May 18, 1999
Guidant Announces CE Mark Approval to Market its ACS MULTI-LINK RX ULTRA Coronary Stent System For Saphenous Vein Grafts

Indianapolis, IN - Guidant Corporation (NYSE and PCX: GDT), a world leader in the treatment of coronary artery disease, today announced that it has received CE Mark approval for the ACS MULTI-LINK RX ULTRA(tm) Coronary Stent System. It will be available for sale in Europe immediately. The ACS MULTI-LINK ULTRA Coronary Stent is based on the design of the highly successful ACS MULTI-LINK® Stent. The ACS MULTI-LINK ULTRA Coronary Stent is the first Guidant stent designed for use in Saphenous Vein Grafts (SVGs) used in coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG).

This system is also approved for use in large native coronary vessels. In addition to this new product, Guidant''s ACS MULTI-LINK and its market-leading ACS MULTI-LINK DUET(tm) coronary stent systems also received CE Mark approval for the SVG indication.

The number of CABG surgeries has nearly doubled in the past ten years, increasing from approximately 350,000 in 1988 to approximately 670,000 in 1998. It is estimated that 38 percent of all SVGs may occlude within five years post-surgery and as many as 75 percent may occlude within ten years. The ACS MULTI-LINK RX ULTRA will assist physicians in treating the thousands of SVG occlusions that may occur over the next several years.

The ACS MULTI-LINK RX ULTRA is a pre-mounted, balloon expandable coronary stent system, which provides physicians with higher vessel wall coverage, yet is flexible and easily deliverable. It is mounted on the delivery system, which utilizes a crimping process known as GRIP(tm) Technology, which provides excellent stent retention.

The ACS MULTI-LINK RX ULTRA Coronary Stent System provides a range of larger sizes, which includes 13, 18, 28 and 38 mm lengths, with diameters that can treat arteries from 3.5 to 5.0 mm (5.5 mm maximum post-dilatation). Enhanced radiopacity enables physicians to maintain good stent visibility for accurate positioning of the stent. Radial strength was also increased without compromising flexibility.

"The ACS MULTI-LINK RX ULTRA Coronary Stent design is based on the clinically proven ACS MULTI-LINK Coronary Stent and may be used to treat a broader range of patients, including those who have had coronary artery bypass surgery," said Ginger L. Graham, president of Guidant''s Vascular Intervention Group. "This stent will successfully address many of the procedural challenges faced by the physician when treating patients with diseased bypass grafts."

The ACS MULTI-LINK RX ULTRA Coronary Stent System further strengthens Guidant''s Vascular Intervention product line, which includes the ACS MULTI-LINK RX DUET Coronary Stent System, the ACS RX GEMINI(tm) Coronary Dilatation Catheter, the ACS RX SOLARIS(tm) Coronary Dilatation Catheter, the ACS HI TORQUE BALANCE HEAVYWEIGHT(tm) Guide Wire, and the ACS VIKING(tm) Coronary Guiding Catheter.

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.