The sale of 60% in MacGREGOR completed

The sale of 60% of the shares in the subsidiary MacGREGOR has been completed. Following approval by the competition authorities, the Industri Kapital investment fund has acquired a majority interest, 60% of the votes and capital, in a new company that includes MacGREGOR. The sale is at a price of SEK 900 M and results in a capital gain for Gambro of about SEK 400 M and releases about SEK 900 M in liquid funds. MacGREGOR is being deconsolidated in Gambro’s accounts as of July 1, 1998. Gambro will remain a 40% part-owner of the new company.

With the sale of the MacGREGOR subsidiary, the extensive restructuring and streamlining of the GroupÕs operations is completed. Since the start in 1991, some 60 subsidiaries and operations have been divested and major focus placed on medical technology. This has involved transactions totaling about SEK 90 billion.

Today, the Group is focused solely on medical technology/healthcare, with leading operations globally in four business areas:

Renal Care Products – Gambro Renal Products – is responsible for development, production, marketing and sales of dialysis products worldwide, and also renal care services in Europe and Asia. Total sales amount to approximately SEK 8 billion.

Renal Care Services – Gambro Healthcare – is reponsible for dialysis clinics operations in North and South America, in addition to marketing and sales of dialysis products in markets in North and South America. Total sales are approximately SEK 9 billion.

Cardiopulmonary Care – COBE CV – manufactures cardiovascular-surgery products, primarily for markets in North and South America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, with sales of approximately SEK 1 billion.

Blood Component Technology – COBE BCT – covers products for the separation and handling of blood components, with major markets in North and South America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region and sales of approximately SEK 1 billion.