Apollo Endosurgery Names Former Covidien Chairman and CEO Richard J. Meelia to Board of Directors

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire - May 21, 2012) - Apollo Endosurgery, Inc., a company focused on the development of devices that advance therapeutic endoscopy to enable an entirely new generation of endoscopic surgical procedures, today announced that Richard J. Meelia, former CEO and Chairman of Covidien plc, will be joining the company's Board of Directors.

"Apollo Endosurgery has the potential to lead a fundamental change in patient care in gastrointestinal surgery, including the important areas of gastrointestinal cancer and bariatrics," Meelia said. "The company is at the forefront of endoscopic surgery, a field that combines the therapeutic benefits of surgery with the minimally invasive advantages of flexible endoscopy. By aligning itself with the top international experts in the field of minimally invasive surgery and medical devices, Apollo Endosurgery will continue to enable surgeons and gastroenterologists to offer less invasive treatment options and excellent patient care."

Meelia will fill a newly-created seat on the Apollo Endosurgery board, joining Dennis L. McWilliams, the founder, President and CEO of Apollo Endosurgery; Matthew S. Crawford, Founding Managing Director of PTV Sciences; Bruce Roberson, Ph.D., Managing Director of H.I.G. BioVentures; Jack Nielsen, Partner, Novo A/S; John Creecy, CEO of Remeditex; and R. Kent McGaughy, Jr., Managing Director of CPMG, Inc. Meelia's appointment will be effective July 1, 2012.

Meelia recently retired from his position as Chairman and CEO of Covidien, a leading global healthcare products company. He led Covidien's spinoff from Tyco in 2007 where he had served as President of Tyco Healthcare since 1995. During his tenure at Tyco Healthcare and Covidien, Meelia directed the company's integration and product development efforts, growing the business from $600 million in sales to over $10 billion by 2010. Prior to joining Tyco Healthcare, Meelia was President of Infusaid, Inc., a division of Pfizer Hospital Products Group. He also held sales and marketing positions with the Pharmaseal and McGaw divisions of the American Hospital Supply Corporation. Meelia holds an MBA from Boston College and an undergraduate degree from Saint Anselm College.

Mr. Meelia is also a member of the Board of Directors of Triangle, Inc., a career empowerment network for people with disabilities as well as Chairman of the Board of Haeomonetics, a company that develops processes to help hospitals and blood banks efficiently and safely manage blood supplies. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the Tufts-New England Medical Center and the Board of Trustees of St. Anselm College.

"We are pleased to leverage Rich's years of experience as the Chairman and CEO of one of the world's largest surgical supplies and medical device makers. Rich has a valuable track record of leadership in company growth and a deep knowledge of the medical device, hospital and surgical supply industries," McWilliams said. "Rich's commitment to Apollo Endosurgery will complement and enhance our position as an innovator and a driving force in advancing this new class of less invasive endoscopic surgery devices and procedures. We welcome him to our board."

About Apollo Endosurgery, Inc.

Apollo Endosurgery, Inc. is dedicated to revolutionizing patient care through the advancement of endoscopic surgery, which is emerging from the convergence of laparoscopic surgery and therapeutic endoscopy. Endoscopic surgery minimizes the trauma of surgical access by taking advantage of natural orifices to deliver surgical tools to targeted areas. All of Apollo's products are compatible with existing flexible endoscope platforms. Apollo Endosurgery was cofounded with the Apollo Group, a unique collaboration of physicians from the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins University, Medical University of South Carolina, the University of Texas Medical Branch and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. This collaboration developed a broad portfolio of patents in the field of endoscopic surgery that became the foundation of Apollo Endosurgery. The company has also received a grant from the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas.

Apollo Endosurgery, OverStitch™ and SuMO™ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apollo Endosurgery, Inc. in the US and/or other countries.