Fresenius Medical Care wins German Business Innovation Award

Please consider our electronic press kit at
www.fresenius-ag.com/e_presskit.html


Fresenius Medical Care has won the 26th German Business Innovation Award for its newly developed 5008 therapy system for patients with chronic kidney failure. The award was presented during a gala celebration on the evening of January 21 at the Old Opera House in Frankfurt. The prize recognizes the best innovations and outstanding technical-scientific advancements in Germany since 1980. Nearly 220 companies took part in the 2005 competition.

"We are very excited about the German Business Innovation Award. For many years our research and development activities in Germany have played a significant role in giving patients with chronic kidney failure the best-possible dialysis treatment. With the 5008 therapy system we want to continue our success and to further expand our leadership position in this sector. The 5008 is a fundamental milestone of our product portfolio strategy and it will be followed by other innovative devices," said Dr. Emanuele Gatti, the Management Board Member responsible for the development.

The 5008 therapy system comprises a newly designed dialysis machine, an artificial kidney or dialyzer, the related bloodlines and the dialysis concentrate. It sets itself apart with a simple interface and an improvement in treatment quality. Routine processes as well as maintenance have also been reduced significantly. "Nurses and doctors can spent even more time for patients," said Dr. Gatti. Furthermore, the new dialysis machine saves operating costs since it consumes as much as 30 percent less water and electricity. With that Fresenius Medical Care proves that medical progress does not lead to increased costs for health insurers – it could even provide financial relief for an even improved treatment.

Side-effects appear less often with the new system than with conventional dialysis machines. Long-term treatment with the newly developed machine has also proven to be more gentle. For the first time, Online-Hemodiafiltration (Online-HDF) is also a standard part of the 5008 therapy system. This best-possible therapy for patients with chronic kidney failure has a positive effect on risk factors related to cardiovascular diseases and could lower the mortality rate. "This type of treatment can now be used widely since the 5008 therapy system offers more simple operation and requires fewer resources," said Dr. Gatti.

The research and development department started the design of the new dialysis machine from the scratch. The developers were able to build on experience gathered by Fresenius Medical Care as a vertically integrated company that treats patients with chronic kidney failure at more than 1,600 clinics. The system was intensively tested not only in the laboratory but also in a number of dialysis centers. Before they were ready for release, the new developments were successfully tested in more than 240,000 treatments.

The dialysis machine is one of the most important products for the treatment of patients with chronic kidney failure. It pumps blood from a special access in a patient's arm to the dialyzer where metabolic toxins are removed with the help of dialysis solution. The filtered blood is then pumped back into the patient. The dialysis machine controls the circulation of blood outside the body and the composition of the dialysis fluid. In addition, it adds substances to prevent clotting. This life-saving therapy is usually administered three times a week and lasts about four hours.

# # #

Fresenius Medical Care AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: FME - ISIN: DE0005785802, FME3 - ISIN: DE0005785836) (NYSE: FMS, FMS-p) is the world's largest, integrated provider of products and services for individuals undergoing dialysis because of chronic kidney failure, a condition that affects more than 1,300,000 individuals worldwide. Through its network of approximately 1,670 dialysis clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatment to approximately 130,400 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the world's leading provider of dialysis products such as hemodialysis machines, dialyzers and related disposable products.

For more information about Fresenius Medical Care visit the Company's website at www.fmc-ag.com.