a comprehensive, broad line of ancillary products; and our history of introducing a variety of new products and product line extensions to the market on a regular basis.

Our primary competitors in our peripheral intervention market are Teleflex Incorporated (“Teleflex”), Cook Medical Incorporated (“Cook Medical”), Medtronic plc (“Medtronic”), Boston Scientific Corporation (“Boston Scientific”), and Becton, Dickinson and Company (“BD”). Our primary competitors in our cardiac intervention market are BD, Teleflex, Medtronic, Abbott Laboratories, Terumo Corporation, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Cook Medical, and Boston Scientific. Our primary competitors in our spine market are Medtronic, Stryker Corporation, and Johnson & Johnson. Our primary competitors in our oncology market are BD, Hologic, Inc., Argon Medical Devices, Inc. and Cook Medical. Our primary competitors in our endoscopy market are Getinge AB, Boston Scientific, Cook Medical, and Olympus Corporation.

Based on available industry data, with respect to the number of procedures performed, we believe we are a leading provider of digital inflation technology in the world. In addition, we believe we are one of the market leaders in the U.S. for analog inflation devices. We believe we are a market leader in the U.S. for control syringes, waste-disposal systems, tubing and manifolds. Although we believe our recent and planned additions to these product lines will help us compete even more effectively in both the U.S. and international markets, we cannot give any assurance that we will be able to maintain our existing competitive advantages or compete successfully in the future.

Sources and Availability of Raw Materials

Raw materials essential to our business are generally purchased worldwide and are normally available in quantities adequate to meet the needs of our business. Where there are exceptions, the temporary unavailability of those raw materials would not likely have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

Proprietary Rights and Litigation

We rely on a combination of patents, trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights and confidentiality agreements to protect our intellectual property. We have a number of U.S. and foreign-issued patents and pending patent applications, including rights to patents and patent applications acquired through strategic transactions, which relate to various aspects of our products and technology. The duration of our patents is determined by the laws of the country of issuance and, for the U.S., is typically 20 years from the date of filing of the patent application. As of December 31, 2020, we owned approximately 1,700 U.S. and international patents and patent applications. Additionally, we hold exclusive and non-exclusive licenses to a variety of third-party technologies covered by patents and patent applications. In the aggregate, our intellectual property assets are critical to our business, but no single patent, trademark or other intellectual property asset is of material importance to our business.

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The Merit® name and logo are trademarks in the U.S. and other countries. In addition to the Merit name and logo, we have used, registered or applied for registration of other specific trademarks and service marks to help distinguish our products, technologies and services from those of our competitors in the U.S. and foreign countries. See “Products” above. The duration of our trademark registrations varies from country to country; in the U.S. we can generally maintain our trademark rights and renew any trademark registrations for as long as the trademarks are in use. As of December 31, 2020, we owned approximately 500 U.S. and foreign trademark registrations and trademark applications.

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There is substantial litigation regarding patents and other intellectual property rights in the medical device industry. At any given time, we may be involved as either a plaintiff or a defendant, as well as a counter-claimant or counter-defendant, in patent, trademark, and other intellectual property infringement actions. If a court rules against us in any intellectual property litigation we could be subject to significant liabilities, be forced to seek licenses from third parties, or be prevented

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from marketing certain products. In addition, intellectual property litigation is costly and may consume significant time of employees and management.

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Regulation

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DOJ Settlement and Corporate Integrity Agreement. On October 13, 2020, we entered into a Settlement Agreement with the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) to fully resolve the DOJ’s investigation into past marketing transactions and practices. The DOJ asserted that we provided benefits, allegedly in the form of patient referrals advertising assistance, practice development, practice support, and educational grants to induce healthcare providers to purchase and use our products in medical procedures performed on federal healthcare program beneficiaries, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7b(b), and caused the submission of false claims under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §3729 (as further described in the Settlement Agreement, the “Covered Conduct”). We denied the allegations but determined that a settlement was in the best interests of our company moving forward.

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Under the Settlement Agreement and related agreements, we agreed to make settlement payments in the aggregate amount of $18.0 million plus interest. In total, we paid approximately $18.7 million in settlement payments, interest and additional expenses associated with the Settlement Agreement, including fees paid to settle claims of the relator’s counsel. In exchange, the DOJ, the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (‘OIG”), the Defense Health Agency (“DHA”), on behalf of the TRICARE Program, and the relator named therein agreed to release us from liability arising from the Covered Conduct.

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The settlement was also conditioned upon our entering into a Corporate Integrity Agreement (“CIA”) with the OIG. Under the CIA, the OIG will not exclude us from participating in federal health care programs if we comply with the obligations set forth therein. The CIA imposes compliance, monitoring, reporting, certification, oversight and training obligations on the Company, certain of which have previously been implemented. The CIA requires, among other matters, that we (i) maintain a Compliance Officer, a Compliance Committee, board review and oversight of certain federal healthcare compliance matters, compliance programs, and disclosure programs; (ii) establish robust compliance policies and procedures to meet the requirements of all federal health care programs and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”); (iii) provide management certifications and compliance training and education; (iv) engage an independent review organization to conduct a thorough review of our systems, policies, processes and procedures related to promotional materials, product evaluations, consulting agreements, trainings provided to healthcare professionals, sponsorships, grants and charitable contributions; (v) implement a risk assessment and internal review process; (vi) establish a disclosure program for whistleblowers; (vii) increase oversight of the interactions between our sales personnel and healthcare providers; and (viii) report or disclose certain events and physician payments. 

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Our failure to comply with our obligations under the CIA could result in monetary penalties and the Company being excluded from participating in federal health care programs.

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The foregoing descriptions of the Settlement Agreement and the CIA are qualified in their entirety by the full terms of the Settlement Agreement and the Corporate Integrity Agreement, which are attached as Exhibit 10.47 and Exhibit 10.48 hereto, respectively, and incorporated herein by reference.

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Regulatory Approvals. Our products and operations are global and are subject to regulations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and various other federal and state agencies, as well as by foreign governmental agencies. These agencies enforce laws and regulations that control the design, development, testing, clinical trials, manufacturing, labeling, storage advertising, marketing and distribution, and market surveillance of our medical products.

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The time required to obtain approval by the FDA and other foreign governmental agencies can be lengthy and the requirements may differ. In particular, marketing of medical devices in the European Union (“EU”) is subject to compliance with Council Devices Directive 93/92/EEC, as amended (“MDD”). In May 2017, the EU adopted Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (“MDR”), which will repeal and replace the MDD with effect from May 26, 2021. Under transitional provisions, medical devices with notified body certificates issued under the MDD prior to May 26, 2021 may continue to be placed on the market for the remaining validity of the certificate, until May 26, 2024 at the latest. After the expiry of any applicable transitional period, only devices that have been CE marked under the MDR may be placed on the market

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in the EU. While we are preparing to comply with these new regulations, there may be some products that we will discontinue or postpone introduction in the EU or which may not be fully compliant at the time the transitional period expires because of a number of factors, including changing business strategies, cost of obtaining MDR certification, availability of necessary data and the capacity of Notified Bodies. The MDR includes increasingly stringent requirements in multiple areas, such as pre-market clinical evidence (some of which are now in effect), review of high-risk devices, labeling and post-market surveillance. Under the MDR, pre-market clinical data will now be required to obtain CE Mark approval for high-risk, new and modified medical devices.

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U.S. and global counter-part regulatory approval processes for medical devices are expensive, uncertain and lengthy. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain necessary regulatory approvals for any product on a timely basis or at all. Delays in receipt of or failure to receive such approvals, the loss of previously received approvals, or the failure to comply with existing or future regulatory requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

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In May 2020, we received the CE mark for the Merit Wrapsody™ Endovascular Stent Graft System, and we are pursuing regulatory approval in the U.S. and elsewhere. We are conducting a large, multinational pivotal human clinical trial of the Wrapsody™ Stent Graft which is required to obtain approval from the FDA and some international regulatory agencies. Human clinical trials of a medical device are often required for regulatory clearance or approval for devices and are expensive, time-consuming and uncertain.

Quality System Requirements. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”) and its counterpart non-U.S. laws require us to comply with quality system regulations (“QSR”) pertaining to all aspects of our product design and manufacturing processes, including requirements for packaging, labeling, record keeping, personnel training, supplier controls, design controls, complaint handling, corrective and preventive actions and internal quality system auditing. The FDA and foreign regulators enforce these requirements through periodic inspections of medical device manufacturers. These requirements are complex, technical and require substantial resources to remain compliant. Our failure or the failure of our suppliers to maintain compliance with these requirements could result in the shutdown of our manufacturing operations or the recall of our products, or could restrict our ability to obtain new product approvals or certificates from the FDA that are necessary for export of our products to foreign countries. Any of these results would have a material adverse effect on our business. If one of our suppliers fails to maintain compliance with our quality requirements, we may have to qualify a new supplier and could experience manufacturing delays as a result. We also could be subject to injunctions, product seizures, or civil or criminal penalties.

Labeling and Promotion. Our labeling and promotional activities are also subject to scrutiny by the FDA and foreign regulators. Labeling includes not only the label on a device, but also includes any descriptive or informational literature that accompanies or is used to promote the device. Among other things, labeling violates the law if it is false or misleading in any respect or it fails to contain adequate directions for use. Moreover, product claims that are outside the approved or cleared labeling violate the FDCA and other applicable laws. If the FDA determines that our promotional materials constitute promotion of an uncleared or unapproved use, or otherwise violate the FDCA, it could request that we modify our promotional materials or subject us to regulatory or enforcement actions, including the issuance of an untitled letter, a notice of violation, a warning letter, injunction, seizure, civil fines or criminal penalties. Allegations of off-label promotion can also result in enforcement action by federal, state, or foreign enforcement authorities and trigger significant civil or criminal penalties, including exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs and liability under the False Claims Act, discussed further below.

Our product promotion is also subject to regulation by the Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”), which has primary oversight of the advertising of unrestricted devices, including FDA cleared devices. The Federal Trade Commission Act prohibits unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce, as well as unfair or deceptive practices such as the dissemination of any false or misleading advertisement pertaining to medical devices. FTC enforcement can result in orders requiring, among other things, limits on advertising, corrective advertising, consumer redress, rescission of contracts and such other relief as the FTC may deem necessary.

In addition, under the federal Lanham Act and similar state laws, competitors and others can initiate litigation relating to advertising claims.

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Import Requirements. To import a medical device into the U.S., the importer must file an entry notice and bond with the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”). All devices are subject to FDA examination before release from the CBP. Any article that appears to be in violation of the FDCA may be refused admission and a notice of detention and hearing may be issued. If the FDA ultimately refuses admission, the CBP may issue a notice for redelivery and assess liquidated damages for up to three times the value of the lot. Additionally, the laws of the U.S. require imported articles to have their labels accurately marked with the appropriate country of origin, the violation of which may result in confiscation, fines and penalties.

Export Requirements. Products for export are subject to foreign countries’ import requirements and the exporting requirements of the exporting countries’ regulating bodies, as applicable. International sales of medical devices manufactured in the U.S. that are not approved or cleared by the FDA for use in the U.S., or are banned or deviate from lawful performance standards, are subject to FDA export requirements and we may not be able to export such products.

Foreign countries often require, among other things, an FDA certificate for products for export, also called a Certificate to Foreign Government. To obtain this certificate from the FDA, the device manufacturer must apply to the FDA. The FDA certifies that the product has been granted clearance or approval in the U.S. and that the manufacturing facilities were in compliance with the QSR at the time of the last FDA inspection.

Additionally, the export of our products is subject to restrictions due to trade and economic sanctions imposed by the U.S., the EU and other governments and organizations. The U.S. Departments of Justice, Commerce, State and Treasury and other federal agencies and authorities have a broad range of civil and criminal penalties they may seek to impose against corporations and individuals for violations of economic sanctions laws, export control laws, and other federal statutes and regulations, including those established by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”). Under these laws and regulations, as well as other export control laws, customs laws, sanctions laws and other laws governing our operations, various government agencies may require export licenses and may seek to impose modifications to business practices, including cessation of business activities in sanctioned countries or with sanctioned persons or entities.

Additional Post-Market Requirements. Medical device manufacturers are also subject to other post-market requirements in multiple jurisdictions, including product listing, establishment registration, Unique Device Identification (“UDI”), reports of corrections and removals and other requirements. Medical Device Reporting required by the FDA, medical device vigilance reporting requirements under the MDD and MDR, and similar regulations in other foreign markets, require manufacturers to report to the FDA or an equivalent foreign regulatory body any incident in which their device may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury, or has malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if the malfunction of the device or a similar device were to recur. Our obligation to report a complaint is triggered on the date on which we become aware of an adverse event and the nature of the event. If we fail to comply with our reporting obligations or other post-market requirements, the FDA could issue warning letters or untitled letters, take administrative actions, commence criminal prosecution, impose civil monetary penalties, revoke our device approvals or clearances, seize our products, or delay the approval or clearance of our future products. Other regulatory authorities could take similar actions within their jurisdictions.

The FDA regularly inspects companies to determine compliance with the QSRs and other post-market requirements. Failure to comply with statutory requirements and the FDA’s regulations can result in an FDA Form 483 (which is issued by the FDA at the conclusion of an inspection when an investigator has observed any conditions that may constitute violations), public warning letters, monetary penalties against a company or its officers and employees, suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approvals, operating restrictions, total or partial suspension of production, injunctions, product recalls, product detentions, import refusals, refusal to provide export certificates, seizure of products and/or criminal prosecution. Other regulatory authorities, including EU Notified Bodies, regularly audit companies to determine compliance with ISO 13485 and their respective regulations. They may take similar actions as the FDA within their jurisdictions.

