Placing and Open Offer

Aortech International PLC
9 May 2001



Not for release, publication or distribution in, or into, the United States,
Australia, Canada or Japan or to US persons



                          AORTECH INTERNATIONAL PLC


         RESULTS OF THE PLACING AND OPEN OFFER TO RAISE £20.1 MILLION




The Open Offer to Qualifying Shareholders of Aortech International plc
('Aortech') of 6,289,450 New Ordinary Shares at 320 pence per share, announced
on 12 April 2001, closed at 3.00 pm on Tuesday 8 May 2001.


The Board of Aortech announces that applications were received in respect of
2,205,668 New Ordinary Shares, representing 35.07 per cent. of the New
Ordinary Shares available under the Open Offer. This includes the 80,000 New
Ordinary Shares that Caricature Investments Limited and Melody Investments
Limited, companies owned by trusts of which the directors Gordon Wright and
Edward McDaid respectively are beneficiaries, undertook to take up.


The remaining 4,083,782 New Ordinary Shares will be taken up by institutional
and other investors pursuant to the Placing by Nomura International plc.


The Placing and Open Offer remain conditional, inter alia, on the passing of
resolutions to be proposed at an Extraordinary General Meeting to be held
today, 9 May 2001, and admission of the existing and New Ordinary Shares to
the Official List.


Application has been made to the UK Listing Authority for the existing and New
Ordinary Shares to be admitted to the Official List and to the London Stock
Exchange for admission to trading. It is expected that admission to the
Official List will occur and that dealings in the existing and New Ordinary
Shares will commence on the London Stock Exchange on 10 May 2001.


Enquiries


Aortech International plc                       Tel: [phone]

Eddie McDaid, Chief Executive Officer


Nomura International plc                        Tel: [phone]

David Porter/ David Rasouly


College Hill                                    Tel: [phone]

Michael Padley