Gambro Alliance with HemaSure

Gambro Alliance with HemaSure Gambro invests $9 Million in a HemaSure private placement as its COBE BCT unit will have exclusive distribution rights to HemaSure's blood filter. Stockholm, Sweden - Gambro AB (Stockholm Stock Exchange: GAMBaST, GAMBbST), a leading international medical technology and healthcare company, today announced that it has completed a private placement financing of HemaSure Inc. (OTC BB:HMSR) and has amended the distribution agreement between HemaSure and Gambro's COBE BCT unit. COBE BCT is the wholly owned subsidiary of Gambro AB. COBE Laboratories is a holding company for Gambro's US subsidiaries. Gambro invested $9 Million in exchange for 4.5 million shares of HemaSure's common stock and giving Gambro an ownership of 30.2% before exercise of warrants and options. Under the terms of the agreement, Gambro is also provided with an option to purchase additional shares of HemaSure common stock at a value of $3 Million. Should that option be exercised, the price will be based upon an average closing price of HemaSure's stock as defined by the agreement. The option period is from August 3, 1999 to May 3, 2000. The agreement also provides for proportional representation on HemaSure's boards and committees, as well as various registration rights, anti-dilution and standstill agreements that are customary in such agreements. The distribution agreement between COBE BCT and HemaSure was amended to expand the territory to make it worldwide, exclusive of sales to the American Red Cross HemaSure will serve the needs of the American Red Cross directly, pursuant to an early agreement between the two organizations. Stated Ed Wood, President of COBE BCT, "The r\LS filter system produced by HemaSure is an excellent addition to our product offerings for our Transfusion Medicine customers for two reasons. First, it is an excellent product in its own right, coming at a time when more blood centers are assuming responsibility for providing high quality pre-storage leukoreduced blood components to their hospital customers. Second, it will be an important component of our recently introduced Trima Automated Blood Collection system, enabling our customers to produce the red cells needed by patients at the highest quality standards." "Blood collection facilities around the world are challenged to produce more and higher quality of blood components from a donor base that is unfortunately not keeping pace with patient needs. Fortunately, technologies like the COBE's Trima system and HemaSure's r\LS filter product will enable patients to receive what they need, without quality compromises." Jack McGuire, President and Chief Executive Officer of HemaSure commented, " We are very excited to complete this financing agreement with COBE, one of the world's leading manufacturers of automated blood component collection systems. We believe that this will provide the financing necessary to fulfill all of our capital needs, including the successful launch of the r\LS Red Blood Cell filtration System in the United States upon 510(k) clearance by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)." HemaSure Inc. develops and delivers innovative filtration technologies designed to set standards of safety for processing blood components worldwide. The company is based in Marlborough, Massachusetts and has about 45 employees. COBE BCT Inc., based in Lakewood, Colorado, is a leading provider of equipment and supplies used by blood centers and hospitals worldwide for the collection and separation of blood components. It is a unit of Gambro AB, Sweden, a leading medical technology and healthcare company throughout the world. For further information please contact: Edward C. Wood, President, COBE BCT Inc., tel. +1-303-232 6800 Bengt Modéer, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, tel. +46-8-613 65 00, +46-70-513 65 33 Anna Augustson, European Investor Relations Manager, tel. +46-8-613 65 35, +46-70-513 65 34 Gambro is a global medical technology and healthcare company with leading positions in renal care - services and products - and blood component technology (BCT). Gambro is the second largest provider of kidney dialysis services in the world. Gambro treats about 40,500 patients in 554 clinics worldwide. Renal care products comprise dialyzers, dialysis machines, blood lines and dialysis fluid. BCT includes products for the separation and handling of blood components. The group, with revenue of approximately SEK 19 billion (USD 2.3 billion) has approximately 18,000 employees in some 40 countries. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/05/04/19990504BIT00090/bit0002.pdf http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/05/04/19990504BIT00090/bit0001.doc