Hologic Signs Exclusive U.S. Breast Ultrasound Partnership Agreement With SuperSonic Imagine

BEDFORD, Mass., Nov. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Hologic, Inc. (Hologic or the Company) (Nasdaq: HOLX), a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostics products, medical imaging systems and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women, today announced the signing of an exclusive partnership agreement with SuperSonic Imagine, S.A., an innovative producer of diagnostic ultrasound technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Hologic will sell, install and service SuperSonic Imagine's Aixplorer ultrasound technology platform to the breast care community in the United States.

"Hologic is committed to providing the highest quality imaging products to assist in the diagnosis of breast disease," notes Peter Soltani, Hologic Senior Vice President and General Manager of Breast Health. "Partnering with SuperSonic Imagine to market the Aixplorer breast ultrasound platform is a natural extension of our portfolio. With the addition of the Aixplorer system, we can provide clinicians another leading edge technology to help detect breast cancer in its early stages."

The Aixplorer MultiWave ultrasound system features a patented, software-based architecture that incorporates the latest signal processing technology designed to enable excellent B-mode image quality and support a new imaging tool, ShearWave Elastography. ShearWave Elastography is designed to provide a real-time, color-coded map that displays true local tissue elasticity. This technique is user-skill independent and reproducible.

Jacques Souquet, Ph.D, SuperSonic Imagine's Founder and CEO stated that "We are excited about the opportunity to partner with Hologic as we share a commitment to clinical rigour and to providing the market with best in class devices."    

SuperSonic Imagine, S.A., based in Aix-en-Provence, France, is a privately held international company with a strong commitment to providing advanced technology to improve medical diagnosis. SuperSonic Imagine was founded in 2005 by ultrasound and medical imaging research scientists and under the direction of Jacques Souquet, Ph.D., and Claude Cohen-Bacrie, Executive Vice President and CTO. The company is expanding into additional clinical applications where its innovative technology will provide new clinical benefits.

Hologic is a trademark or registered trademark of Hologic, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

SuperSonic Imagine, Aixplorer, MultiWave, ShearWave and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SuperSonic Imaging, S.A. in the United States and/or other countries.

About Hologic, Inc.

Hologic, Inc. is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostics products, medical imaging systems and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women. Hologic's core business units are focused on breast health, diagnostics, GYN surgical, and skeletal health. Hologic provides a comprehensive suite of technologies with products for mammography and breast biopsy, magnetic resonance imaging breast coils, radiation treatment for early-stage breast cancer, cervical cancer screening, treatment for menorrhagia, permanent contraception, osteoporosis assessment, preterm birth risk assessment, mini C-arm for extremity imaging and molecular diagnostic products including HPV and reagents for a variety of DNA and RNA analysis applications.

Forward Looking Statement Disclaimer

This News Release may contain forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties, including statements about the sale and distribution of the Aixplorer system. There can be no assurance that the product will achieve the benefits described herein and that such benefits will be replicated in any particular manner with respect to an individual patient as the actual effect of the use of the Aixplorer system can only be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the particular circumstances of the procedure and patient in question. Hologic expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to the data or statements presented herein to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such data or statements are based. Certain factors that could adversely affect the Company's business and prospects are described in Hologic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE Hologic, Inc.