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Source: HSR Business to Business on behalf of Invibio Inc.

ENSINGER GmbH Enters Marketing Agreement with Invibio to Provide PEEK-CLASSIX Polymer to Medical Device Market

Medical Device Manufacturers Benefit from Reduced Development Time, Greater Design Flexibility and Reduced Costs Associated with Regulatory Approvals

Nufringen, Germany (February 14, 2005) – ENSINGER GmbH, a supplier and processor of engineering and high performance plastics, has announced a marketing agreement with Invibio®, a leading provider of biomaterial solutions to the medical device market.

Through this new agreement, ENSINGER will immediately begin marketing Invibio’s PEEK-CLASSIX™ polymer – a medical grade polyetheretherketone - for use in the production of medical applications and instruments, to its medical and pharmaceutical customers. ENSINGER will market the material under the name TECAPEEK Classix.

ENSINGER’s customers will benefit from the reduced development time and costs associated with biocompatibility testing and regulatory approvals. Invibio’s PEEK-CLASSIX polymer is pre-certified to US Pharmacopoeia (USP) Class VI and ISO testing standards, and making this information available to device manufacturers can help to reduce the time and costs involved for device clearance with regulatory agencies.

Invibio’s PEEK-CLASSIX polymer is a thermoplastic designed for medical device applications requiring blood or tissue contact of less than 30 days, including catheters, surgical instruments, analytical equipment, blood management and drug delivery systems. It is one of the most chemically resistant polymers available and can be repeatedly sterilized using conventional sterilization methods, including steam, gamma radiation and ethylene oxide processes without the degradation of its mechanical properties. The material exhibits a superior combination of strength, stiffness and toughness, making it ideally suited for medical device applications.

“This agreement will enable ENSINGER to extend its reach in the worldwide medical manufacturing market,” said Business Development Manager, Dr. Jürg Wiedler. “TECAPEEK Classix is the perfect complement to our current portfolio of high performance plastics designed for medical applications.”

“Metal components are increasingly being replaced by medical grade PEEK in the development of medical devices and equipment,” said Michael Callahan, President of Invibio. “Invibio will continue to work with leading suppliers such as ENSINGER to increase the availability of biocompatible, high-performance materials to meet the growing demands of the medical device industry.”

ENSINGER Components and materials are used in the development of dental applications, surgical instruments and sterilization equipment as well as in food, pharmacy and biotechnology applications.

About ENSINGER GmbH
ENSINGER is a leading supplier and processor of high temperature engineering plastics. ENSINGER produce semi-finished materials and thermoplastic profiles, injection molded and machined parts. The company’s high performance plastics are proven materials that are among others extensively used in medical technology. Furthermore, the products are used in automotive and aerospace industries, in machinery and plant construction and in electronics.

About Invibio Inc.
Invibio Inc. provides biomaterial solutions to the medical device market, and is the sole world-wide manufacturer and distributor of both PEEK-OPTIMA and PEEK-CLASSIX polymers, ideally suited for medical devices and pharmaceutical applications. Invibio's PEEK based polymers are produced at its headquarters and manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom. Invibio is available on the Web at www.invibio.com.

For more ENSINGER GmbH information, press only:
Doris Wölfle, ENSINGER GmbH, +49(0)7032-819-202, d.woelfle@de.ensinger-online.com

For more Invibio Inc. information, press only:
Tracy Conger, HSR Business to Business, (513) 346-5557, tconger@hsr.com