AOR.L Regulatory News (AOR)

29 Apr 2005 07:00

Aortech International PLC29 April 2005 For immediate release 29 April 2005 AorTech International plc Next Generation Breast Implants 'AorTech's Elast-Eon breast implant technology introduced at the annual meeting of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons' AorTech International plc is pleased to announce that Dr. Mark Jewell, theincoming President of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons ("ASAPS"), and Dr. Leroy Young, the Chairman of the Society's New Technology Committee, will today be making presentations regarding AorTech's breast implant technology at the Society's Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana (USA). These presentations will discuss the advantages of Elast-Eon saline and gelfilled breast implants over current generation technology and will be made aspart of the "Hot Topics" segment of the Society Meeting. In the opinion of the Directors of AorTech, based on laboratory tests to date,the advantages of adopting Elast-Eon in breast implant devices include: • Significant reductions in "bleed" or extractable components • No use of metals or other catalysts • 50x improvement in shell barrier properties • Twice the tear resistance of silicone shells • Superior mechanical properties, including abrasion resistance • Fatigue resistance testing in excess of 2 billion cycles • A wide range of gel elasticity and softness with excellent cohesion and form-stable properties • Improved radio transparency • Smooth or textured surfaces • High consistency manufacturing • Biostability comparable to silicone • Revolutionary new device manufacturing process All of which contribute to improved product safety, long term durability, andpatient acceptance of these devices. Elast-Eon is a biostable copolymer which adopts both the mechanical andbiocompatible advantages of polyurethane and silicone. In laboratory tests, thematerial shows significantly enhanced mechanical, wear and tear performancewhich makes the application to breast implant devices highly compelling.Elast-Eon is the result of over 10 years of basic research in high-performance,biostable polymer technology. Other active applications programs for thismaterial include heart valves, spinal disc implants, pacing leads and coronarystents. The Elast-Eon breast implant development program was commenced in January of2004 and is in the pre-clinical phase. AorTech's is actively seeking a substantial industry partner with the resourcesand expertise to support the clinical trials and subsequently undertake theglobal marketing of these products. The presentations will be available on the AorTech International plc website,www.aortech.com. Commenting on the presentations Frank Maguire, AorTech's Chief Executive, said: "The support of Drs. Jewell and Young for our Elast-Eon breast implanttechnology demonstrates the potential for these devices. "Having attended the recent FDA Advisory Panel meeting which discussed thecurrent issues surrounding breast implant technology, I am confident thatAorTech's breast implants can make specific and major improvements to productsafety and patient acceptance." In addition, Dr. Mark Jewell commented, "The Elast-Eon polymer appears quite promising in the development of 5thgeneration breast implants that will benefit patients by providing devices madewith advanced biomaterials." For further information please contacts: AorTech International plc 00 1 801 201 4336Frank Maguire, Chief Executive Buchanan Communications 020 7466 5000Ben Willey, Lisa Baderoon, Rebecca Skye Dietrich Notes to Editors: AorTech International plc is a public limited company formed under the laws ofScotland, UK and is traded on the Alternative Investment Market, a marketoperated by the London Stock Exchange plc, under the trading symbol AOL. Additional material concerning AorTech International is available on theCompany's website at www.aortech.com , or may be obtained by contacting theCompany's Investor Relations firm, Buchanan Communications Limited. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange