CryoLife, Inc. Awarded Grant From The National Institutes Of Health (NIH) for Its SynerGraft Tissue Technology

ATLANTA, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- CryoLife, Inc. (NYSE: CRY), the leader in the development and commercialization of living human tissue implantable devices and a manufacturer and distributor of stentless heart valves and surgical adhesives, announced today that it has been awarded a $750,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance CryoLife's SynerGraft tissue-engineering technology in the development of biologic implantable vascular devices for application in peripheral bypass surgical procedures.

On October 16, 2000, CryoLife announced that it had received a "CE" (product certification) mark for its recently introduced SynerGraft tissue- engineered pulmonary heart valves for commercial distribution in the European Union. The SynerGraft technology represents a major development in tissue- engineered replacement biologic devices for repair of damaged or diseased human tissues.

Steven G. Anderson, President and Chief Executive Officer of CryoLife, Inc., said "The development of the SynerGraft technology is designed to provide surgeons with an entirely new technology platform for patient treatment by allowing the use of biological tissues that have the potential to remodel themselves with the patient's own cells."

The SynerGraft technology incorporates the use of animal tissue that has been depopulated of animal cells to provide a collagen matrix that has normal human tissue architecture. The cell remodeling process has been successful in advanced animal studies. Since March 1991, CryoLife has received approximately six million dollars in grants from U. S. Federal agencies in support of SynerGraft technology development.

The vascular graft program sponsored by the NIH is specifically designed to create a new tissue-engineered graft material that, if successful, would provide a small diameter blood vessel that could effectively replace the use of synthetic materials in limb salvage. CryoLife scientists are currently directing the SynerGraft technology in the development of additional vascular materials including coronary bypass, hemodialysis access and large diameter grafts, and are also developing anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) for application in the repair of the human knee.

Founded in 1984, CryoLife, Inc. is the leader in the development and commercialization of implantable living human tissues for use in cardiovascular, vascular and orthopaedic surgeries throughout the United States and Canada. The Company's BioGlue(R) surgical adhesive is approved as an adjunct for acute thoracic aortic dissections under HDE regulations in the United States and is CE marked in the European Union and approved in Canada for use in vascular and pulmonary sealing and repair. The Company also manufactures CryoLife-O'Brien(R) and CryoLife-Ross(R) stentless porcine heart valves, which are distributed within the European Community.

Statements made in this press release that look forward in time or that express management's beliefs, expectations or hopes regarding future occurrences are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These future events may not occur when expected, if at all, and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include the possibility that future clinical BioGlue test results will prove less encouraging than current results, and that BioGlue regulatory submissions will not be ready when planned or that anticipated regulatory approvals will not be obtained on a timely basis, if at all.

For additional information about the company, visit CryoLife's web site: http://www.cryolife.com .

SOURCE CryoLife, Inc.

CONTACT: Roy Vogeltanz, Vice President, Corporate Communications, of CryoLife, Inc., 800-438-8285/