Dr. James Drake, Inventor of Medafor's MPH™ Technology Named Innovator of the Year

Minneapolis, Minn., August 20, 2003 - Medafor, Inc., announced today that Dr. James Drake, Medafor's Chief Scientist and the inventor and patent holder of Medafor's MPH (Microporous Polysaccharide Hemospheres) hemostatic technology, has been named an Innovator of the Year by Finance and Commerce Daily Business Newspaper, a publication of Dolan Media, Minneapolis.

The Innovator of the Year Awards "celebrate the spirit of the inventor, the adventure of creation and the satisfaction of success," according to the publication's call for nominations announcement. The awards honor people or companies who have created innovative products or services that show promise in the marketplace. Dr. Drake and Medafor will be featured in an upcoming issue of Finance and Commerce, as well as in other Dolan Media publications, and Dr. Drake will be honored at an awards luncheon on Friday, September 5th.

MPH™ is a novel hemostatic technology consisting of a biopolymeric, microporous powder which produces rapid hemostasis in areas of profuse bleeding and which, when applied to a bleeding wound site, initiates coagulation within seconds. The particles act as molecular sieves to absorb fluids in the blood, attracting and concentrating proteins and platelets and accelerating the natural clotting cascade. Dr. Drake, and Medafor, received a patent in May of 2000 covering 31 method claims for the use of the technology for hemostasis.

Medafor's MPH™-based products have received Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for topical use in the United States. TraumaDEX™ has been cleared for use by doctors and medical services personnel for temporary control of severe bleeding in a variety of trauma and post surgical wounds. HemaDerm™ has been cleared to treat bleeding in dermatological procedures and vascular access sites. MPatcH™ has been approved for use at vacular access sites. Bleed-X™ has been approved for over-the-counter use for cuts, lacerations and abrasions. Arista™ AH has been CE marked and is in surgical use in Europe and elsewhere around the world. BACK.