Reimbursement. Our products are generally used in medical procedures that are covered and reimbursed by governmental payers, such as Medicare, and/or private health plans. In general, these third-party payers cover a medical device and/or related procedure only when the payer determines that healthcare outcomes are supported by medical evidence and the device or procedure is medically necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of the patient’s illness or injury. Even if a device

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has received clearance or approval for marketing by the FDA or a similar foreign regulatory agency, there is no certainty that third-party payers will cover and reimburse for the cost of the device and related procedures. Because of increasing cost-containment pressures, some private payers in the U.S. and government payers in foreign countries may also condition payment on the cost-effectiveness of the device or procedure. Even if coverage is available, third-party payers may place restrictions on the circumstances in which they provide coverage or may offer reimbursement that is not sufficient to cover the cost of our products. If healthcare providers such as hospitals and physicians cannot obtain adequate coverage and reimbursement for our products or the procedures in which they are used, this may affect demand for our products and our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows could suffer a material adverse impact.

Anti-Corruption Laws. Anti-corruption laws are in place in the U.S. and in many jurisdictions throughout the world. In the U.S., the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”) prohibits offering, paying, or promising to pay anything of value to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or maintaining an improper business advantage. The FCPA also requires that we maintain fair and accurate books and records and devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls. Among other requirements to implement compliance, we train our U.S. and international employees, and to train and monitor foreign third parties with whom we contract, e.g., distributors, to ensure compliance with these anti-corruption laws. Failing to comply with the FCPA or any other anti-corruption law could result in fines, penalties or other adverse consequences.

As we expand our operations in China and other jurisdictions internationally, we are increasing the scope of our compliance programs to address the risks relating to the potential for violations of the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws. Our compliance programs will need to include policies addressing not only the FCPA, but also the provisions of a variety of anti-corruption laws in multiple foreign jurisdictions, including China, provisions relating to books and records that apply to us as a public company, and include effective training for our personnel and relevant third parties.

The U.S. Physician Payment Sunshine Act, and similar state laws, also include annual reporting and disclosure requirements for device manufacturers aimed at increasing the transparency of the interactions between device manufacturers and healthcare providers. Reports submitted under these new requirements are placed in a public database. Several other jurisdictions outside the U.S. have also adopted or begun adopting similar transparency laws. In addition to the burden of establishing processes for compliance, if we fail to provide these reports, or if the reports we provide are not accurate, we could be subject to significant penalties.

Anti-Kickback Statutes. The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits persons and entities from, among other things, knowingly and willfully offering or paying remuneration, directly or indirectly, to induce the purchase, order, lease, or recommendation of a good or service for which payment may be made in whole or part under a federal healthcare program such as Medicare or Medicaid, unless the arrangement fits within one of several statutory exemptions or regulatory “safe harbors.” The definition of remuneration has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value, including, for example, gifts, discounts, the furnishing of supplies or equipment, credit arrangements, payments of cash and waivers of payments. Violations can result in significant penalties, imprisonment and exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs. Exclusion of a manufacturer would preclude any federal healthcare program from paying for the manufacturer’s products. Under the Affordable Care Act, a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute is deemed to be a violation of the False Claims Act, which is discussed in more detail below. A party’s failure to fully satisfy the obligations of a regulatory “safe harbor” provision may result in increased scrutiny by government enforcement authorities.

Government officials continue their vigorous enforcement efforts on the sales and marketing activities of pharmaceutical, medical device and other healthcare companies, including the pursuit of cases against individuals or entities that allegedly offered unlawful inducements to potential or existing customers to procure their business. Settlements of these government cases have involved significant fines and penalties and, in some instances, criminal pleas.

In addition to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, many states have their own anti-kickback laws. Often, these laws closely follow the language of the federal law, although they do not always have the same exceptions or safe harbors. In some states, these anti-kickback laws apply with respect to all payers, including commercial health insurance companies.

False Claims Laws. The False Claims Act prohibits any person from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false claim for payment to the federal government or knowingly making, or causing to be made, a false statement to get a

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false claim paid. Manufacturers can be held liable under false claims laws, even if they do not submit claims to the government, if they are found to have caused submission of false claims. The False Claims Act also includes whistleblower provisions that allow private citizens to bring suit against an entity or individual on behalf of the U.S. and to recover a portion of any monetary recovery. Many of the recent, highly publicized settlements in the healthcare industry relating to sales and marketing practices have been cases brought under the False Claims Act. Most states also have adopted statutes or regulations similar to the federal laws, which apply to items and services reimbursed under Medicaid and other state programs. Sanctions under the Federal Claims Act and state laws may include civil monetary penalties, exclusion of a manufacturer’s products from reimbursement under government programs, criminal fines and imprisonment.

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Affordable Care Act”) has changed the way healthcare in the U.S. is financed by both governmental and private insurers and has significantly affected the medical device industry. This law contains a number of provisions, including provisions governing enrollment in federal healthcare programs, reimbursement, comparative effectiveness research, and enhancements to fraud and abuse requirements and enforcement. However, the long-term viability of the Affordable Care Act, and its impact on our business and results of operations, remains uncertain. Any legislative and executive initiatives may significantly change the scope and impact of the Affordable Care Act and, in turn, the medical device industry.

Labor Standards Laws. We are also subject to corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) laws and regulations which require us to monitor the labor standards in our supply chain, including the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, the UK Modern Slavery Act, and U.S. Federal Acquisition Regulations regarding Combating Trafficking in Persons. These CSR laws and regulations may impose additional processes and supplier management systems and have led certain key customers to impose additional requirements on medical device companies, including audits, as a prerequisite to selling products to such customers, which could result in increased costs for our products, the termination or suspension of certain suppliers, and reductions in our margins and profitability.

Privacy and Security. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (the “HITECH Act”), and accompanying rules, require certain entities, referred to as “covered entities” (including most healthcare providers and health plans), to comply with established standards, including standards regarding the privacy and security of protected health information (“PHI”). Many state laws also regulate the use and disclosure of health information and require notification in the event of breach of such information.

The EU has adopted a single EU privacy regulation, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which went into effect May 25, 2018. The GDPR extends the scope of the EU data protection law to all companies processing personal data in the context of the activities of an establishment of a controller or a processor in the EU, regardless of whether the processing takes place in the EU or not. In addition, it applies to the processing of personal data of data subjects who are in the EU by a controller or processor not established in the EU, where the processing activities are related to: (a) the offering of goods or services, irrespective of whether a payment of the data subject is required, to such data subjects in the EU; or (b) the monitoring of their behavior as far as their behavior takes place within the EU. The GDPR provides for a harmonization of the data protection regulations throughout the EU. It imposes a strict data protection compliance regime with severe penalties of up to the greater of 4% of worldwide sales or €20 million and includes new rights such as the “portability” of personal data. Although the GDPR applies across the EU without a need for local implementing legislation, it contains a number of opener clauses enabling the EU member states to provide for additional legislation. In addition, local data protection authorities still have the ability to interpret the GDPR, which has the potential to create inconsistencies on a country-by-country basis. We have implemented changes to our business practices to comply with the GDPR.

We post on our websites our privacy policies and practices regarding the collection, use and disclosure of user data. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply with our posted privacy policies or with any applicable regulatory requirements or orders, or privacy, data protection, information security or consumer protection-related privacy laws and regulations in one or more jurisdictions, could result in proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities or others, including class action privacy litigation in certain jurisdictions, subject us to significant fines, penalties, judgments and negative publicity, require us to change our business practices, increase the costs and complexity of compliance, and adversely affect our business. Data protection, privacy and information security have become the subject of increasing public, media and legislative concern. For example, California’s Consumer Protection Act went into effect on January 1,

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2020, giving consumers the right to demand certain information and actions from companies who collect personal information. This enhanced scrutiny and legal requirements could results in costly compliance efforts and potentially result in fines, harm to reputation, or other consequences. If our customers were to reduce their use of our products and services as a result of these concerns, our business could be materially harmed. As noted above, we are also subject to the possibility of security and privacy breaches, which themselves may result in a violation of these privacy laws.

After the recent Brexit deal between the UK and the EU, the GDPR no longer directly applies in the UK. However, the UK Data Protection Act 2018 will remain in force, which incorporates the GDPR into UK legislation with some minor amendments to take account of the UK's departure from the EU. Thus, we have to continue to comply with the GDPR (including as it applies in the UK). Further, there is a four-month transition period beginning January 1, 2021 with regard to data transfers from the European Economic Area to the UK, which will be automatically extended by two months if neither the UK nor the EU objects. After this period, if the European Commission does not adapt an adequacy decision in respect of the UK, it will be necessary to implement appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses or binding corporate rules in order to enable data transfers to the UK.

CARES Act. On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was signed into law. The $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill contains numerous tax law changes. The CARES Act established a program with provisions to allow U.S. companies to defer the employer’s portion of social security taxes between March 27, 2020 and December 31, 2020 and pay such taxes in two installments in 2021 and 2022. As permitted by the CARES Act, we have deferred payment of the employer’s portion of social security payroll tax payments.

Seasonality

Our worldwide sales have not historically reflected a significant degree of seasonality; however, customer purchases have historically been lower during the third quarter of the year, as compared to other quarters. This reflects, among other factors, lower demand during summer months in countries in the northern hemisphere.

Sustainability

We take our responsibility to conduct our business in a sustainable manner seriously and have identified both risks and opportunities related to our sustainability program, as we strive for continued growth and profitability.

The majority of our products are disposable medical devices and are generally disposed of after a single use due primarily to the risks of exposing patients to bloodborne pathogens capable of transmitting disease or other potentially infectious materials. Additionally, repeated sterilization to address such risks is not possible because it may adversely affect the quality of the plastic used in many of our products and result in the failure of our product to function properly if used in multiple medical procedures. Consequently, many of our used products will likely end up in a medical waste disposal facility at the end of their usefulness. Despite this obstacle, we continue to look for opportunities to deliver sustainable, long-term growth of our business. Our sustainability practices are an integral component of our business strategy, and our sustainability activities are reviewed and approved by senior management and our Board of Directors.

By assessing our sustainability opportunities, we have developed areas of focus where we are positioned to make a positive impact. These include programs designed to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and protect the environment including our:

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In 2020 we provided in-kind donations of our medical devices to support two medical or humanitarian missions, and we worked closely with a local Utah university to donate product for use in their educational and instructional programs. The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions to our operations and the operations of the non-profit organizations to which we typically donate, which hindered our ability to provide this type of support at the same levels we have in the past, but we plan on continuing and expanding this practice in 2021. To learn more about our sustainability programs and accomplishments, please visit www.merit.com/about/corporate-sustainability/.

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Human Capital Management

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As of December 31, 2020, we had 5,989 employees located in approximately 39 different countries in a variety of different roles. In the highly competitive medical device industry, we consider attracting, developing, and retaining talented people in technical, operational, marketing, sales, research, management, and other positions to be critical to our overall long-term growth strategy. Our ability to recruit and retain such talent depends on several factors, including compensation and benefits, talent development, career opportunities, and work environment. We invest in our people and cultivate a company culture committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce.

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Diversity and Inclusion. Our goal is to create a diverse and inclusive global culture that reflects the diversity of the customers we serve and encourages an environment where employees feel welcomed, respected, and valued. With this goal in mind, in late 2020 the Company hired its first Chief Human Resources Officer who, in part, has been charged with working with our leadership team to strengthen and enhance our diversity and inclusion efforts company wide. We are committed to providing equal opportunity in all aspects of employment. In the U.S., we are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to making employment decisions without regard to race, religion, ethnicity or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristics protected by law. As a result, over 50% of our U.S. population identifies as non-white.

Employee Engagement. The engagement of our workforce is critical to delivering on our competitive strategy, and we place high importance on informed and engaged employees. We communicate frequently and transparently with our employees through a variety of communication methods, including video and written communications, town hall meetings, and our company intranet, and we acknowledge individual contributions to Merit by celebrating milestones of service in

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five-year increments. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we also further strengthened our communication platforms. Our employee communications during the pandemic have kept our employees informed on critical priorities, important actions being taken by management in response to the pandemic, and continued efforts to protect employee health, safety and well-being.

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COVID-19 Response; Health and Safety. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of our operations employees have continued to work from our facilities, where we have adopted health screening, implemented social distancing and personal protective equipment requirements, enhanced cleaning and sanitation procedures, and modified workspaces to reduce the potential for disease transmission. Most employees who do not require access to our facility to perform their work have been working from home during the pandemic, without a significant impact to productivity.

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Information Security

We maintain strong cybersecurity systems to guard against unauthorized access, malicious software, corruption of data, disruption of our networks and systems and unauthorized release of confidential information. We employ an experienced and dedicated information security team, follow industry best practices, and work with our employees globally to create awareness and mitigate cyber risk. On an ongoing basis, we assess risks and implement procedures and practices designed to improve the security, confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems. We voluntarily engage third-party security auditors to test our systems and controls at least annually against the most widely recognized security standards and regulations. We have developed and continue to implement a continuing cyber awareness training program which is designed to increase awareness of cybersecurity threats throughout our company and reduce the risk of human error. As part of that training, we conduct phishing testing on all our employees with e-mail access and emphasize information security through events held each year during our Cyber Awareness Month.

We have established controls and procedures to escalate enterprise level issues, including cybersecurity matters, to the appropriate management levels within our organization and our Board of Directors, or members or committees thereof, as appropriate. Our Board of Directors has delegated to its Audit Committee specific oversight responsibility for enterprise risk management, including our approach to managing cybersecurity risk. The Audit Committee regularly reviews information security risks and receives reports from our Chief Technology Officer and other members of the Company’s management regarding those risks. Under our framework, cybersecurity issues are analyzed by subject matter experts for potential financial, operational, and reputational risks, based on, among other factors, the nature of the matter and breadth of impact. Matters determined to present potential material impacts to the Company’s financial results, operations, and/or reputation are immediately reported by management to our Board of Directors or the Audit Committee, as appropriate, in accordance with our escalation framework. In addition, we have established procedures to ensure that management responsible for overseeing the effectiveness of disclosure controls is informed in a timely manner of known cybersecurity risks and incidents that may materially impact our operations and that timely public disclosure is made as appropriate. We maintain insurance coverage that may, subject to policy terms and conditions, cover certain aspects of cybersecurity risks; however, such insurance coverage may be unavailable or insufficient to cover all losses or all types of claims that may arise in the continually evolving area of cyber risk.

