Cook Medical and LMA Urology Ltd Forge Global Partnership to Advance Treatment of Stone Disease.

Strategic Partnership Brings Together Industry Leading Technologies to Advance Stone Removal

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- An estimated twelve percent of the population are expected to suffer from stone disease at some point in their lives1 and studies predict that environmental factors will only force that number to grow in many areas of the United States2. To help ensure there is a fast, effective treatment option available to individuals with urinary stones, Cook Medical and LMA Urology Ltd have entered into a strategic partnership that can significantly improve the remedies available for stone disease management. Through the worldwide agreement, Cook will market and distribute LMA's StoneBreaker(TM), a portable pneumatic, endoscopic lithotripter for stone fragmentation. StoneBreaker is a powerful, easy-to manage and cost-effective lithotripter, and will be marketed in conjunction with Cook's own cutting-edge portfolio of stone management technologies and devices. Together, they provide urologists across the globe with a highly effective, end-to-end solution for treating kidney, ureteral and bladder stones, reducing procedure times and improving overall patient care.

The LMA StoneBreakeris a proprietary device that is highly effective in the treatment of urinary stone disease. The StoneBreaker's unique, compact, ergonomic design makes it easier to manage than comparable lithotripters, reducing the procedure time for fragmentation and removal of stones. Additionally, there is minimal probe movement during the procedure allowing for safer stone fragmentation and reduced stone migration. Powered by a cartridge of high-pressure carbon dioxide gas, the StoneBreaker delivers a higher probe-tip velocity at impact to successfully break stones in one procedure, thus eliminating the need for additional costly procedure time and patient discomfort.

Dr. Demetrius Bagley, the Nathan Lewis Hatfield Professor of Urology at Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson Medical Center and an internationally recognized expert in endourology, has recently concluded a study on use of the StoneBreaker. He notes, "The StoneBreaker has a number of advantages. It is comfortable to use, portable and relatively inexpensive compared to other types of endoscopic lithotripters. Used with a rigid endoscope, the probe provides excellent stone fragmentation. The stone starts breaking with minimal migration. Unlike laser lithotripters, the StoneBreaker requires no special team to perform the procedure."

Commenting on the Cook Medical partnership, Dr. Markus Haller, president of LMA Urology said, "We are delighted to have Cook Medical as our partner. The company's vast expertise in urology, combined with its substantial marketing and sales capability will allow us to achieve global market penetration for the StoneBreaker. Together, our companies provide today's urologists with a comprehensive solution for stone management."

"We are very excited to be working with LMA, a company that continues to demonstrate product excellence and quality-focused innovation in treatment of stone disorders," said Jerry French, senior vice president and global strategic business leader for Cook Medical's urology division. "Together we offer an industry leading stone management technology that provides urologists worldwide with a more comprehensive approach to treat kidney, ureteral and bladder stones, minimizing procedure time and improving overall patient care."

About Cook Medical

Cook Medical was one of the first companies to help popularize interventional medicine, pioneering many of the devices now commonly used worldwide to perform minimally invasive medical procedures. Today, the company integrates minimally invasive medical device design, biopharma, gene and cell therapy, and biotech to enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes in the fields of aortic intervention; interventional cardiology; critical care medicine; gastroenterology; radiology, peripheral vascular, bone access and oncology; surgery and soft tissue repair; urology; and assisted reproductive technology, gynecology and high-risk obstetrics. Founded in 1963 and operated as a family-held private corporation, Cook is a past winner of the prestigious Medical Device Manufacturer of the Year Award from Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry magazine. For more information, visit www.cookmedical.com.

1 http://www.hsc.stonybrook.edu/som/urology/urology_cp_stonedisease.cfm - April 30, 2008

2 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, T. H Brikowski, Y. Lotan, M, S Pearle "Climate-related increase in the prevalence of urolithiasis in the United States"; July 14, 2008