New Patent Granted

Collagen Solutions Plc

(the "Company" or the "Group")

New Patent Granted

Collagen Solutions plc (AIM: COS), the developer and manufacturer of medical grade collagen components for use in regenerative medicine, medical devices and in-vitro diagnostics, announces that Southern Lights Biomaterials (SLB), its wholly owned subsidiary has been granted a US patent for the processing of a new bio-material which will provide benefits for heart surgery patients.

Patients suffering from aortic stenosis may be candidates for valve replacement surgery. The valves typically use bovine pericardium in their construction as this material is strong, flexible and demonstrably safe in this application. SLB supplies this material to a number of leading bio-prosthetic heart valve manufacturers.

A major recent advance in this field is a delivery methodology whereby valves are delivered through a catheter rather than by open-heart surgery. A limitation on wider adoption was the need to fold the valves for trans-catheter delivery where the thickness of the pericardium limits the minimum size of the catheter.

The subject of the issued patent is a NZ source of pericardium which is not only much thinner but, when treated, also has unique strength and composition properties. The adoption of the new delivery methodology has catalysed the growth in enhanced valve development as the valve replacement surgery is now available to a much wider range of patients.

In addition to transcatheter cardiovascular therapeutic valve applications this thin, robust tissue is likely to be suitable for new or improved medical devices such as staple line reinforcement where a strong thin tissue offers an advantage.

Stewart White, CEO of Collagen Solutions commented: "It is very pleasing to see that the US Patent Office has recognised the novel nature of SLB's processing of this new biomaterial. The replacement valve market has grown considerably and is estimated to be worth US$ 4.7 billion by 2020. With the wider adoption of the new, less invasive, methodology and the availability of our replacement material we would expect to participate in this growth. As this process is patented, it is now possible for us to explore licensing avenues with companies providing valve replacement bio-materials."

Ref: http://www.bioportfolio.com/news/article/2339024/Global-Heart-Valve-Repair-and-Replacement- Market-Worth-US-4-712-7.html

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