Ortoviva Distractor now in clinical use

Press release 
December 11, 2008

Ortoviva Distractor now in clinical use

LinkMed's portfolio company Ortoviva's new Distractor system for spinal surgery,
which recently received CE approval, has successfully undergone clinical
testing. This means the company has passed another important milestone on the
path towards a commercial launch. The clinical tests were conducted by M.D.
Svante Berg of the Stockholm Spine Center, Sweden's largest and one of
Scandinavia's leading spine clinics, located at Löwenströmska Hospital in
Upplands Väsby outside of Stockholm. 

“Our work at the clinic has gone very well. This new version of Distractor makes
it much easier for a surgeon to efficiently and precisely implant an artificial
disc. It's a technically ingenious solution that takes the development of spinal
surgery instrumentation a significant step into the future,” says M.D. Berg. 

Strong demand exists for truly effective instrument solutions that can help
surgeons to simply and accurately implant an artificial disc without
complications. Ortoviva's Distractor is designed to perform implants using any
of the disc prostheses manufactured by the leading producers.

“Of course we're extremely pleased with the success of these tests and that the
system works so smoothly in the clinical environment,” says Ortoviva's CEO, Stan
Mikulowski. 

“Our hope, in the near future, is to make Distractor available to specialists
who will be able to help surgeons perform consistent, high-quality frontal
surgery in the lumbar region. We're working to identify an industrial partner
for Ortoviva's global commercialization and these efforts are proceeding in
parallel with the preparation of an FDA application for approval in the U.S.
during the early part of 2009.”

Ortoviva develops instruments for spinal surgery that facilitate the deployment
of artificial discs. The company was founded in October 2006 by LinkMed and a
group of experts in bio-materials, spinal surgery and medical devices.  

To see how Distractor works, go to: http://www.ortoviva.com/media/Distraktor.wmv


For more information contact: 
Stan Mikulowski, CEO Ortoviva AB and VP Senior Venture Manager LinkMed
Phone: 01146 8 50 89 39 42

Also visit www.ortoviva.com and www.linkmed.se


LinkMed develops life-science companies in collaboration with innovators and
other financiers. By contributing entrepreneurship and capital, LinkMed has
created a portfolio of one subsidiary and eleven associated companies, four in
drug development and biotechnology and seven in diagnostics and medical
technology. LinkMed's role changes as its portfolio companies develop. The
emphasis moves from operational to strategic and the entrepreneurship role
evolves into active Board work. The company's principal owners are FastPartner,
Koncentra Holding, and the founder Ingemar Lagerlöf. The LinkMed share is listed
on the OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm in the small-cap sector (ticker:LMED).