BioSphere Medical Appoints Alain Brunier President, European Operations; Pioneers in Embolotherapy Enhance Global Commercialization Efforts.

Business/Technology Editors

ROCKLAND, Mass.--(BW HealthWire)--June 6, 2000

BioSphere Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: BSMD), a medical device company that is pioneering the use of bioengineered microspheres to treat tumors and vascular malformations by occluding their blood supply, announced today that it has named Alain Brunier as the Company's president of its European operations. Brunier, who was formerly the managing director of France and North Africa for St. Jude Medical, brings to BioSphere Medical more than 30 years of experience in managing the European businesses of several medical device companies.

Brunier will assume his role effective June 26th and report to John Carnuccio, BioSphere Medical's president and chief executive officer, and will be responsible for managing the Company's sales, marketing, financial and manufacturing operations throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. BioSphere Medical has received CE Mark approval for its product Embosphere(R) Microspheres in Europe, which allows the Company to sell the product for use in general embolization procedures, including uterine artery embolization (UAE), in the 19 countries of the European Economic Area. UAE is the occlusion of the blood supply to uterine fibroids to reduce their size and alleviate associated symptoms.

Carnuccio stated, "The addition of Alain Brunier further strengthens our management team and should go far in enhancing BioSphere Medical's position as a leader in the growing European embolotherapy market. His knowledge of the European medical device market and his experience in building effective distribution channels will be valuable assets in our efforts to grow the presence of Embosphere(R) Microspheres in Europe."

Said Brunier, "I am very excited to be joining BioSphere at a time when the Company is aggressively implementing its global commercialization strategy. I look forward to using my experience to help the Company penetrate many emerging, high-volume embolization markets in Europe."

Brunier most recently served as managing director, France and North Africa at St. Jude Medical, a manufacturer of pacemakers and other medical devices used by cardiologists. Prior to that, he was the vice president and chief executive of Europe, Middle East and Africa for Telectronics, a manufacturer of pacemakers and implantable defibrillators. He also served as managing director, France for Oticon, a manufacturer of hearing aids. Brunier also has held senior management positions at SMAD - HEMO France and Baxter - Travenol.

In addition to its CE Mark approval in Europe, BioSphere Medical received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance in April 2000 for Embosphere(R) Microspheres to treat hypervascularized tumors and arteriovenous malformations. In January 2000, BioSphere Medical received approvals which allow the Company to sell the product for use in general embolization procedures, including UAE, in Australia and Canada. In January 2000, the Company began Phase I clinical evaluations of Embosphere(R) Microspheres for use in UAE pursuant to the approval by the FDA of its separate Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application.

BioSphere Medical, Inc., based in Rockland, Massachusetts, is a medical device company that is pioneering the use of proprietary bioengineered microspheres in embolotherapy - the occlusion of the blood supply to tumors and vascular malformations. Embolization is a procedure performed primarily by interventional radiologists to treat hypervascularized tumors, including uterine fibroids, and arteriovenous malformations throughout the body.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the Company's ability to grow sales of Embosphere(R) Microspheres in Europe. Among the important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements in this release are the failure of the Company to achieve or maintain necessary regulatory approvals, either in the United States or internationally, with respect to the manufacture and sale of its products; to successfully develop and commercialize the Embosphere Microsphere technology for Uterine Artery Embolization and other applications; to provide patent and other proprietary protection for the Company's products; the absence of, or delays and cancellations of, product orders; the delay in the introduction of new products; competitive pressures; the inability of the Company to raise additional funds, if needed, to finance the development, marketing, and sales of its products; general economic conditions; as well as those risk factors detailed in the periodic reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.