Biosensors Granted U.S. Patent Covering Drug-Eluting Stent Technology

    SINGAPORE, Sept. 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Biosensors
 International Group, Ltd. (Bloomberg: BIG SP), today announced that on
 September 6, 2005 it was granted a patent from the United States Patent and
 Trademark Office covering the technology behind its drug-eluting stents
 (''DES'').  Specifically, this U.S. patent, (Patent Number 6939376) covers the
 use of anti-restenotic, immuno-suppressive drugs including Everolimus, in
 combination with a biodegradable drug-release polymer coating on an
 endovascular stent.  The patent was filed in April 2002, and is valid in the
 U.S. for 20 years from the filing date.  The Company has also filed for the
 same patent in Australia, Japan and Europe, which it is anticipating to
 receive.
     ''Intellectual assets are particularly important in a fast growing and
 competitive segment such as the multi-billion dollar DES market,'' said
 Yoh-Chie Lu, Chairman and CEO of Biosensors.  "We have a strong belief that
 bioresorbable polymers will be a key factor for the long term success of DES.
 The positive STEALTH clinical trial results is consistent with this and we
 believe that the combination therapy, as covered by this patent, will be a
 step forward in treating coronary artery diseases.  Securing a patent that
 covers a core technology in this area will bring us one step closer to
 achieving our vision of becoming a leader in DES,'' he said.
     The DES technology covered by this patent has clinically been shown to
 reduce restenosis in humans when compared to bare metal stents as demonstrated
 in the FUTURE I and II, and STEALTH clinical trials conducted by Biosensors.
 Restenosis is the renarrowing of the coronary arteries following stent
 implantation.  The stent, which is a tiny, expandable mesh-like tube, acts as
 a scaffold inside the coronary artery and helps keep the artery open after
 balloon angioplasty.  The patent also covers the technology used in the
 Company's flagship DES, BioMatrix(TM), which uses Biosensors' proprietary
 Biolimus A9(TM) drug, bioresorbable polymer, S-Stent(TM) and stent delivery
 catheter, all of which have been developed in-house.  Biosensors also has
 other patents pending on the Biolimus A9TM drug technology.
     Biosensors believes that this new patent will go a long way in
 strengthening its intellectual property portfolio.  The Company will continue
 to secure, leverage and when necessary, vigorously defend its intellectual
 property as it develops more inventions in the medical specialties it
 addresses.
 
     About Biosensors International Group, Ltd.
     Biosensors develops, manufactures and markets innovative medical devices
 used in interventional cardiology and critical care procedures.  Biosensors is
 well-positioned to emerge as a leader in drug-eluting stents, an evolving
 therapy that is rapidly gaining market share from traditional therapies such
 as bare-metal stenting and open-heart surgery.  Biosensors has internally
 developed technology to address each component of a drug-eluting stent system,
 including a stent, a stent delivery catheter, a bioresorbable polymer and a
 proprietary anti-restenotic drug.  It is pursuing two separate drug-eluting
 stent programs, BioMatrix(TM) and Axxion(TM), and has licensed aspects of its
 drug-eluting stent technology to four companies.
 
     Forward Looking Statements
     Certain statements herein include forward-looking statements within the
 meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
 Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of
 forward-looking terminology, such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend,"
 ''estimate,'' ''anticipate,'' ''believe,'' ''project'' or ''continue'' or the
 negative thereof or other similar words.  All forward-looking statements
 involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, customer
 acceptance and market share gains, competition from companies that have
 greater financial resources; introduction of new products into the marketplace
 by competitors; successful product development; dependence on significant
 customers; the ability to recruit and retain quality employees as Biosensors
 grows; and economic and political conditions globally.  Actual results may
 differ materially from those discussed in, or implied by, the forward-looking
 statements.  The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this
 release and Biosensors assumes no duty to update them to reflect new, changing
 or unanticipated events or circumstances.
 
     Media Contact Information:
 
      Biosensors International Group
      Ms Tina Lim, Executive, Corporate Communications
      Tel:   +65-6213-5712
      Email: tina@biosensors.com.sg
 
     For investor related enquiries, please write to ir@biosensors.com.sg.
 
      WeR1 Consultants Pte Ltd
      Mona Leong
      Senior Consultant
      Tel:   +65-6737-4844
      Hp:    +65-9187-4449
      Email: monaleong@wer1.net
 
 

SOURCE  Biosensors International Group, Ltd.