Eckert & Ziegler to Acquire Medical Robot Product Line from Medtronic

(Ad hoc-Mitteilung)

Berlin, 03.08.2000. jojumarie Intelligente Instrumente, a subsidiary of Neuer Markt listed Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG (WKN 565970) will acquire, for approximately one million Euro, the SurgiScope medical robot product line from Medtronic Surgical Navigation Technologies (Colorado, USA) and with it the rights to one of the world's first and most frequently installed ceiling-mounted medical robot. The agreement between both companies also covers a cooperation in the servicing, development, and sale of robotic products. The acquisition of the assets will be accompanied by the transfer of a service and development group located in Grenoble, France.

"The acquisition of the SurgiScope product line brings an experienced service and development team to jojumarie and service contacts to some of the most respected clinics in Europe, Asia, and the United States", explained Prof. Dr. Tim Lueth, founder and general manager of jojumarie GmbH. "The transaction will therefore provide us with a first class infrastructure platform for further product launches. Among the new products will be a SurgiScope attachment suitable of performing various surgical operations and a positioning system for brachytherapy applications. For the development and manufacture of these products jojumarie GmbH recently opened a new facility in Berlin-Wedding".

jojumarie Intelligente GmbH has been founded in 1999 as a joint-venture between Eckert & Ziegler AG, Tim Lueth and Jürgen Bier for, among others, the development of navigated instruments for brachytherapy applications. Eckert & Ziegler AG currently holds 80% of the company stock, but will reduce its quota in favour of its partner with the expansion of the company. The acquisition of the SurgiScope medical robot product line is expected to result in 2000 in additional Eckert & Ziegler revenues of approximately 1.2 million Euro and an earning contribution of about 0.4 million Euro.

The Board of Directors