Fresenius Medical Care, the world's leading provider of products and services for dialysis patients, opened its first Swedish dialysis clinic in Trelleborg. Fresenius Medical Care was selected as the clinic operator by the regional government in Skåne (southern Sweden) during a tender.

"Offering patients the best possible treatment demands the highest quality and efficiency," said Dr. Emanuele Gatti, Chief Executive Officer of Fresenius Medical Care for the regions Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. "We are very pleased that our portfolio convinced the tender committee. Now we cannot only offer innovative technologies but also with our unique treatment concepts our entire dialysis expertise."

The new dialysis clinic was renovated and equipped according to the latest scientific and technical standards in about five months at a cost of around 1.4 million Euro. The approximately 700-square-meter clinic is near the public hospital and can care for up to 40 dialysis patients at its 13 stations. The team – one nephrologist and care personnel – will initially treat about 30 patients.

Fresenius Medical Care plans on opening additional dialysis clinics in Sweden in the mid-term. The Company founded a local subsidiary, Nephrocare Sverige AB, which is based in Sollentuna near Stockholm.

By the end of 2008, around 2.3 million patients received treatment for end stage renal disease around the world. The kidneys of these patients are unable to filter metabolic toxins and excess water from the blood for excretion through the urine. More than 1.7 million patients rely on regular, life-saving dialysis treatment – either at a dialysis clinic or at home – to prevent these toxins from accumulating in the blood and damaging other organs. Sweden currently has about 3,800 dialysis patients.

Fresenius Medical Care will offer patients in Trelleborg hemodialysis, which accounts for about 89 percent of all dialysis therapies worldwide. In hemodialysis, blood is filtered outside the patient's body using an artificial kidney (dialyzer). The patient's circulation is monitored and controlled by a dialysis machine.

Due to strong global demand, Fresenius Medical Care is expanding the capacity for producing dialysis products at its plant in St. Wendel, Germany. The Company will invest a total of approximately €39 million over the next 12 months.

About €23 million will be invested in an additional building and two new spinning lines for hollow fibers, the key component of dialyzers (artificial kidneys). Production capacity for these fibers, which are also used to manufacture dialyzers at other locations, will increase by about 30 % at St. Wendel.

Fresenius Medical Care will invest about €16 million to increase the production capacity for bags used in peritoneal dialysis. This should increase capacity by some 25%.

At the beginning of 2007, the Company had already announced an increase to the dialyzer production capacity at the St. Wendel plant. Some €36 million were committed to the project, which will boost annual capacity for single-use dialyzers to 35 million. This equipment will be brought on line in the coming months and the two latest expansion measures announced today should be completed in spring of 2009. The committed total amount for all ongoing projects at St. Wendel is about €100 million (US$150 million).

Fresenius Medical Care currently employs about 1,700 people at the St. Wendel development and production site. A further increase in the number of employees is expected for 2008.

Dr. Ben Lipps, Chief Executive Officer of Fresenius Medical Care commented: "Demand for our innovative dialyzers and other high-quality dialysis products continues to climb. The capacity expansion at the St. Wendel manufacturing site meets this steady increase and ensures that an even larger number of patients worldwide can receive our life-saving products and therapies. The investments at St. Wendel are a commitment to Germany as an important manufacturing base for us and proof of the dedication of our employees. Their efforts over the past years have made our successful growth possible."

Fresenius is expanding its production capacity in Southeast Asia. Fresenius Kabi, a market leader in infusion therapy and clinical nutrition, opened a new production facility in the coastal city Quy Nhon in central Vietnam today. The opening ceremony was attended by Cornelia Pieper, the Minister of State at Germany's Federal Foreign Office, along with many other high-profile guests from Germany and Vietnam. Nearly 380 employees will work at the production facility. With the new plant, Fresenius Kabi will almost double its manufacturing capacity for infusion solutions and liquid medications. Most of these products are intended for the Vietnamese market. Investment costs totaled to approximately €20 million, and construction took about two years to complete.

Ulf Mark Schneider, CEO of Fresenius, said: "Health care systems in Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia are developing at a rapid pace, so there is a constantly increasing demand for Fresenius Kabi products in these countries. Our new plant in Quy Nhon will help us meet this demand and allow us to make a significant contribution to high-quality, yet affordable health care in the region."

Minister of State Cornelia Pieper highlighted the plant's role in German-Vietnamese relations: "I am pleased to see that Fresenius Kabi has opened a new plant in Quy Nhon. Direct investments such as these benefit both Germany and Vietnam. And they serve to secure jobs in both countries as well. What's more, they are an important part of our two countries working more closely together."

The new plant replaces the existing Fresenius Kabi production facility in Quy Nhon. Jan Walter, managing director of Fresenius Kabi for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, explained: "Over the last three years, our sales in Vietnam have grown by more than 20 percent every year. The new plant in Quy Nhon will significantly increase our production capacity and has the country's most advanced production equipment for infusion solutions and liquid medications. So we are well equipped for the further growth that we expect to see at Fresenius Kabi in Vietnam over the next few years."

The new production facility covers 15,000 square meters. The manufacture of infusion solutions is already certified in line with GMP (good manufacturing practice) guidelines as set down by the World Health Organization. Most of the employees from the former plant will be taken over, and 45 new jobs are being created.

The Quy Nhon plant is run by Fresenius Kabi Bidiphar JSC, a joint venture between Fresenius Kabi and Bidiphar, a state-owned health care company based in Quy Nhon. Fresenius Kabi Bidiphar was founded on December 1, 2008, and Fresenius Kabi holds the majority of its shares and provides the management team. The joint venture is Vietnam's market leader in standard solutions and also enjoys a leading position in I.V. generic drugs. Other Fresenius Kabi products made outside Vietnam are sold through a separate entity in Ho Chi Minh City. Overall, Fresenius Kabi employs nearly 500 people in Vietnam.

Fresenius has also been providing support for the Vietnamese-German University (VGU) in Ho Chi Minh City since 2008 to foster German-Vietnamese relations. The aim of this partnership is to set up and run the Fresenius Institute of Life Sciences, an institute that offers Vietnamese medical professionals training and continuing education. Among other measures, Fresenius has committed US$1 million to the project over a period of five years.

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