(Fort Worth, TX, USA) - HEALTHPOINT, Ltd., a Texas-based market leader in tissue management, dermatology, and surgical products, has announced that the OASIS® Wound Matrix has received a conditional letter of inclusion for publication in the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP).

        Inclusion in the USP is reserved for those products which meet specified standards in terms of their quality, identity, strength and purity. Items listed in the USP include drugs, biologics and tissues that have met these standards as set forth by USP.

        Finalization of the OASIS Wound Matrix monograph, a list of tests that identify the product, will result in OASIS's inclusion in the 2004 publication.

        "This inclusion will help to further differentiate the OASIS Wound Matrix from dressings, devices or collagen matrices which are not biologically derived or biologic in nature," said Michael Steadman, Senior Vice President and General Manager at HEALTHPOINT.

        Since the OASIS Wound Matrix is comprised of intact porcine small intestine submucosa, which is freeze-dried and terminally sterilized to form an acellular, extracellular matrix, it is characteristically unique amongst a wide variety of wound preparation, management, and healing products, according to the company. Clinical studies are underway to evaluate OASIS versus other products and standards of care in the management of hard to heal wounds.

        "OASIS Wound Matrix is a quantum leap forward for wound management, with its exceptional set of attributes, remarkable strength, and flexible handling," said H. Paul Dorman, HEALTHPOINT Chairman and CEO. "The USP inclusion confirms its unique qualities and high standards."

        OASIS Wound Matrix is used in the management of partial and full-thickness skin loss injuries, such as pressure, venous and chronic vascular ulcers, diabetic ulcers, surgical and trauma wounds, second degree burns, abrasions, and autograft donor sites.

        The OASIS Wound Matrix is based on SIS technology, which is derived from small intestinal submucosa (a complex biomaterial found between the mucosal and muscular layers in the wall of the small intestine). The submucosa provides strength to the intestine through a complex organization of structural and functional proteins and molecules that forms a three-dimensional matrix. Extracted in a manner that leaves the complex matrix intact, the result is a naturally-derived, extracellular matrix material.

        "This reconfirms the widespread recognition OASIS Wound Matrix has gained as an advanced product for the management of wounds," said Mark Bleyer, President of COOK Biotech, the manufacturers of Oasis.

        "Wounds represent a substantial burden in our aging society," said Dwayne Dixon, Group Marketing Director, Wound Preparation and Healing, HEALTHPOINT. "Practitioners and patients benefit greatly by this technology."

        USP inclusion is often a criteria for receiving appropriate Medicare reimbursement, as well.

        Since its inception in 1992, HEALTHPOINT has established a U.S. presence in the research, development, and marketing of branded pharmaceuticals, over the counter drugs, and medical devices for tissue management, dermatology, and surgical. An aggressive research and development effort has brought HEALTHPOINT's unique technologies to the market, setting the pace for its highly trained field sales organization of direct sales representatives. HEALTHPOINT, with over 250 employees, is a DFB Pharmaceuticals, Inc. affiliate company. Visit HEALTHPOINT's web site at www.healthpoint.com. HEALTHPOINT is based in Fort Worth, Texas.

        Also headquartered in Fort Worth, DFB provides technology-driven products, outsourcing services and licensing opportunities to the healthcare industry worldwide through its affiliate companies, contract partners, and branded marketing organizations.

        COOK Biotech Incorporated, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, was established in 1995 to research, develop and manufacture products based on extracellular matrix (ECM) Technology. COOK Biotech is actively developing ECM and scaffold-based biomaterials for numerous medical purposes. Medical products utilizing COOK's patented ECM Technology are currently marketed worldwide for use in wound management and surgical repair of soft tissue. Together with a network of medical practitioners, COOK Biotech is identifying the medical needs most compatible with ECM technology and developing products to meet these needs.

        Visit HEALTHPOINT’s web site at www.HEALTHPOINT.com.

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