Bengt Ågerup executive chairman of the Board of Q-Med

12/19/2000 9:37 AM EST

BENGT ÅGERUP EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
OF THE BOARD OF Q-MED

* Bengt Ågerup was appointed new chairman of the Board at a meeting of the
Q-Med Board today.

* Q-Med's former chairman of the Board Robert Wikholm will continue as a
member of the Board.

Q-Med was founded by Bengt Ågerup, who also invented the technology which
is the foundation of all of Q-Med's business operations today, the NASHA
technology (Non-Animal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid).

Bengt Ågerup has worked for many years as a researcher, amongst other
things at Pharmacia. Up until April 1999 he was Q-Med's President and CEO
and after that he worked as the Head of Research and Production.

Bengt Ågerup will now go on to act as the executive chairman of the Board
of Q-Med. As before he will devote a great deal of time to Q-Med's
explorative business activities: finding new projects, working with the
American biotechnology company Ixion where Q-Med has the majority
shareholding etc.

"It has always been my ambition to develop Q-Med into a company that can
function through its own efforts and on its own merits. Today Q-Med has at
its disposal competent personnel throughout the organization who can
implement the business plan with vigour. In the phase of strong growth
that the company is now in, I can from Paris where I reside work more
effectively in a freer role as executive chairman of the Board. My strong
commitment to the company is also demonstrated by the fact that I intend
to keep my shareholding in the company", says Bengt Ågerup.

December 19, 2000
Uppsala, Sweden
Q-Med AB (publ)
Per Olof Wallström, President and CEO

Queries should be addressed to Per Olof Wallström, President and CEO, on
+46(0)18-474 90 00 or +46(0)70-974 90 70.

Q-Med is a rapidly growing and profitable biotechnology and medical device
company that develops, produces and markets medical implants. All products
are based on the company's patented technology for the production of NASHA
- Non-Animal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid. Q-Med's operations focus on four
areas, Esthetics, Orthopedics, Uro-Gynecology, and Cell Therapy and
Encapsulation. The products RESTYLANE, RESTYLANE Fine Lines and PERLANE
are used for the filling out of lips and facial wrinkles and today account
for the majority of sales. The development of MACROLANE for breast
augmentation is ongoing. DUROLANE, Q-Med's product for the treatment of
osteoarthritis in the knee-joint, is in the clinical documentation phase.
DEFLUX is a product which has been approved in Europe for the treatment of
vesicoureteral reflux (malformation of the urinary bladder) in children
and stress urinary incontinence in women. Since July 2000 Q-Med has held a
majority interest in the American biotechnology company Ixion
Biotechnology, Inc., which carries out research within cell therapy for
diabetes. Q-Med today has 195 employees, with 140 at the company's
production facility and head office in Uppsala, 15 at Ixion and the
remainder in wholly owned foreign subsidiaries. The Q-Med share has been
listed on the O-list of the OM Stockholm Stock Exchange since December
1999.

Q-Med AB (publ), Seminariegatan 21, SE-752 28 Uppsala, Sweden. Corporate
identity number 556258-6882.
Tel: +46(0)18-474 90 00. Fax: +46(0)18-474 90 01. E-mail:  .
Home page: www.q-med.com