Recent Developments

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None.

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Available Information

We file annual, quarterly and current reports and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The address of the SEC’s internet website is www.sec.gov.

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Our internet address is www.merit.com. On our Investor Relations website, www.merit.com/investors, we make available, free of charge, a variety of information for investors. Our goal is to maintain the Investor Relations website as a portal through which investors can easily find or navigate to pertinent information about us, including:

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Additionally, we provide electronic and paper copies of such filings free of charge upon request.

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The information on www.merit.com is not, and will not be deemed, a part of this Report or incorporated into any other filings we make with the SEC.

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Financial Information About Foreign and Domestic Sales

For financial information relating to our foreign and domestic sales see Note 2 and Note 13 to our consolidated financial statements set forth in Item 8 of this report.

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Item 1A.Risk Factors.

Our business, operations and financial condition are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results will vary, and may vary materially, from those anticipated, estimated, projected or expected. Among the key factors that may have a direct bearing on our business, operations or financial condition are the factors identified below:

COVID-19 Pandemic Risks

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted our business and operations around the world and may continue to materially and adversely impact our business, operations and financial results.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant disruption and uncertainty in the global economy, has negatively impacted our business, results of operations and financial condition, and we anticipate that it may continue to negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition for the foreseeable future.

Numerous national, international, state and local jurisdictions have imposed, and others in the future may impose, a variety of government orders and restrictions for their residents to control the spread of COVID-19. Such orders or restrictions may cause significant alteration of our operations, work stoppages, slowdowns and delays, travel restrictions and event cancellations, among other effects, thereby significantly and negatively impacting our operations. Other disruptions or potential disruptions include (i) restrictions on our personnel and personnel of business partners to travel and access customers for training and case support; (ii) reductions in spending by our customers; (iii) delays in approvals by regulatory bodies; (iv) diversion of or limitations on employee resources that would otherwise be focused on the operations of our business, including because of sickness of employees or their families or the desire of employees to avoid contact with large groups of people; (v) reductions in our sales team, including through layoffs, furloughs or other losses of sales representatives; (vi) additional government requirements or other incremental mitigation efforts that may further impact our or our suppliers' capacity to manufacture our products; (vii) disruption of our research and development activities; and (viii) delays in ongoing studies and pre-clinical trials.

In addition, elective procedures that use our products significantly decreased in number during 2020 as health care organizations around the world prioritized the treatment of patients with COVID-19 and reduced spending in other areas. For example, in the United States, governmental authorities have recommended, and in certain cases required, that elective, deferrable, specialty and other procedures and appointments, be suspended or canceled to avoid non-essential patient exposure to medical environments and potential infection with COVID-19 and to focus limited resources and personnel capacity toward the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Specifically, many of these procedures that use our products have been suspended or postponed. While certain of these procedures have resumed in certain locations, it is unclear when or if all procedures in all locations will resume.

While we have seen increases in demand for certain product lines during the pandemic, including our Cultura™ nasopharyngeal swab and test kit, this increased demand has not been, and may not be, sufficient to offset the revenue declines in other areas. We also expect continued pressure on our margins due to decreased demand for products with gross margins that are higher than the company average.

In addition, most of the hospitals and clinics that purchase our products have instituted strict procedures at their facilities in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including restrictions on sales representatives entering these facilities. This has been, and currently remains, a major impediment to our sales efforts, as supporting existing customers and acquiring new customers is much more difficult in this environment. These restrictions have had a significant adverse effect on our sales and, until they are lifted, our business, operations and financial results will continue to be adversely impacted.

Further, once the pandemic subsides, we anticipate there will be substantial backlog of patients seeking appointments with physicians and surgeries to be performed at hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers relating to a variety of medical conditions, and as a result, patients seeking procedures that use our products will have to navigate limited provider capacity. On the other hand, we do not know if demand for these postponed, elective procedures will return to the levels we experienced prior to the pandemic. We believe this limited provider, hospital and ambulatory surgery center capacity,

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and a decline in demand for the procedures that use our products, could have a significant adverse effect on our business, operations and financial results following the end of the pandemic.

These challenges and restrictions will likely continue for the duration of the pandemic, which is uncertain, and may even continue beyond the pandemic. Many areas are relaxing restrictions and resuming business operations, but a resurgence in infections or mutations of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could cause authorities to reinstate such restrictions or impose additional restrictions. All of these factors also may cause or contribute to disruptions and delays in our logistics and supply chain. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our business, operations and financial results will depend on future developments that are uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information that may emerge concerning the severity and spread of the virus and the actions by government entities, our customers and other parties to contain the virus or treat its impact, among others. To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business, operations and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening other risks described herein, such as those relating to general economic conditions, demand for our products, relationships with suppliers and sales efforts.

Business, Economic, Industry and Operational Risks

Changes in general economic conditions, geopolitical conditions, domestic and foreign trade policies and other factors beyond our control may adversely impact our business and operating results.

Our operations and performance depend significantly on global, regional and U.S. economic and geopolitical conditions. In recent years, there has been discussion and dialogue regarding potential significant changes to U.S. trade policies, legislation, treaties and tariffs, including the replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) with the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (“USMCA”) which became effective on July 1, 2020. At this time, it is unknown whether the current administration will attempt to renegotiate the terms of the USMCA or implement its own policies and regulations to replace those established by the Trump Administration. In addition, with changes in the balance of power between the parties in the U.S. Congress, new legislation could be passed into law. It is unclear what the effect of any such action would have, either positively or negatively, on our industry or our Company. If any new legislation and/or regulations are implemented, or if existing trade agreements are renegotiated, it may be inefficient and expensive for us to alter our business operations in order to adapt to or comply with such changes.

In addition, any changes in U.S. trade policy could trigger retaliatory actions by affected countries, such as China, resulting in a “trade war.” A trade war could result in increased costs for raw materials we use in our manufacturing and could result in foreign governments imposing tariffs on products that we export outside the U.S. or otherwise limiting our ability to sell our products abroad. Furthermore, regulations and trade policies implemented by foreign governments to reduce the costs of healthcare or promote business in their countries could also cause our sales to decline in such countries. For example, China has implemented a volume-based procurement process designed to decrease prices for medical devices and other products. These events could result in increased costs, lower margins and lower sales than we would otherwise expect, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Our customers and suppliers may also be affected by these events, so even if we are not directly impacted, we may still experience lower demand for our products and increases in our manufacturing costs because of the effects these events may have on our customers and suppliers.

The United Kingdom’s (“UK”) departure from the European Union (“EU”) (commonly known as “Brexit”) has created uncertainties affecting business operations in the UK, the EU and a number of other countries, including with respect to compliance with the regulatory regimes regarding the labeling and registration of the products we sell in these markets. While we have taken proactive steps to mitigate possible disruption to our operations, we could face increased costs, volatility in exchange rates, market instability and other risks, depending on the effects of existing and future agreements between the UK and EU regarding Brexit and the future EU/UK trading relationship.

The above factors, including a number of other economic and geopolitical factors both in the U.S. and abroad, could ultimately have material adverse effects on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows, including the following :

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Consolidation in the healthcare industry, group purchasing organizations and public procurement policies have lead to demands for price concessions, which reduces our revenues and may harm our ability to sell our products at prices necessary to support our current business strategies.

Healthcare costs have risen significantly over the past decade, which has resulted in or led to numerous cost reform initiatives by legislators, regulators and third-party payers. Cost reform has triggered a consolidation trend in the healthcare industry to aggregate purchasing power, which has created more requests for pricing concessions and is expected to continue in the future. Additionally, many of our customers belong to group purchasing organizations or integrated delivery networks that use their market power to consolidate purchasing decisions for these hospitals and healthcare service providers. These customers are often able to obtain lower prices and more favorable terms because of the potential sales volume they represent, which has lead to lower revenues and required us to take on additional liability. We expect that market demand, government regulation, third-party coverage and reimbursement policies and societal pressures will continue to change the healthcare industry worldwide, resulting in further business consolidations and alliances among our customers, which may exert further downward pressure on the prices of our products.

Termination or interruption of, or a failure to monitor, our supply relationships and increases in labor costs and the price of our component parts, finished products, third-party services or raw materials, particularly petroleum-based products, could have an adverse effect on our business, operations or financial condition.

We rely on raw materials, component parts, finished products and third-party services in connection with our business. For example, substantially all of our products are sterilized by only a few different entities. If any of these sterilizers goes out of business or fails to comply with quality or regulatory requirements, we may be unable to find a suitable supplier to replace them. This could significantly delay or stop production and cause sales of such products to materially decline. Additionally, many of our products have components that are manufactured using resins, plastics and other petroleum-based materials which are available from a limited number of suppliers. We are experiencing a growing trend among suppliers of polymer resins to refuse to supply resin to the medical device manufacturers or to require such manufacturers to assume additional risks due to the potential for product liability claims. Additionally, there is no assurance that crude oil supplies will be uninterrupted or that petroleum-based manufacturing materials will be available for purchase in the future. Any interruption to the supply of polymers or petroleum-based resins could have an adverse effect on our ability to produce, or on the cost to produce, our products.

The availability and price of these materials, parts, products and services are affected by a variety of factors beyond our control, including the willingness of suppliers to sell into the medical device industry, changes in supply and demand, general economic conditions, labor costs, fuel-related transportation costs, liability concerns, climate change (including new and existing laws and regulations to address climate change), competition, import duties, tariffs, currency exchange rates and political uncertainty around the world. Our suppliers often pass some of their cost increases on to us, and if such increased costs are sustained or increase further, our suppliers may pass further cost increases on to us. In addition to the effect on resin prices, transportation costs generally increase based on the effect of higher crude oil prices, and these increased transportation costs are often passed on to us. Our costs may also be impacted by laws to increase minimum wages, including the potential increase to the federal minimum wage in the United States that has been recently proposed by the current administration.

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Our ability to recover such increased costs may depend upon our ability to raise prices on our products. Due to the highly competitive nature of the healthcare industry and the cost-containment efforts of our customers and third-party payers, we may be unable to pass along cost increases through higher prices. If we are unable to fully recover these costs through price increases or offset these increases through cost reductions, or we experience terminations or interruption of our relationships with our suppliers, we could experience lower margins and profitability, and our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be materially harmed.

Any damage or interruption to our facilities, infrastructure, manufacturing processes or information technology systems, or those of our suppliers, could result in lost revenues and our business could be seriously harmed.

Damage or interruption to our facilities or systems relating to manufacturing, distribution, research and development, or information technology because of fire, extreme weather conditions, natural disaster, power loss, communications failure, geopolitical disruption, labor strikes, riots, cyber-attack, health epidemics and pandemics, unauthorized entry or other events could significantly disrupt our operations, the operations of suppliers and critical infrastructure. These events may also delay or prevent product manufacturing and shipment during the time required to repair, rebuild or replace the damaged facilities or systems. We have recently closed certain facilities, and the resulting consolidation may further exacerbate the effects of these events or make it more difficult for us to respond to the effects of these events. Climate change may increase both the frequency and severity of natural disasters and, consequently, risks to our operations and growth. Although we maintain property damage and business interruption insurance coverage on our facilities, our insurance might not cover all losses under such circumstances, and we may not be able to renew or obtain such insurance in the future on acceptable terms with adequate coverage or at reasonable costs.

We may be unable to compete in our markets, particularly if there is a significant change in relevant practices or technology.

The markets in which our products compete are highly competitive. We face competition from many companies which are larger, better established, have greater financial, technical and other resources and possess a greater market presence than we do. Such resources and market presence may enable our competitors to more effectively market competing products or to market competing products at reduced prices in order to gain market share.

In addition, our ability to compete successfully is dependent, in part, upon our response to changes in technology and upon our efforts to develop and market new products which achieve significant market acceptance. Competing companies with substantially greater resources than us are actively engaged in research and development of new methods, treatments, drugs, and procedures to treat or prevent cardiovascular disease that could limit the market for our products and eventually make some of our products obsolete. A reduction in the demand for a significant number of our products, or a few key products, could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations or financial condition.

Strategic, Business Development and Employee Attraction and Retention Risks

We may be unable to successfully manage growth and maintain operational efficiencies.

Successful implementation and execution of our business strategy will require that we effectively manage our growth. As the Company grows, we are often faced with decisions to (i) expand certain product lines and discontinue others, (ii) open or expand new facilities and close others, (iii) allocate resources between new and established markets, or (iv) allocate resources between the expansion of organic business and the acquisition of new product lines. The outcome of each choice in these decisions is uncertain, and even with the exercise of excellent business judgment, results may not align with expectations because of the many factors listed in this section. In addition, our management will need to continue to implement changes in certain aspects of our business, improve our information systems, infrastructure and operations to respond to increased demand, attract and retain qualified personnel, and develop, train, and manage an increasing number of employees. We may not have the resources available to implement certain necessary changes, and as a result, growth may be delayed or we may not be able to take advantage of certain business opportunities. Growth has placed, and will likely continue to place, an increasing strain on our management, sales and other personnel, and on our financial, product design, marketing, distribution, technology and other resources. Any failure to manage growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations or financial condition.

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Substantial costs are incurred when identifying, evaluating, negotiating and closing acquisitions, and failure to integrate acquired businesses may adversely impact our business and financial results.

Over the past several years, we have completed a series of significant acquisitions and, in the future we may consider other potential acquisitions and strategic transactions, certain of which may also be significant. We have incurred, and will likely continue to incur, significant expenses in connection with negotiating and consummating various acquisition and other strategic transactions. As we grow through acquisitions, we face the additional challenges of integrating the operations, culture, information management systems and other characteristics of the acquired entity with our own, including sales models related to capital equipment. Our efforts to integrate acquisitions may be hampered by delays, the loss of certain employees, suppliers or customers, proceedings resulting from employment terminations, culture clashes, unbudgeted costs, and other issues, which may occur at levels that are more severe or prolonged than anticipated.

