Artimplant recruits Director Sales & Marketing

Artimplant recruits Director Sales & Marketing Artimplant has recruited Michael Nordh from Astra Zeneca. Michael Nordh will, as Director Sales & Marketing and member of the company's Executive Board, be responsible for sales and marketing on the international market. Michael Nordh's latest assignment is as Business Development Director at Astra Zeneca, where he has been involved in the integration process between Astra and Zeneca as well as strategy issues on Group level. Before his employment at Astra Zeneca he worked within the Merck Group. After graduation from the Stockholm School of Economics in 1991, he has attained a broad experience from sales and marketing as well as strategic issues, from the international pharmaceutical industry. Michael Nordh will be stationed in Stockholm and his primary responsibility is the build-up of Artimplant's international marketing and sales organisation as well as the branding strategy for the launch of the company's first products towards the end of this year. Anders Cedronius, CEO of Artimplant, comments: - During the last two-year period, Artimplant's product portfolio has expanded to include a dozen development projects which aim at a total market of SEK 20-30 billion. The medical needs for our products are large and since we now are facing an intensive market launch period, we are extremely pleased with being able to tie Michael Nordh to Artimplant given his competence and experience. For further information please contact: Lars-Erik Nygren, CFO tel: +46 - 31 - 746 5600 Kari Odhnoff, Investor Relations, tel: +46 - 708 - 639 341 www.artimplant.se Artimplant is a biomaterial company focused on unmet needs in the field of orthopedic surgery. Artimplant's business concept is to develop, manufacture and market biodegradable implants that provide the injured tissue with temporary relief and support the body's natural healing process. The vision is to be world-leading within biologically degradable implants that stimulate self-healing and re-create an active life. The Company's researchers, which represent a unique combination of interdisciplinary competence, have synthesized a vast number of biodegradable polymers, that can be tailored for use in a number of different medical-treatment areas. Artimplant has developed and patented a resorbable ligament implant that currently is undergoing clinical trial including 200 patients for treatment of injured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Early follow-up results from the pilot study using Artimplant's ACL implant show both subjective and objective joint stability in the operated knee, and the technique made possible relatively early rehabilitation. A ruptured ACL in the knee is one of the most frequent ligament injuries and often leads to lifelong detrimental effects for the injured, and substantial costs to society. Artimplant's technology can be applied in numerous other areas, and the development activities have expanded to include more than a dozen projects. Artimplant's goal is to launch at least one product year 2000. As part of Artimplant's market strategy Gothenburg Medical Center (GMC) was acquired with the purpose of establishing Swedish headquarters for Artimplant Academy - a forum for advanced clinical research, application and education within orthopedic surgery. Artimplant is listed on the OM Stockholm Stock Exchange O-list. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/03/31/20000331BIT01020/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/03/31/20000331BIT01020/bit0002.pdf