Nobel Biocare in marketing parnership with 3M for Procera

Nobel Biocare enters marketing partnership with 3M for Procera Nobel Biocare has signed an agreement with 3M Dental Products regarding mutual marketing of the companies' respective products, Procera® AllCeram dental crowns and 3M@RelyX@ Luting Cement. The dental division of 3M, a market leader for dental cements, and their product, RelyX luting cement has proven to work exceptionally well with Procera@ AllCeram. 3M's sales force will be trained in Procera in order to effectively provide information on Procera in connection with their sales calls to dentists. The dental laboratories that work with Procera and are part of the Procera Network will, on their side, promote RelyX luting cement to their customers. More than 300 dental laboratories in the U.S. are equipped with a Procera@ Scanner. Nobel Biocare and 3M will also cooperate in developing a special cement for Procera® Laminate, a product for cosmetic dentistry that will be launched in July 2000. "The alliance with 3M is very valuable and exciting. It means that we will have access to their large and professional sales force. Through this, we will more quickly convey knowledge about Procera to dentists in the USA, which will help to further stimulate demand for our products", says Jack Forsgren, President and CEO of Nobel Biocare. Every year, in excess of 50 million dental crowns are produced in the U.S. The market is currently dominated by hand-crafted metal crowns and it is in this market that Procera@ is competing with its industrially-produced dental crowns. Göteborg, 24 January 2000 NOBEL BIOCARE AB For further information, please contact: Lars Henrikson, Head of Business area Procera or Robert Gottlander, Director of Marketing Procera, Nobel Biocare AB telephone +46 31 81 88 00. Nobel Biocare is an innovative, medical devices company, whose core business comprises dental implants and dental prosthetics. The company's ® ® product systems for dental implants, Brånemark System and Steri-Oss , are world leaders and have a global market share of around 40%. ® The company's other product line, Procera , is a unique, IT-based process for the industrial production of dental prosthetics. The system has been launched very successfully in 22 countries in North America, Europe and South America. Nobel Biocare has around 1,100 employees and, in 1998, turnover totalled SEK 1,310 million. The company's headquarters are located in Gothenburg, Sweden, while production takes place in Sweden and the USA. Nobel Biocare has its own sales companies in some 20 countries. 3M Dental manufactures and markets more than 700 products used by dentists to improve the oral health of people around the world. The business includes a broad line of restorative materials and allied products, including resin composite materials, dental adhesive products, pit and fissure sealant, finishing a polishing systems, impressioning material, infection control products and temporary crowns. 3M Dental is committed to providing trustworthy, reliable products and services and applying innovative techniques to improve oral health. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/01/24/20000124BIT00230/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/01/24/20000124BIT00230/bit0002.pdf