Minntech Dialyzer

MINNTECH SECURES OPTION RIGHTS FOR NEW DIALYZER REPROCESSING STERILANT Minneapolis, May 11 -- Minntech Corporation (Nasdaq: MNTX) today announced that it has acquired an option to obtain a license for a proprietary new sterilant for dialyzer reprocessing from the inventors of the sterilant, Dr. Werner Kleophas of Arzte fur Innere Medizin -- Nephrologie in Dusseldorf, Germany and Dr. Arezki Mahiout of the Institute of Cell & Protein Engineering GmbH in Hannover, Germany. The license would grant Minntech the exclusive worldwide manufacturing and distribution rights for the new sterilant. President and CEO Thomas J. McGoldrick commented, ''Drs. Kleophas and Mahiout have developed a sterilant technology that we believe can make an important contribution to the dialysis community. We are pleased to have the opportunity to build on our current line of peracetic-acid based sterilant products, and look forward to starting clinical trials of the product later this fiscal year.'' The new sterilant formulation was designed to clean and disinfect dialyzers without degrading the performance or biocompatibility of the dialyzer membrane. The semi-permeable membrane of a dialyzer contains millions of microscopic pores that permit the passage, or clearance, of fluid and waste molecules. Dialyzer reprocessing, the practice of cleaning and disinfecting dialyzers for subsequent reuse by a patient, is performed by over 80% of U.S. dialysis facilities. Minntech is the worldwide leader in dialyzer reprocessing equipment and sterilant products. The Company is also a leading medical device manufacturer of advanced technologies in electronics, solutions, and fibers. The Company's core technologies are used in dialysis, medical device reprocessing, cardiosurgery, and filtration and separation. To learn more about Minntech, please visit the Company on-line at http://www.minntech.com This news release contains forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. The company's actual results could differ materially from those in any such forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning important factors that could cause results to differ materially from those in any such forward-looking statement is contained in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 1998 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and from time to time in the company's other reports on file with the Commission. CONTACT: Jules Fisher, Chief Financial Officer of Minntech Corporation, +1-612-553-3300/ /Web site: http://www.minntech.com/