SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (NYSE: KCI) announced today that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan has granted final regulatory approval for KCI to market and sell its innovative V.A.C.^® Therapy System in the country.

“Japan has a deep heritage of providing outstanding medical care, and the people of KCI are pleased and humbled to have the opportunity to serve this market,” said Catherine Burzik, KCI president and CEO. “What makes us especially proud is that our clinically proven V.A.C.^® Therapy System will fill a real unmet medical need in Japan for hard-to-heal wounds.”

Reimbursement applications have been submitted following regulatory approval. Operational preparations, including employee hiring, are underway for commercial launch at the time of reimbursement approval. KCI anticipates reimbursement approval in the first half of 2010.

About KCI

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (NYSE: KCI) is a leading global medical technology company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of innovative, high-technology therapies and products for the wound care, tissue regeneration and therapeutic support system markets. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, KCI's success spans more than three decades and can be traced to a history deeply rooted in innovation and a passion for significantly improving the healing and the lives of patients around the world.

The Company employs approximately 6,700 people and markets its products in more than 20 countries. For more information about KCI, and how its products are changing the practice of medicine, visit www.KCI1.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding expected timing of reimbursement approval and commercial launch of V.A.C. Therapy in Japan. Forward-looking statements may contain words such as believes, expects, anticipates, estimates, projects, intends, should, seeks, future, continue, or the negative of such terms, or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by them. Additional risks and factors are identified in KCI's filings with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (the SEC), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2008, and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009, which are available on the SEC's Web site at www.sec.gov. KCI undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.