Sep 9, 1999
Guidant Announces FDA Clearance of the RX HERCULINK 14 Biliary Stent System

Indianapolis, IN - Guidant Corporation (NYSE and PCX: GDT), a world leader in the treatment of coronary artery disease, today announced that it has received FDA clearance for its RX HERCULINK(tm) 14 Biliary Stent System in the U.S. This device represents Guidant''s first pre-mounted stent system for the treatment of malignant obstructions of the biliary duct.

The new product offers physicians the ability to apply Guidant''s recent technological advances in coronary intervention to non-coronary applications. Its design is based on the clinically proven corrugated-ring design of the ACS MULTI-LINK(tm) Coronary Stent System, which is used as scaffolding to keep coronary arteries open following percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA).

The RX HERCULINK 14 is the first stent system compatible with a .014" guide wire and with a balloon capable of reaching 7 mm in diameter. It is available in an 18mm length with diameters from 4 to 7 mm. The stent incorporates numerous innovative features, including Guidant''s ENDFORCE(tm) technology, which provides greater strength at the ends of the stent, while maintaining the flexibility and trackability needed to navigate through difficult anatomy. The stent crimping process, known as GRIP(tm) Technology, provides excellent stent retention and smooth surface transition across the stent and balloon.

"Guidant is recognized as a world leader in the treatment of coronary artery disease," said Ginger L. Graham, president of Guidant''s Vascular Intervention Group. "With the HERCULINK, our advances in coronary technology are now being applied to non-coronary applications, improving product performance so that clinicians can treat a broader group of patients."

Guidant is also marketing its recently cleared peripheral guide wires, dilatation catheters and guiding catheters in the United States and Europe. These include the HI-TORQUE SUPRACORE(tm) 35, HI-TORQUE STEELCORE(tm) 18 and HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE(tm) Guide Wires, the VIATRAC(tm) 14 Dilatation Catheter and the EZ PATH(tm) and VERIPATH(tm) Guiding Catheters.

A global leader in the medical device industry, Guidant provides innovative, minimally invasive and cost-effective products and services for the treatment of cardiovascular and vascular disease. For more information about Guidant''s products and services, visit the company''s Web site at http://www.guidant.com.