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To: garrick le who wrote (58668)	8/31/1999 12:21:00 PM
From: kendall harmon	Respond to of 120523

CRY--important news release: ATLANTA--(BW HealthWire)--Aug. 31, 1999--CryoLife, Inc. (NYSE:CRY), the leader in the development and commercialization of living human tissue implantable devices and a manufacturer and distributor of stentless heart valves and surgical adhesives, today announced that two human females had each received a tissue-engineered SynerGraft(R) porcine heart valve in the aortic position. Dr. Mark O'Brien, a paid consultant to CryoLife, Inc. and a member of the CryoLife Cardiovascular Medical Advisory Board, performed the first implants of tissue-engineered heart valves in Brisbane, Australia. The research and development which led to this unprecedented surgery were made possible, in large part, by grants totaling over $1.1 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Additional SynerGraft research is also being funded by a $2 million grant from the U. S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). CryoLife's SynerGraft technology incorporates the use of a porcine heart valve which is depopulated of its cells and is expected by the Company to repopulate following implantation with the cells of the heart valve recipient, producing a bio-engineered human heart valve similar to the patient's own heart valve. Steven G. Anderson, President and Chief Executive Officer of CryoLife, said, "I believe the successful implant of a tissue-engineered heart valve is an enormous milestone for our company and our SynerGraft technology. The SynerGraft technology has multiple applications, but holds particular promise for cardiac surgery in children since we believe that the bio-engineered heart valve should have the capability to remodel itself with the recipient's own cells, potentially growing with the child. I believe the implantation of a tissue-engineered heart valve represents a revolutionary breakthrough in implantable device technology. SynerGraft technology enables a trans-species transplant of an unfixed biologic heart valve without requiring the use of immunosuppression." Mark O'Brien, M.D., of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, said, "The implantation of these two heart valves, which took place one week ago, is a landmark event in heart surgery. To our knowledge, these are the first implantations of tissue-engineered heart valves in the world. This SynerGraft technology may revolutionize the replacement of heart valves, making life-saving surgery available to expanded numbers of patients." quote.bloomberg.com