Press Release

The MEDICREA group (Paris:ALMED)(FR0004178572-ALMED), listed on Alternext by NYSE Euronext Paris, a medical company specialized in the development of innovative surgical technologies for the treatment of spinal pathologies, today announced at Eurospine, Europe’s largest annual congress of spinal column specialists held in Milan from October 19th to 21st 2011, the release of six highly innovative new products.

The six new products are as follows:

• LigaPASS® is an implantable device for connecting an osteosynthesis rod to the spinal column via an artificial ligament. Ideally, the LigaPASS® ligament connector is used with the PASS LP® thoracolumbar fixation system in the surgical treatment of complex pathologies requiring the correction of the spinal profile, the repositioning of several vertebrae in the thoracic region or the need for vertebral segmental derotation. It thus fits in perfectly with the MEDICREA ST2R (Simultaneous Translation on 2 Rods) technique using PASS LP. LigaPASS® obtained CE mark in May 2011, and FDA clearance is under way.

• PASS OCT® builds on the PASS LP® technology to address the treatment of occipito-cervical-thoracic pathologies. It features multi-axial anchorage implants and remote rod connection capacity, for safe and easy introduction of osteosynthesis assemblies in complex anatomical situations at the base of the skull and in the thoracic spinal region. Its unparalleled advantages have already earned the appreciation of several renowned evaluator surgeons, and the system will shortly be in use in Europe and the USA. The CE marking process for PASS OCT® is under way, and FDA clearance is expected for the second quarter of 2012.

• PASS MIS® marks the entry of MEDICREA into the percutaneous osteosynthesis market seqment, by offering a new surgical technique. Because it considerably simplifies the operational steps and greatly reduces operation times, PASS MIS® appeals to all spinal surgeons, whether they have prior experience in minimally-invasive surgery or not. With PASS MIS®, the PASS LP® philosophy is harnessed uncompromisingly in the surgical treatment of traumatological spinal column pathologies and degenerative lumbar-region pathologies. The PASS MIS® system recently obtained CE mark, and FDA clearance is under way.
• GRANVIA-L®: following on from successful release of the cervical disc prosthesis GRANVIA-C®, MEDICREA is now introducing GRANVIA-L®, the first hybrid lumbar disc prosthesis combining articulation and built-in damping. The innovative design and materials meet surgeons’ performance demands in regards to kinematics, lifespan and safety, with full MRI compatibility. The new product range permits both direct anterior and direct lateral approaches, which considerably broadens the prosthesis usage capabilities. MEDICREA is scheduling limited release for GRANVIA-L® in Europe for mid-2012.
• CARYATID® VBR is the first radiolucent corporectomy implant using additive manufacturing technology. The macro-porous 3D structure produces an ideal basis for osseointegration, a key requirement for successful treatment of traumatic and tumoral pathologies. The product range covers cervical pathologies (with anterior spinal approach), thoracic pathologies and lumbar pathologies (anterior and posterior approaches). The CE marking process for CARYATID VBR® is under way, and FDA clearance is expected for the second quarter of 2012.
• LaminoJAWS® is the first non-fusion implant allowing reconstruction of the posterior cervical arch under cervical laminoplasty, with a posterior approach. It provides a unique solution capable of improving both functional and aesthetic aspects of this treatment mode and allows muscular reinsertion on the spinal process of the LaminoJAWS® prosthesis. CE mark was obtained in April 2011, and MEDICREA is working with the FDA on the 510K clearance of this device with market release expected for 2012.

Denys Sournac, Chairman and CEO, concludes: “we are very proud to announce at such a major event like Eurospine so many new products, ready for, or approaching, market release. These highly innovative new products are the fruit of three or four years of advanced research and development. All of them are at the forefront of biomedical know-how. They contribute to an unparalleled improvement in the treatment of spinal pathologies, and offer unprecedented operational convenience, for both surgeon and patient. The new products will be making a significant contribution to the MEDICREA business from 2012 onward, either by direct sale or through agreements with potential partners if the negotiations currently under way for certain products are successful.”

About MEDICREA (www.medicrea.com):

MEDICREA specializes in the design, development, manufacture and distribution of orthopedic implants dedicated to spinal surgery. In a $9 billion market, MEDICREA is a very dynamic small to medium-sized business of 100 employees with unique innovation capabilities. The Company enjoys an excellent and ever-improving reputation and develops unique relationships with the most visionary and creative spine surgeons in France, the UK, and the USA. Products developed and patented by MEDICREA provide neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons specialized in the spine with new and less-invasive surgical solutions that are faster and easier to implement than traditional techniques. The Group’s headquarters are based in Lyon, France, and it also has a manufacturing facility located in La Rochelle as well as three distribution subsidiaries in the USA, the UK and France.

MEDICREA is listed on ALTERNEXT by NYSE - Euronext Paris

ISIN: FR 0004178572– Ticker: ALMED

Last updated on: 20/10/2011 18:00:05