Bioheart Founder, Howard J. Leonhardt, Becomes Chairman of the Board of...( Will Continue as Chi...)

Will Continue as Chief Technology Officer

SUNRISE, Fla., March 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Bioheart, Inc. (Nasdaq: BHRT), a biotechnology company that is seeking to develop autologous (patient-derived) cell therapies and devices for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage, today announced that company founder Howard J. Leonhardt will, effective immediately, transition from Executive Chairman and become Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Leonhardt also serves as the company's Chief Technology Officer and he will continue in that role.

"I am pleased to transition the full operational responsibility of the company to Bill Pinon and the capable team that he has assembled," commented Mr. Leonhardt. "Now that we are a publicly traded company, I look forward to focusing more on Bioheart's strategic vision, strategic technology plan and the discovery and development of new technologies for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage."

Mr. Leonhardt has been credited with identifying and commencing Bioheart's development efforts with respect to a portfolio of product candidates for the treatment of heart damage, including MyoCell(R) Therapy, MyoCath(R) Needle Injection Catheter, Bioheart Acute Cell Therapy and MyoCell II with SDF-1(TM).

"It is with a great sense of honor, and responsibility, that I and my colleagues on the management team assume the reins from Howard in taking this company to the next level of its development," commented William M. Pinon, president and chief executive officer of Bioheart. "I look forward to working with Howard in executing the strategic vision that we have for the company. More importantly, we very much look forward to his efforts in the advancement of the
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