Aesthera Corp. Introduces Photopneumatic Therapy and Establishes High Profile Medical Advisory Board.

LIVERMORE, Calif. -- Aesthera PPx(TM) System Represents a New Generation of Safe and Effective Skin Treatments, Say Investigators

Aesthera Corporation today introduced Photopneumatic Therapy(TM) (PPx(TM)) at the 2005 American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting in New Orleans. The patented technology is a breakthrough combination of the unique properties of pneumatic energy and broadband light -- delivering photons to treatment targets up to five times more efficiently than traditional light-based devices.

Initial applications for the new aesthetic system are hair removal, skin rejuvenation and the treatment of vascular and pigmented lesions. By reducing the light energy required for these applications to a fraction of the photons delivered by previous devices, Aesthera PPx is painless and up to five times safer.

"Photopneumatic Therapy is truly revolutionary in its approach to light treatments. It is backed by solid science and presents great potential for the development of an innovative next generation of safe and effective skin treatments," said Jeffrey Dover, M.D., associate clinical professor of dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine and director of Skin Care Physicians, Chestnut Hill, MA. Dr. Dover also serves as chairman of Aesthera's newly formed medical advisory board, which brings together peer-respected physician thought leaders in the field of laser and light-based medicine. The six physicians on the board, from leading aesthetic centers around the world, will work closely with Aesthera research and development staff in ongoing aesthetic treatment innovation.

Photopneumatic Therapy uses a proprietary pneumatic sequence prior to applying light, temporarily thinning the treatment area to increase photon efficiency. Aesthera PPx is four to seven times faster than traditional laser and light-based treatments, making it an attractive alternative for busy physicians and their time-conscious patients. For example, full leg or whole back treatments can be performed in less than 20 minutes.

"PPx elevates the dermal and epidermal targets, and reduces both blood and melanin concentration, to ensure that four to five times more energy is absorbed directly by the target, as compared to previous generations of aesthetic systems," said Alon Maor, president and CEO, Aesthera Corp. "The Aesthera PPx system eliminates the conventional pain-causing, safety-compromising use of very high energies," he added.

"With traditional lasers and light-based systems, there is a very fine line between effectiveness and collateral damage," agreed Vic Narurkar, M.D., director and founder of the Bay Area Laser Institute in San Francisco. "Photopneumatic Therapy dramatically increases photon absorption, reducing the overall energy required and significantly widening the otherwise very narrow safety margins," he said.

Narurkar added that his clinical study using the technology found that patient comfort was so favorable that the treatments no longer required the traditional extensive pre-treatment with topical numbing and cooling agents. "Patients previously treated with traditional technologies strongly favor Aesthera PPx because of its speed and comfort," he said.

The heart of the multi-application Aesthera PPx system is the treatment-specific, microchip-driven IntelliTip(TM). Individually designed for different body parts and featuring pre-programmed parameters for hair removal, skin rejuvenation or the treatment of vascular and pigmented lesions, the IntelliTip is an intelligent consumable that reduces the possibility of operator error.

"The IntelliTip is just one example of Aesthera's commitment to the physician's successful aesthetic practice," said Alon Maor. "No large upfront investment is required to own the Aesthera PPx system. By embedding photopneumatic technology into each single-treatment IntelliTip, the physician's investment is always linked to the growth of the practice. For the first time, there's a true pay-as-you-go model for building an aesthetic practice."

"Also essential to our commitment to the physician's success is the Medical Advisory Board we've assembled," said Maor. "This panel includes some of the world's foremost experts in aesthetic medicine, and will help us continue to deliver the most innovative, most practice-enhancing advancements. Their experience and track record will guide our R&D and clinical exploration efforts."

Joining Dr. Jeffrey Dover on the Aesthera Medical Advisory Board are Drs. Jean Carruthers, founder, Carruthers Aesthetic Surgical Center of Vancouver, BC and clinical professor of ophthalmology, University of British Columbia; Suzanne Kilmer, director, Laser and Skin Surgery Center of Northern California, Sacramento, CA; Vic Narurkar, founder, Bay Area Laser Institute, San Francisco and associate professor of dermatology, School of Medicine, University of California - Davis; E. Victor Ross, Skin and Cosmetic Center, Scripps Clinic, San Diego; and Robert Weiss, founder, Maryland Laser, Skin and Vein Institute, Hunt Valley, MD and associate professor of dermatology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University.

About Aesthera Corporation

Aesthera (www.aesthera.com) develops, manufactures and markets light-based aesthetic treatment systems based on proprietary Photopneumatic Technology that is more effective than currently available methods for hair removal, skin rejuvenation and treatment of vascular and pigmented lesions. Found in trial research to be pain-free and up to seven times faster, Aesthera's revolutionary aesthetic system combines the proven properties of therapeutic light with gentle pneumatic energy that creates an unprecedented efficiency of photons delivered to the target. Now Aesthera allows physicians to provide high technology aesthetic treatments with a very low system investment and near-immediate profitability -- finally freeing the practice from dependence upon high patient volume to achieve a favorable return on investment.