Q-Med opens U.S. head office

12/12/2001 4:00 AM EST

Another step closer to the attractive U.S. market


The Uppsala-based company Q-Med has opened its U.S. head office in
Washington, DC. A sales organization is also being built up for DEFLUX,
the company's first approved product in the USA. This means that the
preparations for an entrance on the U.S. market have taken a great
stride forward for the company.

In September this year Q-Med received FDA approval for the treatment of
vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in children with its product DEFLUX. The
product is Q-Med's first to be approved for sale on the American market.
In parallel with the FDA application process Q-Med began to build up a
company organization in the USA. To this end the company's U.S. head
office has now been opened in Washington, DC. The office is located in
the Dulles Corner Office Center - a company park where many biomedical
and technical companies have been set up. With its respected university,
Washington offers good opportunities for Q-Med to recruit competent
personnel.

Moreover, an administrative director, Ted Sullivan, has been employed
for the U.S. market. He is also responsible for the company's regulatory
questions in the USA. Further people who have been employed for the U.S.
market are two business unit managers, Louis Frisina, who is responsible
for the Esthetics business unit, and Magnus Precht, who is responsible
for the Uro-Gynecology business unit and for the launch of DEFLUX in the
USA. The launch of DEFLUX has been initiated in the USA with the
training of doctors and through participation at medical congresses. A
specialist salesmen group is also being built up.

Applications for registration in the USA of the esthetics preparation
RESTYLANE and the osteoarthritis product DUROLANE are estimated to be
submitted to the FDA at the end of the first half of 2002. The
applications are based on two scientific studies which are currently
being carried out in the USA and elsewhere.

Q-Med is a rapidly growing and profitable biotechnology/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 the four areas of 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.
Development of MACROLANE for body contouring, for example breast
augmentation, is ongoing. DUROLANE, Q-Med's product for the treatment of
osteoarthritis in the knee joint, has been approved in Europe since May
2001. DEFLUX is a product which has been approved in Europe and the USA
for the treatment of vesicoureteral reflux (malformation of the urinary
bladder) in children. ZUIDEX for the treatment of stress urinary
incontinence in women is estimated to be available in Europe in the
beginning of 2002. Since July 2000 Q-Med has owned a majority interest
in the American biotechnology company Ixion Biotechnology, Inc., with
research within cell therapy for diabetes. Q-Med today has over 230
employees, with 170 at the company's production facility and head office
in Uppsala, 20 at Ixion and the remainder in wholly owned foreign sales
companies. The Q-Med share was first listed on the O-list of the OM
Stockholm Stock Exchange in December 1999 and is today to be found on
the Attract 40 list.

Any questions should be addressed to

Bengt Ågerup, President and CEO Sofia Wahlberg, Director of
Tel: 018-474 90 00 Public Relations
or 070-974 90 25 Tel: 018-474 90 15 or 073-326 91 36
 


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



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