M E D I A   A L E R T

For Information Contact:
Joni Morford, Communicore
714/721-8081
jmorford@communicore.com


CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS REVOLUTIONARY NEW FIELD OF 
ORTHOBIOLOGICS FOR BONE, CARTILAGE, AND SKIN REGENERATION

Orquest, Inc. Presentation Focuses on New Materials for Improving Spinal Fusion 
and Accelerating Fracture Healing


WHO:

James W. Poser, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Development at Orquest, 
Inc., a Mountain View-Calif. company developing a portfolio of orthobiologic 
products for bone and cartilage regeneration.  


WHAT:

"New Matrices and Agents for Bone Repair" will be presented at the Advancements 
in Tissue Engineering: New Developments in Cartilage, Skin and Bone Engineering 
conference in Boston.  Dr. Poser, a conference chairperson, will discuss Orquest's 
two orthobiologic products in development--Healosª, an implantable bone graft 
alternative to autograft for spinal fusion, and Ossigelª, an injectable matrix for 
accelerated fracture healing.


WHY:

The conference will bring together a range of experts for one of the first meetings 
focusing on the new field of orthobiologics.  Orthobiologics combines an 
understanding of tissue biology, material sciences, and a new generation of growth 
factors to create breakthrough orthopedic therapies.

Orquest is a pioneer in this new field, developing approaches to bone and cartilage 
regeneration that use naturally occurring biomaterials that mimic the body's natural 
tissue environment.  These new therapeutic options have the potential to reduce 
morbidity and hospital stays associated with current procedures, resulting in 
improved patient quality of life and reduced healthcare costs.  

Orquest's Healos was designed to eliminate autograft--a painful and expensive 
secondary surgery routinely performed in spinal fusion.  Healos provides a 
"scaffolding" for bone ingrowth and is completely replaced by new bone as part of 
the body's natural healing process.  Orquest's second technology, Ossigel, accelerates 
fracture healing.  These technologies may be able to help the more than 200,000 
patients who undergo spinal fusion procedures and 6 million people who suffer 
bone fractures in the United States each year.


WHERE:

The Copley Plaza Hotel, Boston


WHEN:

Thursday, June 26, 1997; 11:25-11:55 a.m.


Note to Editors: Dr. Poser will be in the Boston area and available for interviews June 
26-27, 1997.  
Thomas A. Einhorn, M.D., Professor & Chairman of the Department of 
Orthopaedic Surgery at Boston University School of Medicine, is also available.  Dr. 
Einhorn, an expert in orthopedic surgery, offers a clinical perspective on the 
potential benefits of orthobiologic approaches.


End of document.