B. Braun Awarded Premier Contract For Its Introcan Safety IV Catheter

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- B. Braun, a leading healthcare products and services company and a leader in passive safety technology, announced today that Premier Purchasing Partners, LP, the healthcare group purchasing unit of Premier, Inc., has awarded it a multi-source agreement which includes B. Braun's line of Introcan Safety IV Catheters.  These

safety catheters are designed with innovative passive-safety features to actively help minimize accidental needle-stick injury.  This contract follows a five-year agreement that was effective in February 2004 which encompasses all major B. Braun Medical infusion products. The additional  three-year contract for Introcan Safety IV Catheter was effective Oct. 1, 2004.

"We are very pleased with this new agreement with Premier. Through our partnership with Premier, we have the ability to reach their more than 1,500 hospitals and healthcare facilities in the United States," said Caroll H. Neubauer, chairman and CEO of B. Braun

Medical Inc.  "We are confident that Premier members will benefit immediately from access to our passive safety Introcan Safety IV Catheter as well as our other innovative safety products."

"While IV Therapy is a relatively common and well-established procedure, the potential for blood-borne infection can make it a potential high-risk medical moment," said Tim Richards, senior vice president of marketing for B. Braun Medical Inc.  "In developing the Introcan Safety IV Catheter, B. Braun sought to accomplish two essential life-enhancing features to enable health professionals to serve patients to the fullest extent possible and to do so with peace-of-mind for both the patient and healthcare worker," he added.

Premier, Inc. is a strategic alliance in U.S. healthcare, entirely owned by more than 200 of the nation's leading hospital and healthcare systems. These systems operate or are affiliated with nearly 1,500 hospital facilities and hundreds of other healthcare sites. Premier provides an array of resources supporting health services delivery, including group purchasing for more than $17 billion annually in supplies and equipment.

Since its founding in 1839, B. Braun has built an unparalleled store of knowledge and expertise in delivering innovative healthcare products, medical devices and programs that enhance both patient- and health-professional safety.  Its 29,000 employees worldwide are proud of their commitment to translating customer needs into products with unmatched quality, superior technology, cost-effectiveness, and environmental responsibility.  Through its "Sharing Expertise" initiative, B. Braun promotes best practices for continuous improvement of healthcare products and services.

 Source: B. Braun