December 11, 2008
Fresenius Medical Care's peritoneal dialysis products certified by Nordic Ecolabel – First health care company with ecolabelled products
Numerous peritoneal dialysis (PD) products of Fresenius Medical Care are now certified by Nordic Ecolabel, making it the first health care company in the world to receive this designation for its medical products. The license covers nearly all disposable products made of PVC-free Material Biofine®, developed by Fresenius Medical Care. The products include bags for PD solutions as well as accessories for PD machines, offered in many European countries.
Nordic Ecolabel is the official Ecolabel in the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and signals the environmental impact of a product or service. As one of the most popular Ecolabels worldwide, it has been awarded to products and services in 66 categories so far. It is also known as "Swan" by most Scandinavians because of its logo, a stylized white swan across a green background. According to the Nordic Ecolabelling Board (NMN), which awards the Ecolabel, two-thirds of Scandinavians are familiar with Nordic Ecolabel and its significance.
Nordic Ecolabelled PD products must meet strict criteria. They must, among other things, not contain PVC and substances that are toxic or resist degradation (persistent), which are deposited in organisms (bioaccumulative) or disrupt the endocrine system (endocrine disrupters). Furthermore, the manufacturing process needs to adhere to state of the art quality standards.
"We developed Biofine® because an important concern of our company is to preserve nature and to save natural resources," said Dr. Emanuele Gatti, Chief Executive Officer of Fresenius Medical Care for the regions Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. "Our Biofine® technology is unique and therefore we are pleased to be the first health care company ever to offer medical products with the Nordic Ecolabel. This is another building block in our extensive environmental program. Our products are environmentally friendly and innovative. They offer the best quality of care for the benefit of patients."
For more information about the Nordic Ecolabel and the certification of Fresenius Medical Care's PD products visit www.svanen.nu/eng.
Fresenius Medical Care 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 1,600,000 individuals worldwide. Through its network of 2,349 dialysis clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatment to 181,937 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. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FME, FME3) and the New York Stock Exchange (FMS, FMS/P)
For more information about Fresenius Medical Care visit the Company's website at www.fmc-ag.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including changes in business, economic and competitive conditions, regulatory reforms, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings, and the availability of financing. These and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.