Tepha Announces First Human Usage of Medical Devices Derived from New Class of Resorbabl...( Tepha Corporate Partners Aescul...),Health

Tepha Corporate Partners, Aesculap and Tornier, Conduct Clinical

Evaluations of TephaFLEX(R) Suture Products

LEXINGTON, Mass., April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Tepha, Inc., a developer of medical devices derived from a new class of polymers, announced today that two of its corporate partners, Aesculap and Tornier, are conducting initial clinical evaluations of the Company's new TephaFLEX(R) suture products. These clinical evaluations, conducted in both the United States and Europe, represent the first human usage of medical devices derived from Tepha's new class of resorbable polymers called polyhydroxyalkanoates ("PHA's"). The Tepha PHA polymer family is a product of the Company's patented recombinant DNA technology which allows the engineering of resorbable medical devices with mechanical and biologic properties that are matched to specific tissue repair and replacement applications. TephaFLEX(R) monofilament suture is up to 30% stronger, more flexible, and has longer strength retention than currently marketed resorbable sutures.

Dr. Simon Williams, President and CEO of Tepha, commented, "The first human usage of a medical device based on our proprietary polymer technology is an important milestone in Tepha's history. We are grateful for the support of such capable and committed partners as Aesculap and Tornier, and we look forward to these collaborations progressing to the successful commercialization of TephaFLEX(R) suture products."

Aesculap AG, a Tepha corporate partner since 2004, currently is conducting a European trial evaluating suture products based on TephaFLEX(R) fiber in 150 patients undergoing abdominal wall repair procedures. The results of this trial will be submitted to European regulatory authorities to support Aesculap's application for CE Mark approval. Based in Germany, Aesculap is a division of B. Braun Melsungen AG, focused on products for core processes in operative medicine. Aesculap's product range i
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