Additionally, past and future acquisitions may increase the risks of competition we face by, among other things, extending our operations into industry segments and product lines where we have few existing customers or qualified sales personnel and limited expertise. Further, as a result of certain acquisitions, we are selling capital equipment, in addition to our historical sales of disposable medical devices. The sale of capital equipment may create additional risks and potential liability, which may negatively affect our business, operations or financial condition.

In addition, we may not realize competitive advantages, synergies or other benefits anticipated in connection with any such acquisition or other transaction. If we do not adequately identify and value targets for, or manage issues related to, acquisitions and strategic transactions, such transactions may not produce the anticipated benefits and have an adverse effect on our business, operations or financial condition.

We will be required to expend significant resources for research, development, testing and regulatory approval or clearance of our products under development, and these products may not be developed successfully or approved for commercial use.

Most of our products under development will require significant additional research, development, engineering and, in some cases, preclinical and clinical testing, as well as regulatory approval or clearance and a commitment of significant additional resources prior to their commercialization. It is possible that our products may not:

We may be unable to accurately forecast customer demand for our products and manage our inventory.

To ensure adequate supply, we must forecast our inventory needs and place orders with our suppliers based on estimates of future demand for particular products. Our ability to accurately forecast demand for our products could be negatively affected by many factors, including our failure to accurately manage our expansion strategy and customer acceptance of new products, product introductions by our competitors, an increase or decrease in customer demand for our products or for products of our competitors, unanticipated changes in general market conditions or regulatory matters and weakening of economic conditions, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic or consumer confidence in future economic conditions. Inventory levels in excess of customer demand may result in inventory write-downs or write-offs, which would impact our gross margin. Conversely, if we underestimate customer demand for our products, our manufacturing facilities may not be able to deliver products to meet our order requirements, which could damage our reputation and customer relationships.

Our forecasts of customer demand and related decisions that we make about production levels may take into account potential opportunities created by regulatory issues, supply disruptions or other challenges experienced by our competitors.

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We generally do not know the extent and cannot predict the duration of these challenges experienced by our competitors. As a result, our estimates about related increased demand for our products are inherently uncertain and subject to change. If our estimates incorrectly forecast the extent or duration of this increased demand, or the product types to which it relates, our revenues, margins and earnings could be adversely affected.

We lack direct sales and marketing capabilities in many countries and are dependent on our distributors for the commercialization of our products in these countries. If we are unable to maintain or establish sales capabilities on our own or through third parties, we may not be able to commercialize any of our products in those countries.

We have no or limited direct sales or marketing capabilities in some of the regions and countries in which our products are sold, including, among others, China, Japan, Russia and India. We have entered into distribution agreements with third parties to market and sell our products in those countries in which we do not have a direct sales force and in those countries in which we utilize a “modified direct” sales approach. If we are unable to maintain or enter into such distribution arrangements on acceptable terms, or at all, we may not be able to successfully commercialize our products in certain countries. Moreover, to the extent that we enter into distribution arrangements with other companies, our revenues, if any, will depend on the terms of any such arrangements and the efforts of others. These efforts may turn out not to be sufficient and our third-party distributors may not effectively sell our products. In addition, although our contract terms require our distributors to comply with all applicable laws regarding the sale of our products, including anti-competition, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering and sanctions laws, we may not be able to ensure proper compliance. If our distributors fail to effectively market and sell our products in full compliance with applicable laws, our results of operations and business could be impacted.

Actions of activist shareholders, including a proxy contest, could be disruptive and potentially costly and the possibility that activist shareholders may contest, or seek changes that conflict with, our strategic direction could cause uncertainty about the strategic direction of our business.

On May 26, 2020, we entered into an agreement with Starboard Value and Opportunity Master Fund Ltd (“Starboard”). Starboard is a significant shareholder and had previously informed us that it intended to nominate up to seven individuals to stand for election as directors at our 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Pursuant to the agreement, Starboard agreed to withdraw its slate of directors and we agreed to nominate three new directors. These three directors were elected to our Board of Directors at the 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Additional terms of the agreement with Starboard can be found in our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on May 27, 2020.

While our Board of Directors and management team strive to maintain constructive, ongoing communications with all of our shareholders, including Starboard, and we welcome constructive input from all shareholders toward the shared goal of enhancing stakeholder value, activist campaigns that contest, or seek to change, our strategic direction could have an adverse effect on us because: (i) responding to actions by activist shareholders could disrupt our operations, be costly and time consuming, and divert the attention of our Board of Directors and senior management from the pursuit of business strategies, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition; (ii) perceived uncertainties as to our future direction may lead to the perception of a change in the direction of the business, instability or lack of continuity which may be exploited by our competitors, cause concern to our current or potential customers, cause concern in the minds of our employees and lead to the departure of critical employees, result in the loss of potential business opportunities and make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel and business partners; and (iii) these types of actions could cause significant fluctuations in our stock price based on temporary or speculative market perceptions or other factors that do not necessarily reflect the underlying fundamentals and prospects of our business.

We are dependent upon key personnel.

Our success is dependent on key management personnel, including Fred P. Lampropoulos, our Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Lampropoulos is not subject to any agreement prohibiting his departure, and we do not maintain key man life insurance on his life. The loss of Mr. Lampropoulos, or of certain other key management personnel, could have a materially adverse effect on our business and operations. Our success also depends on, among other factors, the successful recruitment and retention of key operating, manufacturing, sales and other personnel.

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Intellectual Property

We may not be able to effectively protect our intellectual property, which could harm our business and financial condition.

Our ability to remain competitive is dependent, in part, upon our ability to protect our intellectual property rights and prevent other companies from using our intellectual property to produce competing products. We seek to protect our intellectual property rights through a combination of confidentiality and license agreements, and through registrations under patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws. However, these measures afford only limited protection and may be challenged, invalidated, or circumvented by third parties. Additionally, these measures may not prevent competitors from duplicating our products or gaining access to our proprietary information and technology. Third parties may copy all or portions of our products or otherwise use our intellectual property without authorization, and we may not be able to prevent the unauthorized disclosure or use of our intellectual property by consultants, vendors, former employees and current employees. Despite our efforts to restrict such unauthorized disclosure or use through nondisclosure agreements and other contractual restrictions, we may not be able to enforce these contractual provisions or we may incur substantial costs enforcing our legal rights.

Third parties may also develop similar or superior technology independently or by designing around our patents. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not offer the same level of protection for our intellectual property as the laws of the U.S. Further, no assurances can be given that any patent application we have filed or will file will result in a patent being issued, or that any existing or future patents will afford adequate or meaningful protection against competitors or against similar technologies. All of our patents will eventually expire and some of our patents, including patents protecting significant elements of our technology, will expire within the next several years.

Filing, prosecuting and defending our intellectual property in countries throughout the world may be impractical and prohibitively expensive. Litigation may be necessary in the future to enforce our intellectual property rights, protect our trade secrets or to determine the validity and scope of proprietary rights claimed by others. Any such lawsuits that we might initiate could be expensive, take significant time and divert management’s attention from our business. Litigation also puts our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly. Additionally, we may provoke third parties to assert claims against us. Moreover, the legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the aggressive enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protections, which makes it difficult to stop infringement. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate, and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially valuable.

Third parties claiming that we infringe their intellectual property rights could cause us to incur significant legal or licensing expenses and prevent us from selling our products.

Our commercial success will depend in part on not infringing or violating the intellectual property rights of others. From time to time, third parties may claim that we have infringed their intellectual property rights, including claims regarding patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. We may not be aware of whether our products do or will infringe existing or future patents or the intellectual property rights of others. Because of constant technological change in the medical device industry in which we compete, the extensive patent coverage of existing technologies, and the rapid rate of issuance of new patents, it is possible that the number of these claims may grow. In addition, former employers of our former, current, or future employees may assert claims that such employees have improperly disclosed to us the confidential or proprietary information of such former employers. Any such claim, with or without merit, could result in costly litigation, distract management from day-to-day operations and harm our brand or reputation, which in turn could harm our business or results of operations. If we are not successful in defending such claims, we could be required to (i) stop selling our products, (ii) redesign our products, (iii) discontinue the use of related trademarks, technologies or designs, (iv) pay damages or indemnification obligations, or (v) enter into royalty or licensing arrangements. Royalty or licensing arrangements that we may seek in such circumstances may not be available to us on commercially reasonable terms or at all and we may not be able to redesign applicable products in a way to avoid infringing the intellectual property rights of others. We have made and expect to continue making significant expenditures to investigate, defend and settle claims related to the use of technology and intellectual property rights as part of our strategy to manage this risk.

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Regulatory, Litigation, Tax and Legal Compliance Risks

The FDA regulatory clearance process is expensive, time-consuming and uncertain, and the failure to obtain and maintain required regulatory clearances and approvals could prevent us from commercializing our products.

Before we can introduce a new device or a new use of or a claim for a cleared device in the U.S., we must generally obtain clearance from the FDA, unless an exemption from premarket review or an alternative procedure, such as a de novo risk-based classification or a humanitarian device exemption, applies. The FDA clearance and approval processes for medical devices are expensive, uncertain and time-consuming.

We may make changes to our cleared products without seeking additional clearances or approvals if we determine such clearances or approvals are not necessary and document the basis for that conclusion. However, the FDA may disagree with our determination or may require additional information, including clinical data, to be submitted before a determination is made, in which case we may be required to delay the introduction and marketing of our modified products, redesign our products, conduct clinical trials to support any modifications and pay significant regulatory fines or penalties. In addition, the FDA may not approve or clear our products for the indications that are necessary or desirable for successful commercialization.

In particular, we are currently conducting a large, multinational pivotal human clinical trial of the Wrapsody™ Stent Graft. A successful outcome of this trial is required to obtain approval from the FDA and some international regulatory agencies. However, there is no assurance that we will be able to obtain the necessary regulatory clearances or approvals for the Wrapsody™ Stent Graft or any other products on a timely basis or at all. Further, the FDA may change its clearance and approval policies, adopt additional regulations or revise existing regulations, or take other actions which may prevent or delay approval or clearance of our products under development or impact our ability to modify our currently cleared products on a timely basis. Delays in receipt of, or failure to obtain, regulatory clearances for any product enhancements or new products we develop would result in delayed or no realization of revenue from such product enhancements or new products and in substantial additional costs, which could decrease our profitability.

In addition, we are required to continue to comply with applicable FDA and other regulatory requirements once we have obtained clearance or approval for a product. We cannot provide assurance that we will successfully maintain the clearances or approvals we have received or may receive in the future. The loss of previously received clearances or approvals, or the failure to comply with existing or future regulatory requirements, could also have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our products are generally subject to regulatory requirements in foreign countries in which we sell those products. We will be required to expend significant resources to obtain regulatory approvals or clearances of our products, and there may be delays and uncertainty in obtaining those approvals or clearances.

In order to sell our products in foreign countries, generally we must obtain regulatory approvals and comply with the regulations of those countries. These regulations, including the requirements for approvals or clearances and the time required for regulatory review, vary from country-to-country.

The EU requires that manufacturers of medical devices obtain the right to affix the CE mark, for compliance with the MDD, to medical devices before selling them in member countries of the EU. The CE mark is an international symbol of adherence to quality assurance standards and compliance with applicable European medical device directives. In order to obtain the authorization to affix the CE mark to products, a manufacturer must obtain certification that its processes and products meet certain European quality standards.

In May 2017, the EU adopted the MDR, which will repeal and replace the MDD with effect from May 26, 2021. Under transitional provisions, medical devices with notified body certificates issued under the MDD prior to May 26, 2021 may continue to be placed on the market for the remaining validity of the certificate, until May 26, 2024 at the latest. After the expiry of any applicable transitional period, only devices that have been CE marked under the MDR may be placed on the market in the EU. The MDR includes increasingly stringent requirements in multiple areas, such as pre-market clinical evidence (some of which are now in effect), review of high-risk devices, labeling and post-market surveillance. Under the MDR, pre-market clinical data will now be required to obtain CE Mark approval for high-risk, new and modified medical

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devices. We plan to be fully compliant with the MDR ahead of expiry dates, however for multiple reasons, including but not limited to changing business strategies, costs of obtaining MDR certification, availability of necessary data and Notified Body capacity, there may be some products that we will discontinue in the EU or which may not be fully compliant at the time of expiry.

China and some of its provinces have also implemented policies and regulations to reduce prices for medical devices, such as a volume-based procurement process. China-based companies may also have certain competitive advantages because of these policies and regulations.

Complying with and obtaining regulatory approval in foreign countries, including compliance with the MDR when effective, have caused and will likely continue to cause us to experience more uncertainty, risk, expense and delay in commercializing products in certain foreign jurisdictions, which could have a material adverse impact our net sales, market share and operating profits from our international operations.

The medical device industry is subject to extensive scrutiny and regulation by governmental authorities and we are currently operating under a Corporate Integrity Agreement. If governmental authorities determine that we have violated laws, regulations or our Corporate Integrity Agreement, our company or our employees may be subject to various penalties, including civil or criminal penalties.

Our medical devices and business activities are subject to rigorous regulation by the FDA and other federal, state and foreign governmental authorities. These authorities and domestic and foreign legislators continue to scrutinize the medical device industry. In recent years, the U.S. Congress, DOJ, the OIG and the Department of Defense, as well as foreign counterparts, have issued subpoenas and other requests for information to medical device manufacturers, primarily related to financial arrangements with healthcare providers, regulatory compliance and product promotional practices.

In October 2020, we entered into a Settlement Agreement with the DOJ to resolve their investigation into our past marketing transactions and practices. Under the Settlement Agreement and related agreements, we paid approximately $18.7 million (which includes interest and certain fees) in exchange for a release from liability for the alleged conduct. The settlement was also conditioned upon our entering into a CIA with the OIG, see “Regulation – DOJ Settlement and Corporate Integrity Agreement” in Item 1 of this report. Even if we fully comply with the CIA, we have incurred, and anticipate that we will continue to incur, substantial costs in connection with the settlement and compliance with the CIA. It is unclear what impact the settlement has had and may have on our reputation. This matter has consumed a significant amount of our resources and management’s attention.

