Clearance for Marketing

Advanced Medical Solutions Grp PLC 08 July 2003 For Immediate Release: 07:00, Tuesday, 8th July 2003 Advanced Medical Solutions Group plc ('AMS' or the 'Company') announces 510(k) marketing clearance by US Food & Drug Administration ('FDA') for anti-microbial alginate dressing plus new US woundcare distribution agreement Winsford, UK: AMS, the global woundcare technology company, has today announced that it has received 510(k) clearance for the marketing of its silver based anti-microbial alginate dressing. The FDA has given clearance for the device to be marketed as an effective barrier to bacterial penetration. The barrier functions of the dressing may help reduce infection in moderate to heavily exuding partial and full thickness wounds including: pressure ulcers, venous ulcers, diabetic ulcers, donor sites, traumatic and surgical wounds. The significance to AMS of receiving this 510k is that these products have now been given clearance for sale in the world's largest woundcare market - the US. AMS recently announced that it had entered into a global exclusive supply agreement with Johnson & Johnson Wound Management for a range of alginate woundcare dressings containing silver, which will be launched into the Professional woundcare market during Qtr.3 2003 following the appropriate regulatory clearances. These products will be marketed by Johnson & Johnson Wound Management under its SilverCelTM brand. This 510(k) clearance now allows these products to be sold into the US market. CE mark clearance for Europe is expected to follow shortly. Commenting on this announcement, Dr Don Evans, CEO of AMS, stated: 'As well as accomplishing a critical step in the introduction of our new silver alginate product to the market, this clearance is a key milestone for AMS in delivering our stated strategy of moving to woundcare products containing actives, such as anti-microbials. The FDA clearance endorses our ability to develop and obtain regulatory clearance for the marketing of such higher value products, which will form an increasing part of our portfolio going forward.' Also announced today: AMS has entered into a non-exclusive distribution agreement with a major US based medical products distribution company for AMS to supply a range of advanced woundcare products. Under the terms of this agreement, the unnamed partner, who had global sales of over $1 billion in 2002, will distribute a wide range of AMS' products under its private label for sale into the $500 million US advanced woundcare market. Commenting on this announcement, Don Evans stated: 'We are seeing more and more interest from major distributors to carry a range of standard private label woundcare products alongside the leading brands. As a focussed woundcare technology company with a full range of products and materials, AMS is ideally placed to provide a one-stop shop for these distributors, complementing its programme of supplying new differentiated products to its major international partners under their brands'. - ENDS - For further information, please contact: Advanced Medical Solutions Group plc Tel : +44 (0) 1606 863 500 Don Evans, Chief Executive Mary Tavener, Finance Director www.admedsol.com Buchanan Communications Tel: +44 (0) 20 7466 5000 Nicola How / Tim Anderson Notes to Editors: Advanced Medical Solutions is a leading company in the development and manufacture of products for the £15 billion global woundcare market. Founded in 1991 and currently quoted on AIM, Advanced Medical Solutions is focused on the design, development and manufacture of innovative and technologically advanced products for woundcare and other medical applications. In-house natural and synthetic polymer technology is used to provide advanced wound dressings based on the moist healing principle. AMS's resources ensure a unique position as a vertically integrated 'one stop shop' to provide all categories of moist wound healing products. The Company has the capability to move from product design and development through to production and delivery ready for distribution into customer markets. The acquisition of MedLogic in 2002 has brought AMS products and technology in cyanoacrylate based tissue adhesives and sealants sold direct to A & E departments or through distributors. AMS's technology and products currently serve the majority of the key global markets with strategic partners including 3M, Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Molnlycke Healthcare, Coloplast, Smith + Nephew and Beiersdorf. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange WSDSESW
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