Spencer, Ind. – January 30, 2008 – Cook Medical today announced the launch of www.MensHealthPD.com, an informational microsite dedicated to educating physicians, men and their partners about the symptoms, treatment options and latest research on Peyronie’s disease, a common form of erectile dysfunction affecting more than 1.4 million men in the United States¹ alone. MensHealthPD.com is designed to provide the latest information on the painful ailment and also offers medical professionals, patients and their partners public and physician forums for discussing the disease, posting questions and sharing personal experiences about the condition.

For many men and their partners, erectile dysfunctions, such as Peyronie’s disease, are embarrassing and uncomfortable to discuss. It is also often difficult to find a centralized repository on the web with the helpful information needed to obtain answers on these conditions. MensHealthPD.com is changing all this by offering these individuals a one-stop, discreet Peyronie’s resource armed with the following assets:

• Video answers to the most commonly asked questions about Peyronie’s disease provided by some the world’s leading Peyronie’s physician experts.
• A searchable physician finder tied to the American Urological Association to help patients find a urologist in their community.
• A Q&A forum where patients, partners and physicians can discuss available Peyronie’s treatments, exchange ideas on coping with the disease and more.
• Details of the signs, symptoms and progression of Peyronie’s disease.
• A helpful list of questions to prepare a man afflicted with Peyronie’s for his first doctor’s visit

Many men living with Peyronie’s disease go untreated because so few primary care physicians understand the disease. In fact, a recent study showed that over half of primary care physicians were unsure any effective treatments for the disease existed.² Therefore, many men never get referred to a urologist who may be able to treat the condition.

MensHealthPD.com will serve as a single source where primary care physicians, urologists and other physicians from around the world can access the latest peer-reviewed research on Peyronie’s treatment options as well as other relevant published scientific data. The following resources are available on the microsite to educate these physicians on the wide array of treatment options available for Peyronie’s sufferers:

• A summary of current surgical and non-surgical treatment options with links to the most current published research.
• The latest peer-reviewed research on Peyronie’s disease posted in the MEDLINE database of citations and abstracts and indexed through PubMed, offered by the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
• A secure, physicians-only Q&A forum where physicians can share best practices and increase their collective knowledge with their colleagues.

Dr. Culley C. Carson, Rhodes Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina School of Medicine and Chief of Urology, University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill describes the site, “This is an online resource that provides information on Peyronie’s disease in a central location with the latest breakthrough research and interactive forums to help answer questions. I am looking forward to playing a very active role on MensHealthPD.com to ensure other physicians and patients around the world are better educated on this condition and the latest treatment options.”

“With MensHealthPD.com, Cook Medical is now taking a leadership position in leveraging the very latest in online education and networking to provide a valuable online destination for physicians and patients,” said Jerry French, Senior Vice President and Global Strategic Business Unit Leader for Cook Urology. “Cook has historically been known as a source for high-quality information and its strong corporate emphasis on physician education. Equally important, Cook strongly believes in doing what is right for the patient. Through MensHealthPD.com, Cook is providing patients with well-balanced, scientifically proven content that builds awareness of Peyronie’s disease and treatment options. The site also offers patients a venue to openly discuss their problems in a discreet environment.”

Please visit MensHealthPD.com at the following hyperlink to learn more about Peyronie’s Disease: http://www.menshealthpd.com

About Peyronie’s Disease
Peyronie’s disease, also known as penile curvature, is estimated to affect nearly four out of every 100 males between the ages 45 and 65³. The disease is linked to erectile dysfunction in 20 to 40 percent of the sufferers and is characterized by the formation of a plaque or hardened scar tissue beneath the skin of a man’s penis. The scarring is non-cancerous and may lead to a painful erection and curvature of the penis during erection.

About Cook Medical:
Cook Medical was the first company to introduce interventional devices in the United States. Today, the company participates in all global markets, integrating device design, biopharma, gene and cell therapy and biotech to enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes. For more information, visit www.cookmedical.com.

¹http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/p/peyronies_disease/stats-country.htm
²These figures are taken from, A Survey of Primary-Care Physicians and Urologists Regarding Peyronie’s Disease, 2007 International Society of Sexual Medicine.
³UrologyHealth.org American Urological Association