We anticipate that government authorities will continue to scrutinize our industry closely, and that additional regulation by government authorities may increase compliance costs, exposure to litigation and other adverse effects on our operations. If we fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements and the terms of the CIA, we may be subjected to a wide variety of sanctions and enforcement actions, including warning letters that require corrective action, injunctions, product seizures or recalls, suspension of product manufacturing, revocation of approvals, import or export prohibitions, exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs, civil fines and/or criminal penalties, which in turn may have a negative impact our business, results of operations, financial condition and ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms.

We are subject to laws targeting fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry, the violation of which could adversely affect our business or financial results.

Our operations are subject to various state and federal laws targeting fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry, including the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and other anti-kickback laws, which prohibit any person from knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration, directly or indirectly, to induce or reward either the referral of an individual, or the furnishing or arranging for an item or service, for which payment may be made under federal healthcare programs, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Violations of these fraud and abuse-related laws are punishable by criminal or civil sanctions, including substantial fines, imprisonment and exclusion from participation in healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, any of which could harm our business or financial results. Allegations of such violations could lead to expensive and time-consuming investigations by government authorities and result in conviction

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of these violations or settlement costs and additional restrictions, like a CIA, as was the outcome of our DOJ investigation discussed above.

We are also subject to the FCPA, the U.K. Bribery Act, and similar anti-corruption laws in non-U.S. jurisdictions. These laws generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from illegally offering things of value to any individual for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. As we continue to expand our business activities internationally, compliance with the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws presents greater challenges to our operations. If our employees or agents violate the provisions of the FCPA or other anti-corruption laws, we may incur fines or penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results or financial condition.

Limits on reimbursement imposed by governmental and other programs may adversely affect our business and results of operation.

We sell our products to hospitals and other healthcare providers around the world that typically receive reimbursement for the services provided to patients from third-party payers such as government programs (e.g., Medicare and Medicaid in the U.S.) and private insurance programs. The ability of our customers to obtain appropriate reimbursement for the cost of our products from governmental and private third-party payers is critical to our business. Limits on reimbursement imposed by such programs may adversely affect the ability of hospitals and others to purchase our products, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Third-party payers, whether foreign or domestic, or governmental or commercial, are developing increasingly sophisticated methods of controlling healthcare costs. In general, a third-party payer covers a medical procedure only when the plan administrator is satisfied that the product or procedure is reasonable and necessary to the patient’s treatment; however, the cost-effectiveness of the treatment may also be a condition. In addition, in the U.S., no uniform policy of coverage and reimbursement for procedures using our products exists among third-party payers. Therefore, coverage and reimbursement for procedures using our products can differ significantly from payer to payer. In addition, payers continually review new and existing technologies for possible coverage and can, without notice, deny or reverse coverage or alter pre-authorization requirements for new or existing products and procedures. We cannot provide assurance that we will be successful in any efforts we may potentially undertake to reverse such non-coverage decisions. If we are not successful in reversing non-coverage policies, or if third-party payers that currently cover or reimburse certain procedures reverse or limit their coverage of such procedures in the future, or if other third-party payers issue similar policies, our business could be adversely impacted.

Further, we believe that future coverage and reimbursement may be subject to increased restrictions, such as additional preauthorization requirements, both in the U.S. and in international markets. Third-party coverage and reimbursement for procedures using our products or any of our products in development for which we may receive regulatory approval may not be available or adequate in either the U.S. or international markets, which could have an adverse impact on our business.

Our business is subject to complex and evolving U.S., state and international laws and regulations regarding privacy and data protection. Many of these laws and regulations are subject to change and uncertain interpretation and could result in claims, changes to our business practices, penalties, increased cost of operations, or declines in user growth or engagement, or otherwise harm our business.

The U.S. and many other countries in which we conduct our operations have adopted laws and regulations protecting certain data, including medical and personal data (including HIPAA, the HITECH Act and the rules issued thereunder), and requiring data holders and controllers to implement administrative, logical and technical controls and procedures in order to protect the privacy of such data. Individual states have also begun to enact data privacy laws. For example, California’s Consumer Protection Act went into effect on January 1, 2020, giving consumers the right to demand certain information and actions from companies who collect personal information. Internationally, some countries have also passed laws and regulations that require individually identifiable data on their citizens to be maintained on local servers and that may restrict transfer or processing of that data. In addition, regulatory authorities around the world are considering a number of additional proposals concerning data protection. These laws and regulations have been, and may continue to be, inconsistent with each other, requiring different approaches in different jurisdictions. In addition, the interpretation and application of medical and personal data protection laws and regulations in the U.S., Europe, China and elsewhere are

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often uncertain and in flux. Further, we have incurred, and will likely continue to incur, significant expense in connection with our efforts to comply with those applicable laws and regulations. It is possible that these laws and regulations may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our data practices, possibly resulting in fines or orders requiring that we change our data practices, which could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Complying with these various laws could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices in a manner adverse to our business.

Legal developments in Europe have created compliance uncertainty regarding certain transfers of personal data from the EU to the U.S. and other non-EU jurisdictions (in particular taking into account the recent decision of the European Court of Justice in Case C-311/18 (Schrems II)). For example, the GDPR, which came into application in the EU on May 25, 2018, applies to our activities conducted from an establishment in the EU or related to products and services that we offer to EU users. The GDPR created a range of new compliance obligations, which could cause us to change our business practices, and significantly increases financial penalties for noncompliance (including possible fines of up to 4% of global annual turnover for the preceding financial year or €20 million (whichever is higher) for the most serious infringements).

Our failure to comply with applicable environmental, health and safety laws and regulations could affect our business, operations or financial condition.

We manufacture and assemble certain products that require the use of hazardous materials that are subject to various national, federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the protection of the environment, health and safety. Moreover, climate change and sustainability efforts and potential climate change regulations could lead to business interruption, significantly increased costs and other adverse consequences to our business. While the cost of compliance with such laws and regulations has not had a material adverse effect on our results of operations historically, compliance with future regulations may require additional capital investments. Additionally, because we use a limited amount of hazardous and other regulated materials in our manufacturing processes, we are subject to certain risks of future liabilities, lawsuits and claims resulting from any substances we manufacture, dispose of or release. Certain environmental laws and regulations may impose “strict liability” for the conduct of, or conditions caused by, others, or for acts that were in non-compliance with all applicable laws at the time the acts were performed, rendering us liable without regard to our negligence or fault. Because of these laws, any accidental release may have an adverse effect on our business, operations or financial condition.

Our operations are also subject to various laws and regulations relating to occupational health and safety. We maintain safety, training and maintenance programs as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Compliance with applicable health and safety laws and regulations has required and continues to require significant expenditures.

We are also subject to corporate social responsibility, or CSR, laws and regulations which require us to monitor the labor standards in our supply chain, including the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, the UK Modern Slavery Act, and U.S. Federal Acquisition Regulations regarding Combating Trafficking in Persons. These CSR labor laws and regulations may impose additional processes and supplier management systems and have led certain key customers to impose additional requirements on medical device companies, including audits, as a prerequisite to selling products to such customers, which could result in increased costs for our products, the termination or suspension of certain suppliers, and reductions in our margins and profitability.

Use of our products in unapproved circumstances could expose us to liabilities.

The marketing clearances and approvals from the FDA and other regulators of certain of our products are, or are expected to be, limited to specific uses. We are prohibited from marketing or promoting any uncleared or unapproved use of our product. However, physicians may use these products in ways or circumstances other than those strictly within the scope of the regulatory approval or clearance. The use of our products for unauthorized purposes could arise from our sales personnel or distributors violating our policies by providing information or recommendations about such unauthorized uses. Consequently, claims may be asserted by the FDA or other enforcement agencies that we are not in compliance with applicable laws or regulations or have improperly promoted our products for uncleared or unapproved uses. The FDA or such other agencies could require a recall of products or allege that our promotional activities misbrand or adulterate our

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products or violate other legal requirements, which could result in investigations, prosecutions, fines or other civil or criminal actions.

Our products may be subject to product liability claims and warranty claims.

Our products are used in connection with invasive procedures and in other medical contexts that entail an inherent risk of product liability claims. If medical personnel or their patients suffer injury or death in connection with the use of our products, whether as a result of a failure of our products to function as designed, an inappropriate design, inadequate disclosure of product-related risks or information, improper use, or for any other reason, we could be subject to lawsuits seeking significant compensatory and punitive damages. Product liability claims may be brought by individuals or by groups seeking to represent a class. We have previously faced claims by patients claiming injuries from our products. To date, these claims have not resulted in material harm to our operations or financial condition. The outcome of this type of personal injury litigation is difficult to assess or quantify. We maintain product liability insurance; however, there is no assurance that this coverage will be sufficient to satisfy any claim made against us. Moreover, any product liability claim brought against us could result in significant costs, divert our management’s attention from other business matters or operations, increase our product liability insurance rates, or prevent us from securing insurance coverage in the future. As a result, any lawsuit seeking significant monetary damages may have a material adverse effect on our business, operations or financial condition.

We generally offer a limited warranty for the return of product due to defects in quality and workmanship. We attempt to estimate our potential liability for future product returns and establish reserves on our financial statements in amounts that we believe will be sufficient to address our warranty obligations; however, our actual liability for product returns may significantly exceed the amount of our reserves. If we underestimate our potential liability for future product returns, or if unanticipated events result in returns that exceed our historical experience, our financial condition and operating results could be materially harmed.

In addition, the occurrence of such an event or claim could result in a recall of products from the market or a safety alert relating to such products. Such a recall could result in significant costs, reduce our revenue, divert management’s attention from our business, and harm our reputation.

Our products may cause or contribute to adverse medical events that we are required to report to the FDA or other governmental authorities, and if we fail to do so, we may be subject to sanctions that may materially harm our business.

Our products are subject to medical device reporting regulations, which require us to report to the FDA information that reasonably suggests one of our products may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury, or one of our products malfunctioned and, if the malfunction were to recur, this device or a similar device that we market would be likely to cause or contribute to a death or serious injury. Our obligation to report under the medical device reporting regulations is triggered on the date on which we become aware of information that reasonably suggests a reportable adverse event occurred. We may fail to report adverse events of which we become aware within the prescribed timeframe. We may also fail to recognize that we have become aware of a reportable adverse event, especially if it is not reported to us as an adverse event or if it is an adverse event that is unexpected or if the product characteristic that caused the adverse event is removed in time from our products. If we fail to comply with our medical device reporting obligations, the FDA could issue warning letters or untitled letters, take administrative actions, commence criminal prosecution, impose civil monetary penalties, demand or initiate a product recall, seize our products, or delay the clearance of our future products.

Our employees, independent contractors, consultants, manufacturers and distributors may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements.

We are exposed to the risk that our employees, independent contractors, consultants, manufacturers and distributors may engage in fraudulent conduct or other illegal activity. Misconduct by these parties could include intentional, reckless or negligent conduct or disclosure of unauthorized activities to us that violates healthcare laws and regulations of the FDA and other federal, state and international authorities, manufacturing standards, and laws that require the true, complete and accurate reporting of financial information or data. We have adopted a code of business conduct and ethics, and a global anti-corruption policy, but it is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from

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governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties.

We may be a party to litigation in the course of our business or otherwise, which could affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We may become party to or otherwise involved in legal proceedings, claims or other legal matters, arising in the course of our business. In particular, our company, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer have been named in a complaint filed in the Central District of California, which alleges violations of certain federal securities laws. Legal proceedings can be complex and take many months, or even years, to reach resolution, with the final outcome depending on a number of variables, some of which are not within our control. Litigation is subject to significant uncertainty and may be expensive, time-consuming, and disruptive to our operations. Although it is our intention to vigorously defend ourselves in such legal proceedings, their ultimate resolution and potential financial and other impacts on us are uncertain. If a legal proceeding is resolved against us, it could result in significant compensatory damages or injunctive relief that could materially adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Information Technology and Cybersecurity Risks

We rely on the proper function, availability and security of information technology systems to operate our business, and a material disruption of critical information systems or a material breach in the security of our systems may adversely affect our business and customer relationships.

We rely on information technology systems (including technology from third-party providers) to process, transmit, and store electronic information in our day-to-day operations, including sensitive personal information and proprietary or confidential information. We also rely on our technology infrastructure, among other functions, to interact with customers and suppliers, fulfill orders and bill, collect and make payments, ship products, provide support to customers, fulfill contractual obligations and otherwise conduct business. Our internal information technology systems, as well as those systems maintained by third-party providers, may be subjected to computer viruses or other malicious code, unauthorized access attempts, and cyber-attacks, any of which could result in data leaks or otherwise compromise our confidential or proprietary information and disrupt our operations. Cyber-attacks are becoming more sophisticated and frequent, and there can be no assurance that our protective measures have prevented or will prevent security breaches, any of which could have a significant impact on our business, reputation and financial condition, particularly attacks that result in our intellectual property and other confidential information being accessed or stolen.

We rely on third-party vendors to supply and support certain aspects of our information technology systems. These third-party systems could also become vulnerable to cyber-attacks, malicious intrusions, breakdowns, interference or other significant disruptions, and may contain defects in design or manufacture or other problems that could result in system disruption or compromise the information security of our own systems. In addition, we continue to grow in part through business and product acquisitions and, as a result, may face risks associated with defects and vulnerabilities in the systems operated by the other parties to those transactions, or difficulties or other breakdowns or disruptions in connection with the integration of the acquired businesses and products into our information technology systems.

