Lifecore FDA Dispute Resolution Panel Meeting Scheduled for June 4.

Business Editors & Medical/Health Writers

CHASKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2001

LIFECORE BIOMEDICAL, INC. (Nasdaq:LCBM) announced today that a meeting of the Food and Drug Administration's Medical Devices Dispute Resolution Panel (MDDRP) in connection with the Company's PMA application for its ferric hyaluronate product, GYNECARE INTERGEL(a) Adhesion Prevention Solution is currently scheduled for June 4, 2001.

The dispute resolution process is outlined under the provisions of the FDA Modernization Act of 1997 and was discussed at an introductory meeting of the MDDRP on October 31, 2000. Les Weinstein, Ombudsman in FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) and Panel Executive Secretary, is authorized to convene a meeting of the MDDRP when he deems it appropriate to resolve issues of scientific dispute between a PMA applicant and the FDA. The Panel consists of eight members: three permanent scientific voting members, three temporary voting members with specialized expertise in the ad hoc scientific areas of dispute, and two non-voting members representing both the medical device industry and consumer interests.

GYNECARE INTERGEL Solution has been under evaluation in pivotal human clinical trials since March 1996. The current premarket approval application was filed with the FDA in March 1999 and formally accepted for expedited review in May 1999. The product was initially determined to be not approvable by a recommendation of the January 12, 2000 General and Plastic Surgery Devices Advisory Panel. In June of 2000 the Company filed a major amendment to the PMA to address the concerns raised at the January Panel meeting. After review of the amendment, FDA's Office of Device Evaluation (ODE) determined that, while the results of clinical testing may appear to be encouraging, in their opinion there was not sufficient information to demonstrate reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness. Thus, ODE concluded that the PMA is not approvable at this time and notified the Company of options for agency review of ODE's determination.

GYNECARE, the women's healthcare division of ETHICON, INC. a Johnson & Johnson Company, currently markets Lifecore's ferric hyaluronate outside the US in 25 countries under the trademark GYNECARE INTERGEL Adhesion Prevention Solution, and has US marketing rights.

Further information is available at the FDA website: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfAdvisory/ details.cfm?mtg=251. (Please note: Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to cut and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field.)

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements implying timing or outcome of the FDA review process and the MDDRP are subject to change. Because of numerous risks and uncertainties in the complex regulatory aspects of Lifecore's business activity, actual results may differ materially from those implied. Investors are strongly cautioned to review more detailed discussions of those risks presented in the Company's Forms 10-Q and 10-K.

Lifecore Biomedical produces biomaterials and medical devices for various surgical markets and provides specialized contract aseptic manufacturing services.

Additional general corporate information about Lifecore is available on the Internet at http://www.lifecore.com

(a) Trademark of ETHICON, INC.