TELTOW, Germany, March 28th, 2006 - co.don(r) AG (ISIN DE000517360 3), an Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets innovative autologous cartilage and bone growth and repair therapeutics, announced today an exclusive three-year distribution agreement with ORMED GmbH & Co. KG -- to market co.don chondrosphere(r) and co.don chondrotransplant(r) DISC in Germany.co.don chondrosphere(r) is a three-dimensional in vitro cultured autologous matrix-supported articular cartilage without foreign carrier materials of animal and synthetic origin and with very easy surgical application avoiding defect covering, developed to regenerate and to replace removed or missing joint cartilage. ORMED GmbH & Co. KG will market co.don chondrosphere(r) under the brand ARTROcell 3D.
co.don chondrotransplant(r) DISC is autologous intervertebral disc-derived chondrocyte transplant developed to regenerate nucleus of degenerated intervertrebral discs. Thus nucleus regeneration by autologous disc cell treatment with co.don chondrotransplant(r) DISC is a unique therapeutic option worldwide so far.
"We are delighted to be working with ORMED in Germany," said Dr. Olivera J. Alasevic, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of co.don AG." ORMED GmbH & Co. KG with its parent company Encore Medical Corporation, Austin, Texas (Nasdaq:ENMC), has extensive knowledge in development and distribution of surgical implants, sports medicine equipment and orthopedic rehabilitation devices. Through distribution of ARTROcell in the past 3 years in Germany ORMED GmbH & Co. KG is also well experienced in distribution of Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation (ACT)."
Speaking on behalf of ORMED, Rudiger Hausherr, Chief Executive Officer of ORMED GmbH & Co. KG, remarked, "We are pleased to be working directly with co.don AG in representing the ARTROcell 3D and co.don chondrotransplant DISC, which we consider currently the most innovative biologics in the ACT market. There are approximately 7,000 orthopedic and spine surgeons in Germany, and they have significant interests in biological products offering innovative regenerative medicine approaches to orthopedic conditions. We see a significant potential in the products and will be able to use our former distribution experience of the classic ACT method to generate sales quickly."
co.don(r) AG
Dr. Olivera J. Alasevic Executive Board
Founded: 1993 -- Executive board: Dr, Olivera J. Alasevic -- Facts: 14.02.2001, IPO-Neuer Markt -- WKN 517 360 -- CNW
About ORMED GmbH & Co. KG
ORMED GmbH & Co. KG, Freiburg, Germany, is a German based subsidiary of Encore Medical Corporation (www.encoremed.com) and distributor of a high quality surgical implants, sports medicine equipment and products for orthopedic rehabilitation in Germany. With its 165 employees, ORMED GmbH & Co. KG generated revenues of Eur37,4 Mio in 2005. Encore Medical Corpor. with its 1255 employees worldwide generated revenues of $ 293 Mio in 2005. With the recently acquired Compex group, an revenue increase of Encore Medical Corp. to total amount of $ 420 Mio is projected for 2006. For more information, please visit www.ormed.de.
About co.don AG
co.don(r) AG is one of the leading companies in RegenerativeMedicine/Tissue Engineering. Since 1997, co.don(r) AG develops,manufactures and distributes cell-based biological therapeutics foradvanced medicinal therapies in regeneration and repair of cartilage,bone and intervertebral discs. co.don is headquartered in Teltow, near Berlin, Germany. For more information, please visit www.codon.de