LifeCell's AlloDerm Highlighted for Its Effectiveness in Wound Care At The American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 30, 1998--

AlloDerm Used to Successfully Treat Skin Defect in Newborn

LifeCell Corporation (Nasdaq:LIFC) today announced that its AlloDerm(R) dermal graft was highlighted in a medical presentation for its effective healing capabilities in wound care treatment of a newborn child. The presentation was given to nearly 7,000 plastic surgeons and medical personnel attending the 67th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons' (ASPRS), the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation (PSEF) and the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS) held recently in Boston.

Richard Simman, M.D., a burn reconstructive surgeon at University Hospital and Medical Center at Stony Brook, presented a case study of a newborn child who was treated for Aplasia Cutis Congenita of the trunk, a rare congenital condition characterized by the absence of all layers of skin. Some physicians choose to treat this serious medical condition conservatively. However, others recommend early surgical intervention to avoid complications caused by delayed wound healing. Dr. Simman and his co-authors, Cedric J. Priebe Jr., M.D., Harry S. Sorroff, M.D. and Marcia Simon, Ph.D., all of University Hospital and Medical Center at Stony Brook, opted for a single operative procedure on the infant at age three weeks. Hypertrophic granulation tissue was excised and AlloDerm was applied as a dermal substitute, covered by cultured epithelial autografts (CEAs), followed later by additional bedside applications of CEAs. Two-and-a-half weeks following surgery, 90 percent of the wound had healed.

"With the AlloDerm being nonimmunogenic, a less inflammatory reaction is expected. Consequently, less contracture should occur, lending to better functional and cosmetic results as demonstrated in the case of this newborn," explained Dr. Simman. "At the 16-month post-op examination, the baby's skin texture was normal, soft and pliable with no contracture."

"The ability to regenerate normal human soft tissue is the key to the success of AlloDerm in a wide spectrum of surgical procedures," noted Stephen A. Livesey, M.D., Ph.D., LifeCell's executive vice president and chief science officer. "The use of AlloDerm in this clinical situation enabled wound closure and, perhaps most importantly, normal skin that is soft and pliable following healing. Moreover, dermis is a very complex tissue and with AlloDerm being derived from the true biological tissue provides the template that is necessary for its regeneration."

AlloDerm is a decellularized nonimmunogenic connective tissue graft derived from donated human dermis. Through a patented process, cells that would cause rejection of the donated tissue are removed and the essential matrix characteristics of the tissue are preserved, such that the patient's body will accept AlloDerm as its own tissue. When transplanted to a patient, the AlloDerm dermal matrix is incorporated into the surrounding tissue and is repopulated with the patient's own cells. Moreover, the AlloDerm matrix guides the new cells to remodel and maintain the matrix, establishing a new functional living tissue.

LifeCell Corporation is a bioengineering company engaged in the development and commercialization of tissue regeneration and cell preservation products. LifeCell's first commercial product, AlloDerm(R) acellular dermal graft, is used in reconstructive plastic, dental and burn surgery. In addition to AlloDerm grafts, the Company's current tissue graft development programs include the LifeCell(R) heart valve, vascular grafts and nerve connective tissue. LifeCell's product development programs also include ThromboSol(TM) (a formulation for extending the shelf life of transfusable platelets) and technologies to enhance the storage of red blood cells, granulocytes and stem cells. For additional information about the company, visit LifeCell's web site at http://www.lifecell.com.

Certain of the statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements. While these statements reflected the Company's current beliefs, they are subject to uncertainties and risks that could cause actual results to differ materially. These factors include, but are not limited to, the uncertainty of product development, of clinical trials, of regulatory approval and of patent protection; the demand for the Company's products and services; economic and competitive conditions and products; and other risks detailed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 1997.