Aesculap Takes the Honors for Frost & Sullivan Market Penetration Leadership Award in the U.S. Wound Closure Devices Market.

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Frost & Sullivan's recent analysis, U.S. Wound Closure Devices Market, selected Aesculap, Inc. as the recipient of the 2005 Market Penetration Leadership Award for its innovative strategy for providing high quality medical devices to hospitals, surgical centers, and physicians.

Each year, this award is presented to the company that has demonstrated excellence in capturing market share within its industry. The recipient has demonstrated strategic excellence in product innovation, marketing and sales strategies that have resulted in a significant gain in market share over the past two to three years.

After having firmly established itself in the European wound closure devices market, Aesculap has now ventured into the United States. Aesculap's foresight has gone a long way in helping the company gain a firm foothold in the latter.

"While many of its competitors develop alliances with hospital administrators and purchasing managers, Aesculap builds close relationships with surgeons," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Sheila Ewing. "The company responds to surgeons' needs by modifying existing devices, anticipating technical requirements, and obtaining procedure knowledge to assist collaboration with end users."

Vital strategic initiatives and alliances are further aiding Aesculap's rapid progress in the U.S. market. By leveraging relationships developed by its parent company B. Braun, it is collaborating with many leading medical device distributors. Significantly, Aesculap recently took over responsibility for B. Braun's suture line and it hopes to capitalize on B. Braun's brand name to develop close relationships with surgeons.

In January 2005, Aesculap also signed a distribution agreement with Novation to provide VHA Inc. and members of the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) with access to its suture line. These members purchase suture products worth almost $180 million each year, making them one of the biggest buyers in the market.

"These initiatives have helped the company gain market share from industry leaders Ethicon and Tyco Healthcare (U.S. Surgical), making Aesculap an emerging participant in the U.S. wound closure devices market," notes Ewing. "By providing high quality solutions and value to customers, Aesculap has become a trusted supplier of innovative medical devices."

About Aesculap, Inc.

Aesculap, Inc., Center Valley, PA is a member of the B. Braun family of healthcare companies. With its world headquarters in Tuttlingen, Germany, Aesculap is the world's largest manufacturer of surgical instrumentation. For more than 138 years, Aesculap has provided customers with surgical instrumentation and implants for neurosurgery, ENT, plastic and reconstructive, thoracic, micro-vascular, cardiovascular, orthopedic, laparoscopic and general surgery, and central processing in a mission to provide "Quality in all we do." For more information contact Aesculap Customer Service at 1-800-282-9000 or visit www.aesculapusa.com.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit http://www.frost.com.