Acquiring Coripharm, Mebio and Corimed plus 49% stake in Osartis, aap Implantate AG expands into promising orthobiology sector

Berlin, 30 November 2000. aap Implantate AG, one of the leading German companies in the biomedical implant sector, is expanding the promising biological implant business field. It has acquired 100% of Coripharm, Mebio and Corimed, based in Dieburg, Germany, and a 49% stake in Obernburg-based, Germany, Osartis. The four companies are involved in biological bone substitute, osteosynthesis, endoprosthetics and local wound-healing.

For aap, these acquisitions and holdings in Germany represent a crucial step toward becoming an all-round supplier in the orthopaedics market. Its core business fields have hitherto been osteosynthesis (bone fracture healing), and endoprosthetics, (joint replacements). The acquisition now takes aap forward into a third sector: orthobiology (biological implants). Alongside additional innovative products, aap has now acquired, via these acquisitions and holdings, a research team with long years of experience, a total of 17 patents in the above-mentioned business fields and an international network of recognized research scientists and practical, working physicians.

The six companies in which aap is now a shareholder were previously separate and independent companies both legally and organisationally. Between them, with a staff of about 30, they achieved a turnover of roughly DM 8.3 million in 1999. They are, in detail:

- Coripharm Medizinprodukte GmbH & Co. KG (research and product development for endoprosthetics, bone substitutes and local wound healing)
- Coripharm Medizinprodukte-Verwaltungs GmbH (partnership company)
- Mebio Medizintechnische Biomaterialien GmbH (sales and administration for the above-mentioned products)
- Corimed Kundenorientierte Medizinprodukte GmbH (parent company of Mebio Medizintechnische Biomaterialien GmbH)
- Osartis GmbH & Co. KG (developing and manufacturing bone substitute materials)
- Osartis Verwaltungs-GmbH (partnership company)

aap Implantate AG expects, in addition to moving forward into orthobiology, to gain considerable growth potential from widening its product range and integrating the sales structures and the manufacturing capacities.