Hernia, Diaphragmatic

Presentations highlight utility of this advanced hernia reinforcement material for robotic procedures MALVERN, Pa., March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TELA Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: TELA), a commercial-stage medical technology company focused on providing innovative soft-tissue reconstruction solutions that optimize clinical outcomes by prioritizing the preservation and restoration of the patient’s own anatomy, today announced its OviTex® Reinforced Tissue Matrix will be featured in three case reports at the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) conference from March 29 - April 1, 2023, in Montreal, Canada. These case reports will help inform surgeons on techniques related to the use of OviTex in robot-assisted hernia repair. OviTex Reinforced Tissue Matrix is uniquely positioned as a tissue-derived hernia reinforcement option that can be utilized successfully in robotic and laparoscopic hernia repairs. “We’re excited and appreciative to see the use of OviTex in robotic hernia repair highlighted at SAGES,” said Antony Koblish, CEO of TELA Bio. “The unique design and handling characteristics of OviTex facilitates its use in minimally invasive procedures and allows surgeons to provide their patients a proven reinforcement option that reduces dependency on permanent synthetic mesh.” Presentations include: 1. Robotic Bilateral Transversus Abdominis Component Separation and Diaphragmatic Hernia Repair in an Immunosuppressed Heart Transplant Patient (Steven M Elzein, MD; Mu’ath Adlouni, BS; Ahad Azzimuddin, BS, MBA; Rodolfo J Oviedo, MD, FACS, FSMBS. Houston Methodist Hospital) 2. Robotic Transabdominal Preperitoneal (TAPP) for the Treatment of Spigelian Hernias (Yoon Kyung Lee, MD; Daniel Tomey, MD; Roberto Secchi, MD; Alessandro Martinino, MD; Rodolfo Oviedo, MD, FACS, FASMBS, FICS. Houston Methodist Hospital; Universidad Anahuac Queretaro; Sapienza University of Rome) 3. Traumatic Ventral and Diaphragmatic Hernias: A Case Report (Robert D Larsen, MS; John Azar, MS; Joseph Lewis, MD. Florida State University, University of Florida) The TELA Bio team will be attending SAGES 2023, Booth #301. For the event’s full agenda, visit: https://www.sages2023.org/schedule-at-a-glance/ About TELA Bio, Inc.TELA Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: TELA) is a commercial-stage medical technology company focused on providing innovative technologies that optimize clinical outcomes by prioritizing the preservation and restoration of the patient’s own anatomy. The Company is committed to providing surgeons with advanced, economically effective soft-tissue reconstruction solutions that leverage the patient’s natural healing response while minimizing long-term exposure to permanent synthetic materials. For more information, visit www.telabio.com. About OviTex OviTex Reinforced Tissue Matrix is intended for use as a surgical mesh to reinforce and/or repair soft tissue where weakness exists. Indications for use include the repair of hernias and/or abdominal wall defects that require the use of reinforcing or bridging material to obtain the desired surgical outcome. Do not use OviTex in patients known to be sensitive to materials of ovine (sheep) origin. For prescription use only. For additional important safety information, please see the OviTex Reinforced Tissue Matrix Instructions for Use. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations are forward-looking statements and reflect the current beliefs of TELA's management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results and events to differ materially and adversely from those indicated by such forward-looking statements including, among others, the impact to our business from macroeconomic conditions, including the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, recessionary concerns, banking instability, and inflationary pressures, potentially impacting our ability to market our products, demand for our products due to the deferral of elective procedures, the labor and staffing environment in the healthcare industry, disruption in our supply chain, or pricing pressures concerning our products or the procedures using our products; our ability to achieve or sustain profitability; our ability to gain market acceptance for our products and to accurately forecast and meet customer demand; our ability to compete successfully; that data from earlier studies related to our products and interim data from ongoing studies may not be replicated in later studies or indicative of future data; that data obtained from clinical studies using our product may not be indicative of outcomes in other surgical settings; our ability to enhance our product offerings; development and manufacturing problems; capacity constraints or delays in production of our products; maintenance of coverage and adequate reimbursement for procedures using our products; product defects or failures. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov, including in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Any forward-looking statements that we make in this announcement speak only as of the date of this press release, and TELA assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date of this press release, except as required under applicable law. Investor ContactGreg Chodaczek347-620-7010 ir@telabio.com Media ContactAlyson Kuritz908-892-7149alyson@0to5.com

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is one of the deadliest birth defects. To better understand and treat this condition in the future, researchers designed a new cell model in the laboratory and tested a drug therapy on it. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a common condition, affecting one in every 2500 births. Up to 30 per cent of affected babies die from it. The main problem is the underdeveloped lung. The condition also involves a hole in the diaphragm, which paediatric surgeons correct by closing it in the first week of life. Until now, there has been little medical knowledge about how CDH develops -- what exactly goes wrong during embryonic development. Dr Richard Wagner, a paediatric surgeon and scientist at Leipzig University Hospital, teamed up with researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to establish a new patient-specific cell model at Harvard Medical School. Using their model, the researchers investigated possible ways of treating this condition. Babies with CDH are placed on a ventilator immediately after birth. "We were able to isolate stem cells from the fluid that is sucked out of the children's lungs and otherwise disposed of, and grow them in the laboratory," explains Dr Wagner, first author of the study. While working as a postdoctoral researcher in the US, the doctor from Leipzig examined the stem cells in the laboratory together with the American researchers, designing cell models of the airways of the tiny patients. This gave them access for the first time to "living" human lung tissue from patients with CDH. They then compared the stem cells from healthy and underdeveloped lungs. Goal of treatment during pregnancy When the researchers looked at the molecular properties of the stem cells, they found that they had been altered due to inflammation. However, drug therapy in the cell model was able to restore functionality. "We also tested this process in animal models and showed that the treatment contributed to better lung development there, too. With the same drug therapy, we were therefore able to achieve positive effects both in human cells in the Petri dish and in the living organism in the established animal model," explains Dr Wagner. The treatment was performed with the steroid dexamethasone. This drug is already used in clinical practice to induce lung maturity in the fetus when there is a risk of premature birth during pregnancy. "What is most appealing is the fact that we already know that this drug is not harmful in pregnancy. If we were to collect more data in laboratory research, it would be possible to investigate later in clinical trials whether there are advantages to administering the drug during pregnancy in order to slow down the possible inflammation in the organism and help the lungs grow," says Dr Wagner, adding that the aim in future is to be able to intervene with a drug directly after the diagnosis of a diaphragmatic hernia, which happens at around the 20th week of pregnancy.