Olympus Biotech International introducing Bone Growth Factor eptotermin alfa in Europe now also for Spinal Fusion

LIMERICK, Ireland, July 5, 2011 -

Product Launch of Opgenra starts in July

Olympus Biotech International, an Olympus
Corporation Company, announced the availability of its
eptotermin alfa product “Opgenra“
 for European patients. Opgenra is indicated for
posterolateral lumbar spinal Fusion (PLF) in adult patients with
spondylolisthesis where autograft has failed or is
contraindicated. The active ingredient, recombinant human
bone morphogenetic protein-7 (rhBMP-7 or eptotermin alfa),
stimulates natural bone regeneration by actively recruiting stem
cells from the surrounding tissue and blood supply, initiating the
bone formation cascade. Opgenra will be available in the
UK and Germany in July with other European
Countries to follow later in the Year.

Eptotermin alfa has 10 years of use in clinical practice as an
osteoinductive agent in supporting the Regeneration of Bone with
regulatory approvals in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe..

“We are proud to announce that shortly after the acquisition of
all BMP-7 bone-related product rights from Stryker, we are able to
 make Opgenra available to European patients”, says Florian
Kemmerich, President of Olympus Biotech International. Opgenra is a
medicine that contains the active substance eptotermin alfa. It is
supplied as two vials, one containing eptotermin alfa and another
containing a substance called carmellose. The two powders are made
up into a ’suspension’ (a liquid with solid particles in it) with a
putty-like consistency, which is implanted in the body

Opgenra is placed between the transverse processes of the spine
to promote fusion. Once implanted in the body, Opgenra stimulates
natural bone regeneration by actively recruiting stem cells from
the surrounding tissue and blood supply, initiating the bone
formation cascade. Through many years of research, the mechanism of
action by which this molecule works inside the body has been
explored extensively. Eptotermin alfa based products are approved
in the United States of America by the FDA under a Humanitarian
Device Exemption (HDE), Canada and also Australia.

About Olympus Biotech Corporation

Olympus Biotech was established in December, 2010 as a wholly
owned company of Olympus Corporation. The vision of Olympus Biotech
is to improve the patient Quality of Life by developing and
distributing Regenerative Medicine that stimulate the intrinsic
healing capacity in the living body by the technological
development of growth factors and biomaterials.

Contact: Zahia Boukanoucha, Mobile +33-618-76-62-56, Office +33-437-48-91-94, zahia.boukanoucha at olympusbiotech.com