Cook Medical Names Ted Heise as Vice President of Regulatory Scientific Affairs.

Will Oversee Scientific Aspects of Company's Global Regulatory Affairs Efforts

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Ted Heise, Ph.D., RAC, a 9-year veteran of the Cook organization, has been named vice president of regulatory scientific affairs for Cook Incorporated. Heise had previously been director of regulatory scientific affairs.

"Regulatory affairs has become increasingly driven by highly sophisticated issues of science and medical technology. Today, proving to the FDA and other regulatory bodies around the world that a new device is safe and effective poses significant challenges that require the best possible expertise," said Kem Hawkins, president of Cook Inc. and Cook Group Inc. "Ted Heise has made great contributions to our regulatory team, helping ensure that our clinical trials and regulatory submissions are based on solid scientific foundations. His expertise will help ensure that Cook Medical devices gain the fastest possible regulatory approval, a crucial strategy in our efforts to be the first to introduce new technologies that benefit patients."

"I have always admired the Cook organization's high standards of integrity and commitment to providing minimally invasive options for improving patient care, and am honored to be named to this position," Heise said. "In my new capacity I will continue to provide technical oversight of regulatory submissions for Cook Incorporated and throughout Cook Group, and represent the company with FDA."

After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Heise went on to earn a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Iowa State University. He first joined Cook in 1997, working at MED Institute for six years and transferring to Cook Incorporated in 2003. He came to the company from Streck Laboratories In Omaha, Nebraska, where he was manager of quality assurance and regulatory affairs.

Heise has been a member of the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society since 1993 and the American Chemical Society since 1988. His wife Kathy is an accomplished music teacher at Fairview Elementary in Bloomington. He has three sons, the oldest is a Purdue University graduate residing in Boston, the middle son is a Ball State University Graduate, also residing in Boston, and the youngest is a junior at Purdue University.

About Cook

The world's largest privately held manufacturer of medical devices with international headquarters in Bloomington, Ind., COOK[R] (www.cookmedical.com/) is a leading designer, manufacturer and global distributor of minimally invasive medical device technology for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Since its founding in 1963, Cook has created innovative technologies for drug-eluting and bare metal stents, aortic and vascular endografts, catheters, wire guides, introducer needles and sheaths, embolization coils, medical biomaterials and contract manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals, vena cava filters and other minimally invasive medical devices for radiology, cardiology, urology and women's health, critical care medicine, surgery, gastroenterology, bone access and endovascular therapies.