Wiesbaden / Nagoya, 31 March 2006 Blue Membranes approaches the US and Japan markets

    Blue Membranes, the Germany based company in material and surface engineering, has successfully closed a license, manufacturing and supply agreement with Goodman and its US-based subsidiary Avantec Vascular. Blue Membranes has licensed out its proprietary drug-delivery coating technology to Goodman and Avantec for the development and global marketing of a drug-eluting stent based on pimecrolimus and other drugs. The Blue Membranes technology enables Goodman to get access to the most advanced drug-delivery technology based on inorganic nano-composites for combinatorial devices. This agreement allows Goodman to exploit the current and future innovative combinatorial device portfolio in the coronary stent sector and focus on all global markets.
Soh il Asgari, CEO and CTO of Blue Membranes commented "The agreement is a very important step for Blue Membranes for establishing its disruptive technology in the strategic markets of the US and Japan. We will see more and more evidence being available in the public domain about the superiority of the Blue Membranes technology in terms of bio-inertness, deliverability of drugs, functionality and compatibility with new devices like ultra-thin strut, bifurcation or peripheral stents. We will reach the point very soon where one can not withhold this breakthrough technology for improving clinical outcomes to patients" Furthermore, he pointed out that Blue Membranes has developed a library of more than 10,000 different material combinations for porous inorganic drug-delivery coatings also allowing multi-functional coatings with MRI shielding, x-ray labelling and other additional benefits.
Akira Yamamoto, President of Goodman, explains "I believe Blue Membranes' innovative technology combined with Goodman's proven product designs will give us a head start in the race to market for a new generation of drug eluting stents (DES). This polymer-free coating combined with our stent's excellent clinical results will make our DES a leader in next-generation drug eluting stents."
Blue Membranes is a technology enabler that designs, manufactures and licenses out materials and coatings for advanced bio-medical applications in the field of medical device, tissue engineering and bio-processing technologies. Blue Membranes has closed a license and supply agreement with the India based leading medical device manufacturer Relisys Medical Devices in May 2005. This collaboration resulted in the development of a paclitaxel-eluting cobalt chromium coronary stent with a carbon-based nano-composite coating that is currently in the stage of clinical trials.
About Blue Membranes
Blue Membranes (BlueM) is a leading technology company focusing on nano-structured composite materials and coatings for advanced applications in medical device, biotech-engineering and chemical processing technologies.
BlueM's unique portfolio of Nano-Composite Systems includes:
and#61607; Drug Delivery Coatings
and#61607; Multifunctional Device Coatings
and#61607; Advanced Carrier Systems for Bio-processing
and#61607; Carbon-Ceramic and Mixed Matrix Membranes
Blue Membranes mission is to exploit its proprietary and highly innovative technology platform of nano-composites for next generation biomedical solutions. BlueM technologies enable its customers to gain durable competitive advantages, to commercialize high-margin products and ensure sustainable growth in established and emerging market segments. For more information see www.blue-membranes.com .
About Goodman
Goodman is the Japanese leader in the development, manufacturing and distribution of vascular interventional devices, such as coronary stents, PTCA balloons, circulatory system catheters for use in intravenous diagnostic procedures, testing equipment, artificial internal organs and medical imaging network systems. The company acquired Avantec Vascular Corp. and LightLab Imaging LLC, both of the U.S., in 2002. For more information, visit www.goodmankk.com .

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