Laser Hair Therapy of North America Acquires Patent for Laser Device.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2004

Laser Hair Therapy of North America, LLC ("LHTNA"), a pioneer in the marketing and commercialization of medical and cosmetic lasers, today announced that the company had acquired the exclusive rights to the patent supporting the Company's Laser Hair Care(R) line of devices. The full line includes the Laser Hair Care 4000 and the Laser Hair Therapy(TM) 6000 XL. The patent, entitled "Method and Device Stimulating the Activity of Hair Follicles," was granted by the U.S. Patent and Trade Office on December 23, 2003; and covers the use of laser diodes and light emitting diodes (LED's) for the treatment of hair loss.

"Acquiring the patent rights from the industry's leading R&D innovator is essential to our company's future. Since the mid-1980's, Transform Technologies has been consistently ahead of their time, blazing new paths for others in this field to follow. We are pleased to be working with them, to further protect the integrity of their product development efforts and to grow the overall size of the commercial market for laser hair therapy," said Jeff Braile, President of Laser Hair Therapy of North America.

"The patent covers our Laser Diode and LED delivery device when applied in the treatment of Alopecia and is potentially extendible to other soft tissue applications. We believe that our patent portfolio now includes virtually all technology necessary to create the Low Level Laser Therapy and LED energy required to treat Alopecia." Braile further stated, "We believe that this patent cements our technology leadership and gives us a strong market advantage going forward, as more men and women are treated with Low Level Laser Therapy for Alopecia."

According to industry sources, over 80 million U.S. people, most of them men, suffer from thinning and balding hair. The Food and Drug Administration has approved Low Level Laser Therapy for cosmetic use, finding that it helps to make hair thicker and healthier. Such laser therapy is now offered by a growing number of hair-restoration surgeons in the U.S. During the procedure, the patient's head is positioned underneath a hooded, fiberglass unit (much like a commercial hair dryer) as an array of cool lasers rotate around the scalp, stimulating microcirculation to the patient's hair follicles.