Vitrolife becomes majority owner of Italian distributor

Vitrolife becomes majority owner of Italian distributor

Vitrolife is acquiring 51 percent of the shares in A.T.S. Srl, the distributor
of Vitrolife's products in Italy since 1999. The acquisition is in line with
Vitrolife's strategy to operate under its own management in key markets and
increases the opportunities for A.T.S. to be more aggressive and be able to
increase the market share in the Italian market.

“We have previously spoken of increased ambitions with regard to direct market
presence in our key markets. By going into A.T.S. we are being more aggressive
in Italy together with our Italian distributor. We feel that there is more
potential in the Italian market. Our distributor has long experience of both our
products and the market and will now be able to make the necessary investments
in order to expand,” says Vitrolife's CEO Magnus Nilsson. 

The seller of the shares is Paolo Trabucchi, one of the founders and previously
the sole owner of A.T.S. 

Vitrolife has an option to acquire a further 9 percent of the shares within 6
months and subsequently a further 10 percent within 12 months, that is a total
of 70 percent. For the Vitrolife Group as a whole the acquisition will initially
have a marginal effect on net income and sales, after the elimination of
internal sales. 

Approximately 24,000 infertility treatments are performed in Italy per year and
the number of fertility centers amounts to approximately 300. The potential
market value for instruments and media amounts to SEK 40-50 million.




January 31, 2008
Kungsbacka, Sweden 

Magnus Nilsson
CEO





Queries should be addressed to: 
Magnus Nilsson, CEO, phone +46 31 721 80 00 or +46 708 22 80 61.
Anna Ahlberg, CFO, phone +46 31 721 80 13 or +46 708 22 80 13.


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Vitrolife is a global biotechnology/medical device Group that works with
developing, manufacturing and selling advanced products and systems for the
preparation, cultivation and storage of human cells, tissue and organs. The
company has business activities within three product areas: Fertility,
Transplantation and Stem Cell Cultivation. The Fertility product area works with
nutrient solutions (media) and advanced consumable instruments such as needles
and pipettes, for the treatment of human infertility. The Transplantation
product area works with solutions and systems to maintain tissue in optimal
condition outside the body for the required time while waiting for
transplantation. The Stem Cell Cultivation product area works with media and
instruments to enable the use and handling of stem cells for therapeutic
purposes. 
     Vitrolife today has approximately 140 employees and the company's products
are sold in more than 80 markets. The head office is in Kungsbacka, Sweden, and
there are subsidiaries outside Gothenburg, Sweden and in Denver, USA. The
Vitrolife share is listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange's Nordic Small Cap list.
________________________________________________________________________________
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Vitrolife AB (publ), Faktorvägen 13, SE-434 37 Kungsbacka, Sweden. Corporate
identity number 556354-3452.
Tel: +46 31 721 80 00. Fax: +46 31 721 80 90. E-mail: info@vitrolife.com.
Homepage: www.vitrolife.com.

This is a translation of the Swedish version of the press release. When in
doubt, the Swedish wording prevails.