STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Aug. 13, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- In conjunction with the restructuring of Vitrolife's Biosupportive Systems business area, the Company has divested the sales rights of its hyaluronan-based Ophthalin(TM) and Fermathron(TM) products including the manufacturing plant in Edinburgh, Scotland.
An agreement has been signed with Ioltech S.A., a French ophthalmology company listed on the Paris Stock Exchange. The transaction includes a contract manufacturing agreement with Ioltech, ensuring Vitrolife's access to syringe filling capacity.
Ioltech has paid Vitrolife 2,15 M pounds in cash equivalent to approximately 31 MSEK for the sales rights and the manufacturing plant.
During 2001 the total revenues of Vitrolife AB (publ) were 100,1 MSEK and with a gross margin of 40 %. If the revenues related to the sales of Ophthtalin(TM) och Fermathron(TM) where the gross margin was 24 % had been excluded, the total revenues for Vitrolife AB (publ) would have been 64,2 MSEK with a gross margin of 50 %.
Vitrolife will through its wholly own subsidiary Vitrolife U.K. continue the research and development of the product Hyalite(TM) for facial aesthetic surgery which is based on double cross linked hyaluronic acid technology.
"This demonstrates Vitrolife's strategy to focus on state-of-the-art, high margin products within the biomedical area," said Dr. Peter Svalander, President and CEO of Vitrolife AB (publ).
Goteborg 13 August 2002
Vitrolife AB (publ)
For information, please contact:
Vitrolife:
President and CEO Dr. Peter Svalander, tel +46 708 22 80 01 CFO Stefan Jacobsson, tel +46 708 22 80 10
Vitrolife
Vitrolife's business mission is to develop, produce and sell advanced products and systems for the preparation, cultivation, preservation and support of cells, tissues and organs. Vitrolife intends to further expand the Company's production capacity to meet an expected increase in demand for its products, as well as strengthen its global market position as a leading company in the development of innovative cell and tissue technologies.
Vitrolife believes that the number of procedures performed annually involving tissue and cell technologies will increase as new treatments are introduced and existing treatments are improved. In addition, Vitrolife expects that the regulation surrounding approval processes and quality control for its products will increase. Vitrolife aims to create competitive advantages from this regulation by meeting and exceeding expected future demands of regulatory authorities, ahead of the Company's competitors.
Since it commenced its operations in 1993, Vitrolife has expanded rapidly. The Company currently has over 100 employees and sells its products in over 80 countries. During the latest five-year period, sales have steadily increased by and totalled more than SEK 100 million for the fiscal year 2001.
The Vitrolife share is listed on the Stockholm Exchange (Stockholmsborsen) O-list under the ticker VITR.
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