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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                        --------------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K
                        --------------------------------


                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

         DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED): JULY 28, 2005

                             -----------------------

                                 CRYOLIFE, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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                FLORIDA                                 1-13165                              59-2417093
     (State or Other Jurisdiction              (Commission File Number)                     (IRS Employer
           of Incorporation)                                                             Identification No.)


              1655 ROBERTS BOULEVARD, N.W., KENNESAW, GEORGIA 30144
               (Address of principal executive office) (zip code)

       REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE: (770) 419-3355

          -------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

                            -------------------------

     Check the  appropriate  box below if the Form 8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

|_|  Written  communications  pursuant to Rule 425 under the  Securities Act (17
     CFR 230.425)

|_|  Soliciting  material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
     240.14a-12)

|_|  Pre-commencement   communications  pursuant  to  Rule  14d-2(b)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

|_|  Pre-commencement   communications  pursuant  to  Rule  13e-4(c)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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ITEM 2.02 RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OR FINANCIAL CONDITION The information provided pursuant to this Item 2.02 is to be considered "filed" under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") and incorporated by reference into those filings of CryoLife, Inc. (the "Company") that provide for the incorporation of all reports and documents filed by the Company under the Exchange Act. On July 28, 2005, the Company announced that it had reached an agreement in principle to settle the lawsuit described in the press release attached hereto, and discussed the impact of the settlement on its financial performance for the three month periods ended March 31, 2005 and June 30, 2005, and its liquidity. A copy of the press release is included as an exhibit to this Form 8-K, and is incorporated herein by reference. ITEM 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS. (a) Financial Statements. (b) Pro Forma Financial Information. (c) Exhibits. Exhibit Number Description -------------- ----------- 99.1 Press Release dated July 28, 2005 2

SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, CryoLife, Inc. has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. CRYOLIFE, INC. Date: July 28, 2005 By: /s/ D. Ashley Lee --------------------------------- Name: D. Ashley Lee Title: Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer 3

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

NEWS RELEASE

        CRYOLIFE ANNOUNCES AGREEMENTS IN PRINCIPLE TO SETTLE SHAREHOLDER
            CLASS ACTION AND SHAREHOLDER DERIVATIVE ACTION LAWSUITS

ATLANTA,  July 28  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/  --  CryoLife,  Inc.  (NYSE:  CRY),  a
biomaterials and biosurgical device company, announced today that it has reached
an agreement in principle to settle the securities  class action lawsuit pending
in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia arising
out of allegedly  inadequate  disclosures  prior to the FDA's August 2002 tissue
recall.  The settlement will resolve all claims asserted against the Company and
the individual defendants in this case.

The terms of the  settlement,  which  must be  approved  by the court  following
notice to the class, include a total settlement of $23.25 million, approximately
$11.5  million of which is  expected  to be paid from  insurance  proceeds.  The
remainder  is expected to be  comprised  of a cash  payment  from the Company of
approximately $8.0 million,  expected to be made in the third or fourth quarter,
and common stock with a stipulated value of approximately  $3.75 million.  Based
on a stock price of $7.90,  the Company expects that the settlement will include
approximately  475,000  shares of CryoLife  common  stock.  The actual number of
common shares issued will depend on the stock price at the time of distribution.
Management expects to record a pre-tax charge of approximately $11.75 million in
the second quarter of 2005 for the combined value of the cash and common stock.

The  Company  and the  individual  defendants  have  denied any  wrongdoing  and
liability  whatsoever,  and the  settlement  does not contain any  admission  of
liability.  While the court previously  dismissed a number of plaintiffs' claims
in a ruling on the Company's motion for summary  judgment,  the court also ruled
that several claims could proceed to trial.  Plaintiffs intended to seek damages
at trial in excess of $150 million.  Although the Company  believes  plaintiffs'
claims  lacked  merit,  in light of the  inherent  risks  and  uncertainties  of
litigation  as well as defense  costs,  the  Company  determined  to resolve the
matter   short  of  trial  rather  than  expose  the  Company  and  its  current
shareholders to these costs and the risk of a potentially  catastrophic award at
trial.

As  previously  disclosed,  the  Company  has  been  in  settlement  discussions
regarding a shareholder  derivative action filed in the Superior Court of Fulton
County, Georgia. The terms of the proposed settlement, which must be approved by
the court, include a cash payment of $3.5 million,  which the Company expects to
recover from the insurance  carriers.  As part of the proposed  settlement,  the
Company  and its  management  have also agreed to several  changes in  corporate
governance,  including the identification and appointment of a new director with
regulatory  experience  and the  formation of a  regulatory  affairs and quality
assurance  committee.  In the first quarter of 2005,  the Company  recorded $3.5
million in accrued expenses and other liabilities,  and recorded $3.5 million in
other receivables,  representing amounts the Company expects to recover from the
insurance carriers.

Steven G. Anderson,  President and CEO of CryoLife,  Inc., said: "We are pleased
to now have these matters behind us. We believe these settlements will be in the
best interest of the Company and its shareholders and will enable us to preserve
adequate liquidity for CryoLife's operations. CryoLife has worked very hard over
the last three years to  strengthen  its  processes  and resolve the  regulatory
issues from 2002 and subsequent FDA activity.  As we look to the future,  we are
focused on enhancing our leadership  position in processing and preserving human
tissues, which improve health and quality of life."

About CryoLife, Inc.

Founded in 1984,  CryoLife,  Inc. is a leader in the processing and distribution
of  implantable  living  human  tissues for use in  cardiovascular  and vascular
surgeries  throughout  the United States and Canada.  The  Company's  BioGlue(R)
Surgical  Adhesive is FDA  approved as an adjunct to sutures and staples for use
in adult  patients in open surgical  repair of large vessels and is CE marked in
the European  Community and approved in Canada for use in soft tissue repair and
approved in Australia for use in vascular and pulmonary sealing and repair.

Statements  made in this press release that look forward in time or that express
management's  beliefs,  expectations  or hopes  are  forward-looking  statements
within the  meaning of the  Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform Act of 1995.
These future events may not occur as and when expected, if at all, and, together
with the Company's  business,  are subject to various  risks and  uncertainties.
These risks and  uncertainties  include the  settlement  arrangement  may not be
finalized,  that the  Company's  2005  revenues  and  expenses  may not meet its
expectations; the possibility that the FDA or other regulatory authorities could
impose additional restrictions on the Company's operations, require a recall, or
prevent the Company from processing and  distributing  tissues or  manufacturing
and  distributing  other  products;  that the  Company  may not have  sufficient
capital  availability to fund its business;  that pending  litigation  cannot be
settled  on terms  acceptable  to the  Company;  that the  Company  may not have
sufficient  resources  to  pay  punitive  damages  (which  are  not  covered  by
insurance)  or  other  liabilities  in  excess  of  available   insurance;   the
possibility of severe  decreases in the Company's  revenues and working capital;
that to the extent the Company  does not have  sufficient  resources  to pay the
claims against it, it may be forced to cease operations or seek protection under
applicable  bankruptcy  laws;  changes  in laws and  regulations  applicable  to
CryoLife;  and other risk factors detailed in CryoLife's Securities and Exchange
Commission  filings,  including  CryoLife's  Form 10-K filing for the year ended
December 31, 2004, its registration statement on Form S-3 (Reg. No. 333-121406),
and the  Company's  other SEC filings.  The Company does not undertake to update
its forward-looking statements.

For  additional   information  about  the  Company,  visit  CryoLife's  website:
www.cryolife.com

Contact: Joseph T. Schepers
Vice President, Corporate Communications
(770) 419-3355

SOURCE CryoLife, Inc.