Cyber-attacks could also result in unauthorized access to our systems and products, including personal information of individuals, which could trigger notification requirements, encourage actions by regulatory bodies, result in adverse publicity, prompt us to offer credit support products or services to affected individuals and lead to class action or other civil litigation. If we fail to monitor, maintain or protect our information technology systems and data integrity effectively or fail to anticipate, plan for or manage significant disruptions to these systems, we could (i) lose customers, (ii) be subject to fraud, (iii) breach our agreements with or duties toward customers, physicians, other health care professionals and employees, (iv) be subject to regulatory sanctions or penalties, (v) incur expenses or lose revenues, (vi) sustain damage to our reputation, or (vii) suffer other adverse consequences. Unauthorized tampering, adulteration or interference with our products may also create issues with product functionality that could result in a loss of data, risk to patient safety, and product recalls or field actions. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations or financial condition.

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Market, Liquidity and Credit Risks

The agreements and instruments governing our debt contain restrictions and limitations that could significantly affect our ability to operate our business, as well as significantly affect our liquidity.

On July 31, 2019 we entered into a Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (“Third Amended Credit Agreement”), with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent and a lender, and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, BOFA Securities, Inc., HSBC Bank USA, National Association, and U.S. Bank National Association as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners, and Bank of America, N.A., HSBC Bank USA, National Association and U.S. Bank National Association as co-syndication agents. In addition, Bank of America, N.A., HSBC Bank USA, National Association, U.S. Bank, National Association, BMO Harris Bank, N.A., and MUFG Union Bank, Ltd. are parties to the Third Amended Credit Agreement as lenders. The Third Amended Credit Agreement amends and restates in its entirety our previously outstanding Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement and all amendments thereto (the “Second Amended Credit Agreement”). The Third Amended Credit Agreement contains a number of significant covenants that could adversely affect our ability to operate our business, our liquidity or our results of operations. These covenants restrict, among other things, our incurrence of indebtedness, creation of liens or pledges on our assets, mergers or similar combinations or liquidations, asset dispositions, repurchases or redemptions of equity interests or debt, issuances of equity, payment of dividends and certain distributions and entry into related party transactions.

We have pledged substantially all of our assets as collateral for the Third Amended Credit Agreement. Our breach of any covenant in the Third Amended Credit Agreement, not otherwise cured, waived or amended, could result in a default under that agreement and could trigger acceleration of the underlying obligations. Any default under the Third Amended Credit Agreement could adversely affect our ability to service our debt and to fund our planned capital expenditures and ongoing operations. The administrative agent, joint lead arrangers, joint bookrunners and lenders under the Third Amended Credit Agreement have available to them the remedies typically available to lenders and secured parties, including the ability to foreclose on the collateral we have pledged. It could lead to an acceleration of indebtedness and foreclosure on our assets.

As currently amended, the Third Amended Credit Agreement provides for potential borrowings of up to $750 million. Such increased borrowing limits may make it more difficult for us to comply with leverage ratios and other restrictive covenants in the Third Amended Credit Agreement. We may also have less cash available for operations and investments in our business, as we will be required to use additional cash to satisfy the minimum payment obligations associated with this increased indebtedness.

We depend on generating sufficient cash flow to fund our debt obligations, capital expenditures, and ongoing operations.

We are dependent on our cash on hand and free cash flow to fund our debt obligations, capital expenditures and ongoing operations. Our ability to service our debt and to fund our planned capital expenditures and ongoing operations will depend on our ability to continue to generate cash flow. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow or we are unable to access additional liquidity sources, we may not be able to service or repay our debt, operate our business, respond to competitive challenges, or fund our other liquidity and capital needs.

The market price of our common stock has been, and may continue to be, volatile.

The market price of our common stock has recently been, and may in the future be, volatile for various reasons, including those discussed in these risk factors. Other events that could cause volatility in our stock, include without limitation, variances in our financial results; analysts’ and other projections or recommendations regarding our common stock specifically or medical technology stocks generally; any restatement of our financial statements or any investigation of us by the SEC, DOJ, OIG, FDA, or another regulatory authority; significant litigation or a decline, or rise, of stock prices in capital markets generally.

Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively impact our financial results.

As our operations have grown outside the U.S., we have also become increasingly subject to market risk relating to foreign currency. Those fluctuations could have a negative impact on our margins and financial results. During 2020, 2019 and 2018, the exchange rate between all applicable foreign currencies and the U.S. Dollar resulted in a decrease in net sales of

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approximately $1.3 million, a decrease of approximately $13.5 million and an increase of approximately $5.2 million, respectively.

For the year ended December 31, 2020, approximately $323.8 million, or 33.6%, of our net sales were denominated in foreign currencies, with our CNY- and Euro-denominated sales representing our largest currency risks to net sales. If the rate of exchange between foreign currencies declines against the U.S. Dollar, we may not be able to increase the prices we charge our customers for products whose prices are denominated in those respective foreign currencies. Furthermore, we may be unable or elect not to enter into hedging transactions which could mitigate the effect of declining exchange rates. As a result, if the rate of exchange between foreign currencies declines against the U.S. Dollar, our financial results may be negatively impacted.

Fluctuations in our effective tax rate may adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operation.

We are subject to taxation in numerous countries, states and other jurisdictions. Our effective tax rate is derived from a combination of applicable tax rates in the various countries, states and other jurisdictions in which we operate. In preparing our financial statements, we estimate the amount of tax that will become payable in each of these jurisdictions. Our effective tax rate may, however, differ from the estimated amount due to numerous factors, including a change in the mix of our profitability from country to country and changes in tax laws. Any of these factors could cause us to experience an effective tax rate significantly different from previous periods or our current expectations, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operation.

Uncertainty relating to the LIBOR calculation method and potential phasing out of LIBOR after 2021 may adversely affect the interest rates under our Third Amended Credit Agreement.

Certain of the interest rates applicable to our Third Amended Credit Agreement, and applicable to hedging instruments we have purchased to offset interest rate risk under our Third Amended Credit Agreement, are LIBOR-based. On July 27, 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”) announced that it will no longer persuade or compel banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR rates after 2021. Actions by the FCA, other regulators or law enforcement agencies may result in changes to the method by which LIBOR is calculated. At this time, it is not possible to predict the effect of any such changes or any other reforms to LIBOR that may be enacted in the UK or elsewhere. Uncertainty as to the nature of such potential changes may adversely affect the trading market for LIBOR-based securities, including the floating rates applicable to our Third Amended Credit Agreement and related hedges. It is possible that the changes in how LIBOR is calculated, changes in the trading market for LIBOR-based securities or actions of the FCA and other government entities may cause unexpected increases in LIBOR rates or a breakdown in the LIBOR systems. If these issues arise, we could experience increased interest rates or uncertainty with respect to the calculation of interest on our Third Amended Credit Agreement and other instruments, which could harm our operations.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

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Our world headquarters is located in South Jordan, Utah, with our principal office for European operations located in Galway, Ireland and our principal office for Asian distribution located in Beijing, China. We also support our European operations from a distribution and customer service facility located in Maastricht, The Netherlands. In addition, we lease commercial space in India, Hong Kong, Italy, Dubai, Australia, Russia, Canada, Brazil, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, South Africa, Singapore, Great Britain, Vietnam, Taiwan, New Zealand, Indonesia, and France, as well as in Massachusetts, California and Texas. Our principal manufacturing and packaging facilities are located in Utah, Virginia, Texas, Ireland, Brazil, France, Singapore, Mexico, and The Netherlands. Our research and development activities are conducted principally at facilities located in Utah, California, Texas, Ireland, France, and Singapore.

Our total manufacturing, commercial, distribution, and research space is approximately 2.0 million square feet, of which approximately 1.0 million square feet is owned, and 1.0 million square feet is leased.

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The following is a summary of the approximate square footage of our key facilities as of December 31, 2020:

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Operations associated with our cardiovascular segment utilize all of our facilities, while operations associated with our endoscopy segment are conducted primarily from our facilities located in Utah and Texas.

In February 2020, we completed construction of a manufacturing and research and development facility, which we own, near our South Jordan, Utah, headquarters, totaling approximately 90,000 square feet.

We believe our existing and proposed facilities will generally be adequate for our present and future anticipated levels of operations.

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Item 3.Legal Proceedings.

See Note 10 “Commitments and Contingencies” to our consolidated financial statements set forth in Item 8 of this report and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures.

The disclosure required by this item is not applicable.

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PART II

Market Price for the Common Stock

Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “MMSI.” As of February 24, 2021, the number of shares of our common stock outstanding was 55,690,669 held by approximately 101 shareholders of record, not including shareholders whose shares are held in securities position listings. We did not repurchase any shares during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, or 2018.

Performance

The following graph compares the performance of our common stock with the performance of the NASDAQ Stock Market (U.S. Companies) and NASDAQ Stocks (SIC 3840-3849 U.S. Companies - Surgical, Medical and Dental Instruments and Supplies) for a five-year period by measuring the changes in common stock prices from December 31, 2015 to December 31, 2020.

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The stock performance graph assumes for comparison that the value of our common stock and of each index was $100 on December 31, 2015 and that all dividends were reinvested. Past performance is not necessarily an indicator of future results.

NOTE:      Performance graph data is complete through last fiscal year. Performance graph with peer group uses peer group only performance (excludes only Merit). Peer group indices use beginning of period market capitalization weighting. Index Data: Calculated (or Derived) based from CRSP NASDAQ Stock Market (US Companies), Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP®), Graduate School of Business, The University of Chicago. Copyright 2021. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

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​

Item 6.Selected Financial Data (in thousands, except per share amounts).

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Item 7.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes thereto set forth in Item 8 of this report.

Overview

We design, develop, manufacture and market medical products for interventional and diagnostic procedures. For financial reporting purposes, we report our operations in two operating segments: cardiovascular and endoscopy. Our cardiovascular segment consists of cardiology and radiology devices, which assist in diagnosing and treating coronary arterial disease, peripheral vascular disease and other non-vascular diseases and includes embolotherapeutic, cardiac rhythm management, electrophysiology, critical care, breast cancer localization and guidance, biopsy, interventional oncology and spine devices. Our endoscopy segment consists of gastroenterology and pulmonology devices which assist in the palliative treatment of expanding esophageal, tracheobronchial and biliary strictures caused by malignant tumors. Within those two operating segments, we offer products focused in five core product categories: peripheral intervention, cardiac intervention, custom procedural solutions, OEM and endoscopy.

For the year ended December 31, 2020, we reported sales of approximately $963.9 million, down approximately ($31.0) million or (3.1)%, compared to 2019 sales of approximately $994.9 million.

Gross profit as a percentage of sales was 41.6% for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to 43.5% for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 was approximately ($9.8) million, or ($0.18) per share, as compared to net income of approximately $5.5 million, or $0.10 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2019.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic impacted our business in various ways. The most significant impact to sales occurred in the second quarter, with sales for the three-month period ended June 30, 2020 down approximately (14.5)% over the comparative quarter of 2019. In the second half of the year, total sales were approximately equal to the prior year comparative period; however, sales fluctuated by product category due, in part, to

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the extent various products are used in deferrable procedures. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented certain cost reduction and operating efficiency initiatives, including decreasing discretionary spending, delaying product launches, deferring or rationalizing capital spending and reducing the number of research and development projects, among other initiatives. In April 2020, due to the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, results of operations and financial condition, and uncertainty regarding the scope and duration of that impact, we reduced headcount, implemented targeted furloughs and temporarily reduced salaries for a number of groups, including all executive positions. These temporary salary reductions were eliminated by December 31, 2020.

We continue to focus our efforts to expand our presence in foreign markets, particularly Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”), China, Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia and Brazil, with the objective of capitalizing on additional market opportunities. These efforts have increased certain of our selling, general and administrative expenses and lengthened our average collection period as certain geographic markets have customary payment terms which are, on average, longer than payment terms in the United States; however, we believe over time this expansion will help improve our profitability. Due in part to restrictions regarding deferrable and elective procedures, our international sales declined for the year ended December 31, 2020. In 2020, international sales were approximately $413.8 million, or 42.9% of our net sales, down (1.3)% from international sales of $419.1 million in 2019.

On November 10, 2020, we introduced a corporate transformation initiative known as “Foundations for Growth” with multi-year financial targets for growth and improved profitability. As part of this initiative, we continue review the need to consolidate facilities, strategically reduce operating expenses and incentivize our sales force to focus on products that will improve our financial performance. During 2020, we moved production of 23 products to our facilities in Mexico or Texas, and we closed manufacturing operations in Temecula, California; Malvern, Pennsylvania; West Jordan, Utah; and Melbourne, Australia.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth certain operational data as a percentage of sales for the years indicated:

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Sales

Listed below are the sales by product category within each operating segment for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands):

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Cardiovascular Sales. Our cardiovascular sales for the year ended December 31, 2020 were approximately $934.2 million, down (2.8)%, when compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 of approximately $961.0 million. Sales for the year ended December 31, 2020 were unfavorably affected by decreased sales of (a) our cardiac intervention products (particularly our intervention, angiography and access products) of $279.7 million, down (8.2%); (b) our OEM products (particularly our cardiac rhythm management/electrophysiology (“CRM/EP”) products and coatings) of $109.8 million, down (6.9%); and (c) our peripheral intervention products (particularly our radar localization, vertebral compression fracture, biopsy, angiography and intervention products, offset partially by increased sales of drainage products) of $341.6 million, down (2.7%). These decreases were partially offset by increased sales of our custom procedural solutions products (particularly our critical care products, which saw increased demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including $19.1 million in sales of our new Cultura nasopharyngeal swab and test kits used to collect and transport samples for COVID-19 testing, partially offset by decreased sales of kits) of $203.2 million, up 8.5%.

Our cardiovascular sales for the year ended December 31, 2019 were approximately $961.0 million, up 13.1%, when compared to the corresponding period for 2018 of approximately $849.5 million. Sales for the year ended December 31, 2019 were primarily affected by increased sales of (a) our peripheral intervention products (particularly our radar localization, intervention, and drainage products) of approximately $350.9 million, up 27.1%, including a full year of sales of Cianna Medical, Inc. (“Cianna Medical”) products and product lines acquired from BD; (b) our cardiac intervention products (particularly our intervention, angiography and CRM/EP products) of approximately $304.8 million, up 9.4%; (c) our custom procedural solutions product (particularly our kits and critical care products, offset partially by trays) of approximately $187.4 million, up 3.9%.

