N E W S   R E L E A S E

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


ORQUEST NAMES NEW CEO


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.....December 2, 1996.....Mountain View, Calif.....S. 
Mitchell Seyedin, Ph.D., founder of Orquest, Inc., announced today the 
appointment of Michael S. Estes, Ph.D., as President and Chief Executive Officer.  
Seyedin, who served in the post temporarily while a search for a permanent CEO 
was ongoing, remains as Chairman of the Board and Chief Scientific Officer and will 
continue to guide the development of Orquest's core technology.

"We are delighted that Mike Estes has joined us.  His long and varied experience in 
the healthcare industry is a good match for Orquest at this stage of our 
development.  In particular, his skills in growing advanced technology businesses 
from concept through commercialization will be essential to our long-term success," 
Seyedin said.

Estes' long career with American Hospital Supply Corporation began soon after he 
earned his Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from West Virginia 
University.  His series of increasingly senior positions provides him with extensive 
experience in research and development, manufacturing, strategic business 
planning, sales, marketing, and corporate development.  Prior to his appointment as 
Group Vice President of Baxter Healthcare in 1990, he served as president of 
American's Cardiovascular Surgery Company, which included the Edwards, 
Bentley, and Haemonetics division.  Estes guided this $100 million unit through a 
series of important milestones, including patent litigation, and became known for 
his ability to increase profits while reducing costs.  As Group Vice President for 
Baxter he had responsibility for Baxter's cardiovascular business and spent 18 
months in Japan as President of Baxter Japan. 

"I am enormously excited by the prospect of working with the Orquest team in an 
area of medicine where new technology has such enormous potential to improve 
patient outcomes and reduce costs," Estes said.  "I intend to bring all of my 
experience working within entrepreneurial divisions of large corporations to a 
setting where such experience can have great impact."

Orquest was founded in 1994 to develop, manufacture, and commercialize 
bioengineered matrices for the regeneration of bone and cartilage tissue in targeted 
indications.  The Company currently has two orthopedic products in development: 
Healos¨, a synthetic bone graft alternative, and Ossigelª, a matrix for accelerated 
fracture healing.  Orquest is a privately held corporation based in Mountain View, 
California.


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