Ortoviva ready for clinical testing early 2008

Press release
October 3, 2007


Ortoviva ready for clinical testing early 2008

LinkMed's portfolio company Ortoviva's development work is progressing well and
testing carried out by the company has yielded very positive results. The
company plans to start clinical testing in early 2008. 

”Thanks to careful and focused work in close consultation with surgeons and disc
implantation companies, we have achieved very positive results in a short
timeframe. We will be carrying out some additional development work in order to
start clinical testing at the beginning of 2008” says Ortoviva's CEO, Stan
Mikulowski, who is also Senior Venture Manager at LinkMed.

Today surgeons do not have access to accurate instruments that enable them to
insert artificial discs with simplicity and exactitude. If a quality technical
solution was made available more patients could be treated with disc prostheses
rather than having their vertebrae fused.

Ortoviva is developing a technical solution for spinal surgery that facilitates
the insertion of artificial discs. The solution is comprised of three
components: an instrument that holds adjacent vertebra apart, a placement devise
for implanting the artificial disc and a dispenser system for the bone adhesive.


”The solution is one of a kind and will significantly simplify spinal surgery
procedures to the benefit of many patients. Furthermore, it will work with both
present and coming versions of disc prostheses,” says Staffan Bowald, clinical
expert at Ortoviva.

LinkMed's ownership stake in Ortoviva is 49 percent.


For additional information contact:
Ingemar Lagerlöf, CEO,  LinkMed +46 8 508 939 93


Swedish LinkMed, in collaboration with innovators, develops new life science
companies. By contributing entrepreneurship and capital, LinkMed has created a
portfolio of eleven companies, six in biotechnology and five in medical
technology. The LinkMed share is listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm and
the largest owners are FastPartner, Koncentra Holding and the founder Ingemar
Lagerlöf. See linkmed.se for more information.