Sales by our international direct sales forces are subject to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations between the natural currency of a foreign country and the U.S. Dollar. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations decreased sales (0.1)% for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to sales calculated using the applicable average foreign exchange rates for 2019 and decreased sales (1.3)% for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to sales calculated using the applicable foreign exchange rates for 2018.

Endoscopy Sales. Our endoscopy sales for the year ended December 31, 2020 were approximately $29.7 million, down (12.4)%, when compared to sales for the year ended December 31, 2019 of approximately $33.9 million. Sales for the year ended December 31, 2020 were unfavorably affected by decreased sales of the NvisionVLE® Imaging System as a result of the suspension of our distribution agreement with NinePoint Medical, Inc. (“NinePoint”), as well as decreased sales of probes and certain stents. Our endoscopy sales for the year ended December 31, 2019 were approximately $33.9 million, up 1.8%, when compared to sales for the same period in 2018 of approximately $33.3 million. Sales for the year ended December 31, 2019 were favorably affected by increased sales of our EndoMAXX™ fully covered esophageal stent, our Elation® balloon dilator, and our AEROmini® fully covered esophageal stent, partially offset by decreased sales of other stents.

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International Sales. International sales for the year ended December 31, 2020 were approximately $413.8 million, or 42.9% of net sales, down (1.3)% from the same period of 2019. International sales for the year ended December 31, 2019 were approximately $419.1 million, or 42.1% of net sales, up 8.5% from the year ended December 31, 2018. The decrease in our international sales during 2020 was primarily a result of lower sales in EMEA, which decreased approximately (1.6%) or $(2.9) million and lower rest of world sales which decreased approximately (8.7%) or $(2.6) million, compared to the same period of 2019. Our sales in APAC were essentially flat year over year. The increase in our international sales during 2019 was primarily related to year-over-year increased sales in APAC (particularly China and Southeast Asia), which increased $28.6 million or 16.5% compared to the same period of 2018.

Gross Profit

Our gross profit as a percentage of sales was 41.6%, 43.5%, and 44.7% for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The decrease in gross profit as a percentage of sales for 2020, as compared to 2019, was primarily due to changes in product mix and increased obsolescence expense associated with lower forecasted demand for certain of our products as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, partially offset by improvements in manufacturing variances from operational efficiencies, among other factors. The decrease in gross profit as a percentage of sales for 2019, as compared to 2018, was primarily related to increased amortization expense associated with acquisitions ($49.7 million in 2019 compared to $31.8 million in 2018), increased costs associated with new distribution sites, and adverse impacts from tariffs and foreign currency fluctuations, which were partially offset by improvements associated with changes in product mix.

Operating Expenses

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Our selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses decreased approximately ($29.5) million, or (9.0)%, for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to 2019 and increased $51.3 million, or 18.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to 2018. SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales were 30.9%, 32.9% and 31.3% for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

The decrease in SG&A expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily related to lower compensation expenses associated with headcount reductions and temporary salary reductions as a result of our expense reduction initiatives, lower commission expense associated with decreased sales, lower travel, entertainment and promotional expenses due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and decreased acquisition and integration-related costs ($1.3 million in 2020 compared to $3.5 million in 2019), partially offset by increased idle capacity costs related to lower demand for certain products due to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased bad debt expense.

The increase in SG&A expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the year ended December 31, 2018 was primarily related to higher compensation expenses associated with an increase in headcount during 2019 to support acquisitions and the growth in operations in that period, higher commission expense associated with increased sales, higher severance costs ($5.0 million compared to $0.9 million in 2018) related to restructuring, and legal costs associated with the investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice ($6.5 million in 2019 compared to $5.6 million in 2018), partially offset by decreased acquisition and integration-related costs ($3.5 million in 2019 compared to $7.6 million in 2018).

Research and Development Expenses. Research and development (“R&D”) expenses decreased by ($8.1) million or (12.3)% to approximately $57.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to approximately $65.6 million in 2019. The decrease in R&D expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 was largely due to lower discretionary expenses (such as travel) and lower compensation expenses associated with headcount reductions and temporary salary reductions as a result of our expense reduction initiatives, as well as lower expenses as a result of a reduced number of research and development projects.

Research and development expenses increased by approximately $6.1 million or 10.2% to approximately $65.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to approximately $59.5 million in 2018. The increase in R&D expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 was largely due to hiring additional research and development personnel to support various core and acquired product developments, as well as higher clinical and regulatory costs.

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Our research and development expenses as a percentage of sales were 6.0%, 6.6% and 6.7% for 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. We have a pipeline of new products, and we believe that we have an effective level of capabilities and expertise to continue the flow of new, internally developed products into the foreseeable future.

Legal Settlement. We recorded $18.7 million of expense during the year ended December 31, 2020 in connection with a settlement agreement with the DOJ to fully resolve the DOJ’s investigation of certain marketing and promotional practices.

Impairment Charges. For the year ended December 31, 2020 we recorded impairment charges of $36.5 million, which included approximately $1.8 million related to certain right-of-use operating lease assets and property and equipment, $6.0 million related to equity investments and purchase options, and $28.7 million related to certain acquired intangible assets, which included a partial impairment charge of $8.2 million of intangible assets from our acquisition of STD Pharmaceutical Products Limited (“STD Pharmaceutical”), a partial impairment charge of $8.0 million of intangible assets from our acquisition of certain assets from Laurane Medical S.A.S, a partial impairment charge of $4.8 million related to our license agreements with ArraVasc Limited, and other intangible asset impairments charges of $7.7 million related to intangible assets from our acquisition of certain assets from DirectACCESS Medical, LLC, in-process technology intangible assets of Sontina Medical LLC acquired in connection with our acquisition of certain divested assets from BD, and a customer list intangible asset from our acquisition of ITL Healthcare Pty Ltd (“ITL”).

For the year ended December 31, 2019 we recorded impairment charges of $23.8 million, including a $20.5 million write-off of our NinePoint note receivable and purchase option due to our assessment of the collectability of the note receivable and management’s decision not to exercise our option to purchase the business, and $3.3 million of impairment charges of certain intangible assets based on changes in revenue expectations and restructuring. For the year ended December 31, 2018 we recorded impairment charges of certain intangible assets of $0.7 million.

Contingent Consideration (Benefit). For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, we recorded ($8.0) million, ($0.2) million and ($0.7) million, respectively, of net contingent consideration (benefit) from changes in the estimated fair value of our contingent consideration obligations stemming from our previously disclosed business acquisitions. The (benefit) in each fiscal year relates to changes in revenue estimates, changes in the probability of achieving relevant milestones and changes in the discount rate or expected period of payment, partially offset by expense for the passage of time.

Acquired In-process Research and Development. During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, we incurred in-process research and development charges of approximately $0.3 million, $0.5 million and $0.6 million, respectively associated with various asset acquisitions.

Operating Income (Loss)

Our operating profit by operating segment for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was as follows (in thousands):

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Cardiovascular Operating Income (Loss). Our cardiovascular operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 was approximately ($7.0) million, compared to cardiovascular operating income of approximately $25.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. This decrease in cardiovascular operating income was primarily related to lower sales and decreased gross margin percentage during the COVID-19 pandemic, expenses of $18.7 million associated with our settlement with the DOJ, impairment charges within our cardiovascular operating segment ($36.5 million in 2020 compared to $3.3 million in 2019), partially offset by lower compensation and discretionary expenses resulting from cost cutting initiatives and our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in contingent consideration benefit from changes in the estimated fair value of contingent consideration liabilities associated with prior acquisitions.

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Our cardiovascular operating income for the year ended December 31, 2019 was approximately $25.8 million, compared to operating income of approximately $49.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. This decrease in cardiovascular operating income was primarily related to decreased gross margin percentage, higher compensation expenses, higher severance costs ($5.0 million compared to $0.9 million in 2018), and legal costs associated with the investigation by the DOJ ($6.5 million in 2019 compared to $5.6 million in 2018), partially offset by decreased acquisition and integration-related costs ($3.5 million in 2019 compared to $7.6 million in 2018) and increased sales.

Endoscopy Operating Income (Loss). Our endoscopy operating income for the year ended December 31, 2020 was approximately $5.5 million, compared to an operating loss of approximately ($10.3) million for the year ended December 31, 2019. This increase in endoscopy operating income relative to 2019 was primarily due to lower impairment expense in our endoscopy operating segment (none in 2020 compared to $20.5 million in 2019) and lower compensation and discretionary expenses related to cost-cutting initiatives from our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, offset partially by lower sales and lower gross margins, due in part to changes in product demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our endoscopy operating income for the year ended December 31, 2019 was a loss of approximately ($10.3) million, compared to operating income of approximately $9.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. This decrease was primarily the result of the impairment of a note receivable and a purchase option for NinePoint of approximately $20.5 million.

Other Income (Expense)

Our other expense for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was approximately ($11.7) million, ($13.2) million, and ($9.1) million, respectively. The decrease in other expense for 2020 compared to 2019 was principally the result of decreased interest expense due to lower average debt balances and a lower average interest rate during 2020, a gain on the sale of our Hypotube product line in 2020, and increased interest income from notes receivable, partially offset by increased expense related to foreign currency remeasurement.

The change in other expense for 2019 over 2018 was principally the result of increased interest expense due to higher average debt balances during 2019, the write-off of $1.6 million of accrued interest related to the NinePoint note receivable, and increased expense related to foreign currency remeasurement.

Effective Tax Rate

Our provision for income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was a tax expense (benefit) of $(3.4) million, $(3.3) million and $7.5 million, respectively, which resulted in an effective income tax rate of 25.6%, (148.6%), and 15.2%, respectively. The increase in the effective income tax rate for 2020 compared to 2019 was primarily the result of a pre-tax loss during the 2020 period, as well as a change in the jurisdictional mix of earnings. The decrease in the effective income tax rate for 2019 compared to 2018 was primarily the result of book to tax differences related to stock options and deferred compensation as well as uncertain tax positions lapsing that generated a greater benefit due to lower pre-tax book income.

Net Income (Loss)

Our net income (loss) for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was approximately ($9.8) million, $5.5 million, and $42.0 million, respectively. The decrease in net income for 2020, when compared to 2019, was primarily related to lower sales and decreased gross margin percentage during the COVID-19 pandemic, expenses of $18.7 million  associated with our settlement with the DOJ, impairment charges ($36.5 million in 2020 compared to $23.8 million in 2019), partially offset by lower compensation and discretionary expenses resulting from cost cutting initiatives and our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in the benefit from changes in contingent consideration liabilities associated with prior acquisitions.

The decrease in net income for the year ended December 31, 2019, when compared to 2018, was primarily due to total charges of $22.1 million related to NinePoint (including the entire carrying value of the purchase option and note

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receivable, along with $1.6 million of accrued interest), increased selling, general, and administrative expenses as a percentage of sales, lower gross profit as a percentage of sales, and increased interest expense compared to 2018.

Total Assets

Total assets utilized in our cardiovascular operating segment were approximately $1.7 billion as of December 31, 2020, compared to approximately $1.7 billion as of December 31, 2019 and approximately $1.6 billion as of December 31, 2018. Total assets utilized in our endoscopy operating segment were approximately $9.5 million as of December 31, 2020, compared to approximately $12.3 million as of December 31, 2019 and approximately $31.0 million as of December 31, 2018.

The decrease in endoscopy total assets from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020 was primarily related to lower inventory levels and lower intangible asset balances (due to amortization). The decrease in endoscopy segment total assets from December 31, 2018 to December 31, 2019 was primarily related to the impairment of the purchase option and note receivable with NinePoint.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements. We have committed to provide loans of up to an additional €2 million at the discretion of Selio Medical Limited at a rate of 5% per annum until one year and 45 days have passed from the date Selio receives FDA Section 510(k) approval of a medical device it is currently developing. The current note receivable balance from Selio is $250,000. If exercised these loans would be securitized by all the present and future assets and property of the borrower. Aside from this arrangement, we do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have had, or are reasonably likely in the future to have, an effect on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Capital Commitments and Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes our capital commitments and contractual obligations as of December 31, 2020, as well as the future periods in which such payments are currently anticipated to become due:

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As of December 31, 2020, we had approximately $55.7 million of contingent consideration liabilities, $1.7 million of unrecognized tax positions, and $16.8 million of deferred compensation payable that have been recognized as liabilities that have not been included in the contractual obligations table due to uncertainty as to when such amounts may be settled.

Additional information regarding our capital commitments and contractual obligations, including royalty payments and operating leases, is contained in Notes 8, 10, and 18 to our consolidated financial statements set forth in Item 8 of this report.

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Cash Flows

At December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $56.9 million and $44.3 million respectively, of which approximately $42.3 million and $31.7 million, respectively, were held by foreign subsidiaries. We do not consider our foreign earnings to be permanently reinvested. Cash held by our subsidiary in China is subject to local laws and regulations that require government approval for the transfer of such funds to entities located outside of China. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $15.5 million and $11.3 million, respectively, held by our subsidiary in China.

Cash flows provided by operating activities. We generated cash from operating activities of approximately $165.3 million, $77.8 million and $86.5 million during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Net cash provided by operating activities increased approximately $87.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. Significant changes in operating assets and liabilities affecting cash flows during these years included:

Net cash provided by operating activities decreased $8.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the year ended December 31, 2018. Significant changes in operating assets and liabilities affecting cash flows during these years included:

Cash flows used in investing activities. We used cash in investing activities of approximately $58.6 million, $134.5 million, and $378.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. We invested in capital expenditures for property and equipment of approximately $46.0 million, $78.2 million, and $63.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Capital expenditures in each fiscal year were primarily related to investment in buildings, property and equipment to support development and production of new and expanded product lines and to facilitate growth in our distribution markets. These investments include construction of a new manufacturing and research and development facility in South Jordan, Utah completed in early 2020 and expansion of our manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico to incorporate production of our biopsy and drainage products acquired from BD and other products. Historically, we have incurred significant expenses in connection with facility construction, production automation, product development and the introduction of new products. We anticipate that we will spend approximately $45 to $50 million in 2021 for buildings, property and equipment.

