TriStar Wellness Solutions Acquires HemCon Medical Technologies

TriStar Wellness Solutions Acquires HemCon Medical Technologies

Developer of Bleeding and Wound Management Technologies for Surgical, Health Care, Consumer and Military Markets to Operate as Wholly Owned Subsidiary of TriStar Wellness Solutions

WESTPORT, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TriStar Wellness Solutions, Inc. (OTCBB: TWSI), a health and wellness company that targets opportunities in the self-care and professional marketplace, has acquired HemCon Medical Technologies Inc., a Portland, Oregon-based leading researcher and manufacturer of products for bleeding and wound management. TriStar purchased all the stock of HemCon for $3,075,000 in cash. Effective immediately, HemCon will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of TriStar.

HemCon, founded in 2001, had revenues in 2012 of $6.5 million. Its world-class manufacturing facility had received funding from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop a hemorrhage-control bandage that became standard-issue for U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to its Portland facility, HemCon also has facilities in Ireland and the Czech Republic.

The stock acquisition consisted of the entire medical device business. TriStar has filed a form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission that contains further details of the transaction.

Barry S. Starkman, age 56, will retain his current position as President and Chief Executive Officer of HemCon while also assuming the role of Senior Vice President of TriStar. He will be based at HemCon's manufacturing facility in Portland, and will report to John Linderman, President and CEO of TriStar Wellness Solutions.

John Linderman elaborated on the importance of this acquisition: "With its world-class global operations and healthcare technology assets, HemCon represents a tremendous opportunity for growth. HemCon will become the platform from which to launch TriStar's plans to grow its consumer and professional wound care portfolio and become a key player in the $17 billion global wound care market. HemCon's products, technologies and best-in-class manufacturing capability will enable the company to grow market share through innovations designed to meet the needs of underserved consumer and professional markets."

Mr. Linderman continued, "HemCon provides TriStar Wellness Solutions an ongoing revenue base with significant near- and long-term growth potential. Now that it is part of TriStar, we plan to implement strategies to leverage HemCon for aggressive commercial success across a broad range of innovative technology applications within the U.S. and global markets. We expect to refocus the impressive HemCon organization on rebuilding its core professional/surgical and emergency medical market customer base and to penetrate new consumer markets with innovative new products that are currently in development.

"The HemCon acquisition enables TriStar's plans to build a major healthcare products company focused on addressing unmet or under-met consumer and healthcare professional needs. In the past year, TriStar has been focusing on acquiring new technologies and assets; now with HemCon, we have a platform to more rapidly bring these assets to the marketplace," he added.

Mr. Starkman commented, "With our acquisition by TriStar Wellness Solutions, we are looking forward to launching an important new phase in the HemCon story. Under TriStar ownership, HemCon will continue its mission to provide medical practitioners worldwide with the highest-quality, most cost-effective solutions to bleeding and wound care in all medical settings, from the emergent trauma through the OR to post-surgical care, and to continue to provide quality products for the OTC market."

HemCon, aided by funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, developed a process for incorporating chitosan, a substance found in shrimp shells, into bandages that control severe bleeding and are naturally antibacterial. Between 2003 and 2008, the HemCon^® Bandage was the standard-issue hemorrhage-control bandage for all U.S. Army soldiers and is credited with saving hundreds of lives on the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan. HemCon subsequently extended its technologies into a diversified product line for the emergency medical, surgical, dental, military and OTC markets in the U.S. and globally.

HemCon's premier product lines include GuardaCareXR Surgical Hemostatic Temporary Surgical Dressing, a chitosan-coated gauze with an x-ray detectable element indicated for the temporary control of severe bleeding; ChitoGauze^®, an easy-to-apply dressing for the military market that maximizes the limited time before massive blood loss turns deadly; GuardaCare^®, an emergency medicine variant of ChitoGauze^®; the HemCon Patch^®, designed for bleeding control following heart catheterization procedures; the HemCon Dental Dressing, designed for use by oral surgeons and general practitioners to protect oral mucosal tissues following various procedures; and various products incorporating m•doc™ oxidized cellulose for the OTC market. Not included in the acquisition is HemCon's freeze-dried plasma development program, which was spun off from the company.

Dennis McNannay, Executive Director of the Oregon Bioscience Association, noted, "Oregon Bio welcomes the news that HemCon, a local, innovative industry leader, is transitioning its business platform. HemCon has not only been a significant contributor to the Oregon economy, but also an essential catalyst to Oregon's innovation culture, rich entrepreneurial history and the region's bioscience community. We're excited for HemCon to begin this new chapter in its history."

About TriStar Wellness Solutions

TriStar Wellness Solutions, Inc. (TWSI) is a health and wellness company that targets under-met consumer opportunities in the OTC and professional marketplace. Our core strategy plans to meet the growing demand for personalized, care solutions by leveraging proprietary innovation and healthcare technology with the rapid transformation of the healthcare marketplace to create innovative, science based solutions and brands. Additional information is available at www.tstarwellness.com.

About HemCon Medical Technologies

HemCon Medical Technologies Inc., founded in 2001, develops, manufactures, and markets innovative technologies for hemostatic devices for the control of bleeding resulting from trauma or surgery. HemCon products are designed for use by military and civilian first responders as well as medical professionals in hospital and clinical settings where control of bleeding are of critical importance. HemCon is headquartered in Portland, Ore., with additional commercial operations in Ireland and the Czech Republic. For more information, please visit www.hemcon.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release for TriStar Wellness Solutions, Inc. contains forward-looking statements. Generally, you can identify these statements because they use words like "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "future," "intends," "plans," and similar terms. These statements reflect only our current expectations. Although we do not make forward-looking statements unless we believe we have a reasonable basis for doing so, we cannot guarantee their accuracy and actual results may differ materially from those we anticipated due to a number of uncertainties, many of which are unforeseen, including, among others, the risks we face as described our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which apply only as of the date of this press release. To the extent that such statements are not recitations of historical fact, such statements constitute forward-looking statements that, by definition, involve risks and uncertainties. In any forward-looking statement where we express an expectation or belief as to future results or events, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that the statement of expectation of belief will be accomplished.

Dian Griesel Inc.
Cheryl Schneider/Susan Forman
212-825-3210
www.dgicomm.com

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