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July 6, 2004

MED-EL Corp. Enters Into Agreement With Hearing Instrument Consultants, Inc.

From: PR Newswire (press release) - Jul 6, 2004

DURHAM, N.C., July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- MED-EL Corporation, a Durham, North Carolina-based cochlear implant company, last month entered into a consultancy agreement with Hearing Instrument Consultants (HIC), a Southern California- based audiology consulting group, to establish a sales and marketing relationship for twelve western U.S. states. HIC is the exclusive distributor for a leading worldwide hearing aid manufacturer for these states, and they have established relationships with a wide network of private practice audiologists and a number of audiologists who specialize in cochlear implants in the region.

HIC will work with the MED-EL Clinical Sales Team in the west to strengthen and grow our cochlear implant business by educating dispensing audiologists and reinforcing the MED-EL 'messages' on a frequent and ongoing basis. They will also provide sales and marketing services support to CI Centers with whom they have relationships.

Chris Bertrand, CEO of MED-EL Corporation, says of the new relationship: "The addition of Hearing Instrument Consultants to the MED-EL sales and marketing efforts in the Western United States will provide MED-EL with a unique opportunity to reach a wider audience of hearing health professionals. This will allow us to reach more cochlear implant candidates. It will also help us strengthen our existing support of the implant centers in the area. We are delighted to have a relationship with a professional organization such as HIC."

David Majit, President of Hearing Instrument Consultants, says: "Having an association with a quality company like MED-EL allows HIC and the hearing aid dispensing network with whom we work greater access to a broad range of sophisticated technologies for the hearing-impaired population we serve. The ongoing developments in implantable hearing technologies indicates that these technologies are coming closer and closer to conventional hearing aids in providing serviceable hearing to millions of hearing-impaired individuals. HIC is delighted to now have a vital role in the delivery of these technologies."

About Hearing Instrument Consultants: In 1978, David Majit and Gary Dorf, two forward-thinking audiologists, established Hearing Instrument Consultants. Their vision was to provide exceptional training, support, and service to professionals serving the hearing impaired. HIC has been able to implement this vision by developing close relationships with worldwide leaders in the hearing aid industry. Representing MED-EL is the perfect complement to the services they currently provide to hearing health professionals.

About MED-EL: Over 28 years ago researchers who later founded MED-EL developed one of the world's first cochlear implants. Today, MED-EL is growing faster than any other cochlear implant company and is the global leader in innovative technology in the field. MED-EL products are the result of collaborative efforts by MED-EL engineers, surgeons, audiologists, therapists, and of course, implant users. MED-EL has 15 regional offices worldwide including a North American Headquarters in Durham, North Carolina and Worldwide Headquarters in Innsbruck, Austria. Presently, recipients in 70 countries from over 400 cochlear implant centers are benefiting from MED-EL's COMBI 40+ Cochlear Implant system.

Contact MED-EL
Chris Bertrand, President
(888) 633-3524

Contact Hearing Instruments Consultants
David Majit, President
(800) 422-1822

SOURCE MED-EL Corporation
Web Site: http://www.medel.com

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