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Materialise 3D Imaging and Printing Improve Clinical Trial Outcomes

Enhanced patient screening and patient planning improve efficiency and outcomes of clinical trials

PLYMOUTH, MICH., June 13, 2017 – Cardiovascular medical device developers and clinicians are often required to conduct clinical trials for their devices and procedures to ensure they will perform safely and effectively across their patient population. Numerous medical professionals across the United States have partnered with Materialise, using the company's 3D printing software and services to improve outcomes and efficiency in these extensive and often costly trials and help bring innovations to market.

With Materialise 3D imaging and printing solutions, surgeons and device companies are able to analyze and select ideal patients for clinical trials, based on their anatomy. Once patients have been selected, medical professionals can use 3D printed, patient-specific anatomical models to develop surgical plans and workflows to prepare for and treat complex cases, resulting in a positive impact on patient care

For medical device developers, 3D printing also provides a more efficient process for prototype and medical device manufacturing, allowing developers to create trial-ready devices, either at the point of care or through Materialise's 3D printing services.

"At Materialise, we believe in the power of our mission to create a better and healthier world,"
said Bryan Crutchfield, Vice President and General Manager of Materialise North America.

"We work very closely with teams at our partner hospitals and medical device companies to explore opportunities to assist in complex, innovative medical procedures. By working with our partners to leverage 3D printing for more effective and efficient clinical trials, we are helping them bring innovative devices and procedures to market and improve care for patients."

Materialise recently collaborated with Henry Ford Health System, based in Detroit, Michigan. Teams from the Henry Ford Innovation Institute and the Henry Ford Center for Structural Heart Disease developed a high quality patient screening and planning solution for patients with severe mitral valve disease. New and innovative transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement devices deal with complex 3D anatomy and accurate virtual planning is a vital step to the success of the procedure.

"The results that we've had using 3D computer aided design imaging have been nothing short of remarkable," said Dee Dee Wang, M.D., director of structural heart imaging at Henry Ford Hospital, and medical director, 3D printing, Henry Ford Innovation Institute.
"These virtual models allow us to plan and personalize each patient's procedure before it happens, minimizing the risk of complications. Because we care for the sickest of the sick, that makes this a real game changer."
 
The use of 3D imaging to accurately screen patients and 3D printed anatomical models to plan for the procedure will allow hospitals to quickly and accurately determine patient's qualifications for trials and future procedures. By implementing the Materialise software, hospitals will be able to scale their 3D printing solutions, knowing they are working with a trusted partner in the medical device field.

Materialise, a leader in software solutions and 3D printing services in the medical and industrial markets, helps hospitals differentiate themselves as innovators and leaders in developing successful clinical trials.

Learn more by meeting with Brigitte de Vet, VP Materialise Medical and the Materialise medical team at the Transcather Valve Therapies (TVT) Conference in Chicago on June 15-16, 2017. Please contact Janelle Schrot at Janelle.schrot@materialise.com.

About Materialise

Materialise (NASDAQ: MTLS) incorporates more than 25 years of 3D printing experience into a range of software solutions and 3D printing services, which together form the backbone of 3D printing technologies. Materialise's open and flexible solutions enable players in a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, automotive, aerospace, art and design, and consumer goods, to build innovative 3D printing applications that aim to make the world a better and healthier place. Headquartered in Belgium, with branches worldwide, Materialise combines the largest group of software developers in the industry with one of the largest 3D printing facilities in the world. For additional information, please visit: www.materialise.com.

About Materialise's Medical Division

Materialise Medical, which has pioneered many of the leading medical applications of 3D printing, enables researchers, engineers and clinicians to revolutionize innovative patient-specific treatment that helps improves and save lives. Materialise Medical's open and flexible platform of software and services, Materialise Mimics, form the foundation of certified Medical 3D Printing, in clinical as well as research environments, offering virtual planning software tools, 3D-printed anatomical models, and patient-specific surgical guides and implants. For additional information, please visit: http://www.materialise.com/en/medical.

Press contacts

Virginia Goble
 Materialise

Phone: 734.259.6445
 Mobile : 248.921.5500
 Email: virginia.goble@materialise.com
 Twitter: @MaterialiseNV
 Visit: www.materialise.com

Dan Horn
 Franco

Phone: 313.567.5008
 Mobile: 313.410.3992
 Email: horn@franco.com

 
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this press release are "forward-looking" and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to, among other things, our planned commercialization efforts and regulatory approvals of our technologies as well as the success thereof and our research and development projects. These forward-looking statements are based upon the expectations of management under current assumptions at the time of this press release. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are in some cases beyond our control that may cause our actual results to differ materially from our expectations. We are providing this information as of the date of this press release and do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this presentation as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless we have obligations under the federal securities laws to update and disclose material developments related to previously disclosed information.