Cash outflows invested in acquisitions for the year ended December 31, 2020 were approximately $11.0 million and were primarily related to our acquisition of KA Medical. Cash outflows for acquisitions in 2019 were approximately $53.9 million and were primarily related to our acquisition of Brightwater Medical, Inc. (“Brightwater”) and STD Pharmaceutical. Cash outflows for acquisitions in 2018 were approximately $301.8 million and primarily related to our acquisition of BD product lines and Cianna Medical. For further discussion, refer to Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements set forth in Item 8 of this report.

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Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities. Cash provided by (used in) financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was approximately ($95.7) million, $33.5 million, and $328.3 million, respectively. In 2020 we decreased our net borrowings by approximately $88.4 million and paid contingent consideration of approximately $13.1 million, which is classified as a financing activity, principally related to our Cianna Medical acquisition. In 2019 we increased our net borrowings by approximately $44.5 million to partially finance our current period acquisitions and pay contingent consideration of $15.7 million, principally related to our Cianna Medical acquisition. In 2018, our primary financing activities included a public equity offering of 4,025,000 shares of common stock (from which we received net proceeds of approximately $205.0 million, which is net of approximately $12.0 million in underwriting discounts and commissions incurred and paid by us in connection with this equity offering) and additional net borrowings under our credit agreement of approximately $116.5 million to fund our acquisition activity. This was partially offset by approximately $2.6 million used to purchase common stock to pay employee taxes resulting from the exercise of stock options.

As of December 31, 2020, we had outstanding borrowings of approximately $351.6 million under the Third Amended Credit Agreement, with additional available borrowings of approximately $389 million, based on the leverage ratio required pursuant to the Third Amended Credit Agreement. Our interest rate as of December 31, 2020 was a fixed rate of 2.37% on $175 million as a result of an interest rate swap (see Note 9) and a variable floating rate of 1.40% on approximately $176.6 million. Our interest rate as of December 31, 2019 was a fixed rate of 2.62% on $175 million as a result of an interest rate swap and a variable floating rate of 3.30% on $265 million. The foregoing fixed rates are exclusive of changes in the notional amount and fixed rate associated with our interest rate swaps beginning July 6, 2021 and potential future changes in the applicable margin. See Note 8 and Note 9 to our consolidated financial statements set forth in Item 8 of this report for additional details regarding the Third Amended Credit Agreement, our long-term debt and our interest rate swaps.

We currently believe that our existing cash balances, anticipated future cash flows from operations and borrowings under the Third Amended Credit Agreement will be adequate to fund our current and currently planned future operations for the next twelve months and the foreseeable future. In the event we pursue and complete significant transactions or acquisitions in the future, additional funds will likely be required to meet our strategic needs, which may require us to raise additional funds in the debt or equity markets.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements set forth in Item 8 of this report. While all of these significant accounting policies affect the reporting of our financial condition and results of operations, the SEC has requested that all registrants address their most critical accounting policies. The SEC has indicated that a “critical accounting policy” is one which is both important to the representation of the registrant’s financial condition and results and requires management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. We base our estimates on past experience and on various other assumptions our management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results will differ and may differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Additionally, changes in accounting estimates could occur in the future from period to period. The following paragraphs identify our most critical accounting policies:

Valuation of Goodwill and Intangible Assets. We allocate any excess purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination to goodwill. We base the fair value of identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination on valuations that use information and assumptions that a market participant would use, including assumptions for estimated revenue projections, growth rates, cash flows, discount rates, useful life, and other relevant assumptions.

We test our goodwill balances for impairment annually as of July 1, or whenever impairment indicators arise. When impairment indicators are identified, we may elect to perform an optional qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of our reporting units has fallen below their carrying value. This assessment involves significant judgment, especially in the current environment due to uncertainties about the duration and impact of

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the COVID-19 pandemic. During our annual impairment test performed as of July 1 we utilized four reporting units in evaluating goodwill for impairment using a quantitative assessment, which uses a combination of a guideline public company market-based approach and a discounted cash flow income-based approach. The quantitative assessment considers whether the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, in which case an impairment charge is recorded to the extent the reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value. This analysis requires significant judgment, including estimation of the amount, timing and duration of future cash flows, which is based on internal forecasts, and a determination of a discount rate based on our weighted average cost of capital. During our annual test of goodwill balances in 2020, which was completed during the third quarter of 2020, we determined that the fair value of each reporting unit with goodwill exceeded the carrying amount by a significant amount.

We evaluate the recoverability of intangible assets subject to amortization whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that an asset’s carrying amount may not be recoverable. This analysis requires similar significant judgments as those discussed above regarding goodwill, except that undiscounted cash flows are compared to the carrying amount of intangible assets to determine if impairment exists. In-process technology intangible assets, which are not subject to amortization until projects reach commercialization, are assessed for impairment at least annually and more frequently if events occur that would indicate a potential reduction in the fair value of the assets below their carrying value.

During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, we compared the carrying value of the amortizing intangible assets acquired in acquisitions of certain assets to the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from these asset groups and determined that the carrying amounts were not recoverable. We then determined the fair value of the amortizing assets based on estimated future cash flows discounted back to their present value using discount rates that reflect the risk profile of the underlying activities. During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 we recorded total impairment charges associated with intangible assets in our cardiovascular segment of approximately $28.7 million, $3.3 million, and $0.7 million, respectively. These expenses are reflected within impairment charges in our consolidated statements of income (loss). The primary factors driving impairment of certain intangible assets were slower-than-anticipated sales growth in the acquired products, planned closure and restructuring activities, uncertainty about future product development and commercialization associated with the acquired technologies, and in 2020 economic uncertainties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. See Note 5 to our consolidated financial statements set forth in Item 8 of this report for additional details regarding impairments of intangible assets.

Contingent Consideration. Contingent consideration is an obligation by the buyer to transfer additional assets or equity interests to the former owner upon reaching certain performance targets. Certain of our business combinations involve the potential for the payment of future contingent consideration, generally based on a percentage of future product sales or upon attaining specified future revenue or other relevant milestones. In connection with a business combination, any contingent consideration is recorded at fair value on the acquisition date based upon the consideration expected to be transferred in the future. We base the fair value of contingent consideration obligations acquired in a business combination on valuations that use information and assumptions that a market participant would use, including assumptions for estimated revenue growth rates, discount rates, probabilities of achieving regulatory approval, performance, or revenue-based milestones and other relevant factors. These assumptions are impacted by our best estimates of the timing and duration of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

We re-measure the estimated liability each quarter and record changes in the estimated fair value through operating expense in our consolidated statements of income. Significant increases or decreases in our estimates and developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic could result in changes to the estimated fair value of our contingent consideration liability, as the result of changes in the timing and amount of revenue estimates, as well as changes in the discount rate or periods. Our revenue milestone contingent liability associated with the November 2018 acquisition of Cianna Medical includes a sales growth multiplier, and our revenue milestones for the acquisition of Brightwater and Vascular Insights, LLC include payment thresholds. These and other similar contract features of our contingent consideration liabilities create sensitivity regarding the occurrence, timing, and amount of future payments.

For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, we recognized contingent consideration benefit of approximately $8.0 million, $0.2 million and $0.7 million, respectively, from changes in the estimated fair value of our contingent consideration obligations stemming from our previously disclosed business acquisitions. Changes in the fair value of our contingent consideration liabilities were primarily attributable to slower-than-anticipated sales growth in the acquired

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products, the anticipated timing of milestone payments, and in 2020 economic uncertainties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. See Note 16 to our consolidated financial statements set forth in Item 8 of this report for additional details regarding our contingent liabilities.

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Item 7A.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

Currency Exchange Rate Risk

Our consolidated financial statements are denominated in, and our principal currency is, the U.S. Dollar. For the year ended December 31, 2020, a portion of our net sales (approximately $323.8 million, representing approximately 33.6% of our aggregate net sales), was attributable to sales that were denominated in foreign currencies. All other international sales were denominated in U.S. Dollars. Our principal market risk relates to changes in the value of the Chinese Yuan Renminbi (CNY) and Euro (EUR) relative U.S. Dollar (USD), with limited market risk relating to various other currencies. In general, a strengthening of the U.S. Dollar against CNY has a negative effect on our operating income. Our Euro-denominated expenses associated with our European operations (manufacturing sites, a distribution facility and sales representatives) provide a natural hedge for Euro-denominated revenues. Accordingly, a strengthening of the U.S. Dollar against the Euro will generally have a positive effect on our operating income.

We forecast our net exposure related to sales and expenses denominated in foreign currencies. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had entered into foreign currency forward contracts, which qualified as cash flow hedges, with aggregate notional amounts of approximately $168.2 million and $212.5 million, respectively. We also forecast our net exposure in various receivables and payables to fluctuations in the value of various currencies, and we enter into foreign currency forward contracts to mitigate that exposure. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had entered into foreign currency forward contracts, which were not designated as hedging instruments, related to those balance sheet accounts with aggregate notional amounts of approximately $74.8 million and $65.0 million, respectively.

A sensitivity analysis of changes in the fair value of all currency exchange rate derivative contracts at December 31, 2020 and 2019 indicates that, if the U.S. Dollar strengthened or weakened by 10 percent against all currencies, it would have the following impact on the fair value of these contracts (in thousands):

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Gains or losses on the fair value of derivative contracts would generally be offset by gains and losses on the underlying hedged transaction or net exposure. These offsetting gains and losses are not reflected above. See Note 9 to our consolidated financial statements set forth in Item 8 of this report for additional discussion of our foreign currency forward contracts.

Interest Rate Risk

As discussed in Note 8 to our consolidated financial statements set forth in Item 8 of this report, as of December 31, 2020, we had outstanding borrowings of approximately $351.6 million under the Third Amended Credit Agreement. Accordingly, our earnings and after-tax cash flow are affected by changes in interest rates. On August 5, 2016, we entered into a pay-fixed, receive-variable interest rate swap with Wells Fargo Bank, which as of December 31, 2020 had a notional amount of $175 million, to fix the one-month LIBOR rate at 1.12%. The interest rate swap is scheduled to expire on July 6, 2021. On December 23, 2019, we entered into a pay-fixed, receive-variable interest rate swap with Wells Fargo Bank, with a notional amount of $75 million, to fix the one-month LIBOR rate at 1.71% for the period from July 6, 2021 to July 31, 2024. These instruments are intended to reduce our exposure to interest rate fluctuations and were not entered into for speculative purposes. Excluding the amount that is subject to a fixed rate under the interest rate swaps and assuming the current level of borrowings remained the same, it is estimated that our interest expense and income before income taxes would change by approximately $2.3 million annually for each one percentage point change in the average interest rate under these borrowings.

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Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the stockholders and the Board of Directors of Merit Medical Systems, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Merit Medical Systems, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of income (loss), comprehensive income (loss), stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, and the related notes and the schedule listed in the Index at Item 15 (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated March 1, 2021, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting.

Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company changed its method of accounting for leases in 2019 due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), using the modified retrospective approach.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

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Intangible Assets – Impairment Charges – Refer to Notes 1 and 5 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

The Company has recorded finite-lived intangible assets with carrying values of $367.9 million at December 31, 2020. The Company evaluates amortizing intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable and compares the carrying value of the amortizing intangible assets to the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the asset group and determines whether the carrying amount is recoverable. If the carrying amount is not recoverable, an impairment charge is recorded based on the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value. The Company estimates the fair value of intangible assets using a discounted cash flow model which includes estimates of future projections of revenues and cash flows. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded total impairment charges related to intangible assets of approximately $28.7 million.

We identified the intangible asset impairment charges as a critical audit matter because of the significant estimates and assumptions management makes to determine the fair value of intangible assets to record the impairment charge. This required a high degree of auditor judgment and an increased extent of effort when performing audit procedures to evaluate the reasonableness of management’s estimates of future projections of revenues and cash flows.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to management’s estimates of future projections of revenues and cash flows used for the intangible asset impairment tests included the following, among others:

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Other Long-term Obligations - Contingent Consideration Liability– Refer to Notes 1, 3, and 16 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

Certain of the Company’s past business combinations involve the potential for payment of future contingent consideration, generally based on a percentage of future product revenues or upon attaining specified future revenue milestones. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has recorded $55.7 million of contingent consideration liabilities of which $46.3 million are based on revenue milestones. Contingent consideration liabilities are re-measured at the estimated fair value at each reporting period with the change in fair value recognized within operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of income (loss). During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded a benefit of $8.0 million for the estimated change in fair value of contingent consideration liabilities. Included within contingent consideration liabilities is a liability for the estimated earn-out payment based on a revenue growth multiplier specified in the agreement from the November 2018 acquisition of Cianna Medical, Inc. The fair value of this revenue milestone contingent consideration liability was estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation model, which is a complex valuation methodology with inputs that include revenue projections and a discount rate.

We identified the Cianna Medical, Inc. revenue milestone contingent consideration liability as a critical audit matter because of management’s estimates of revenue projections and the complex valuation methodology and discount rate used to determine the fair value of the contingent consideration liability. This required a high degree of auditor judgment and an increased extent of effort, including the involvement of our fair value specialists, when performing audit procedures to

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evaluate the reasonableness of management’s estimates of revenue projections and to evaluate the appropriateness of the valuation methodology and discount rate.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to management’s estimates of revenue projections and the valuation methodology and discount rate used to determine the fair value of the Cianna Medical, Inc. revenue milestone contingent consideration liability included the following, among others:

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MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019

(In thousands)

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MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (LOSS)

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020, 2019 AND 2018

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

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