Mar 5, 1999
Guidant Announces FDA Approval of MEGALINK Stent for Biliary Indications

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 MEGALINK(tm) stent for biliary indications in the U.S. The MEGALINK stent is used for the treatment of malignant obstructions of the biliary duct. It represents Guidant''s first non-coronary stent product in the United States.

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 a scaffolding to keep coronary arteries open following percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA).

This device provides an excellent balance of strength and flexibility and is available in 18, 28, and 38 mm lengths, with diameters ranging between 6-10 mm. In addition to this new product, Guidant is also marketing recently cleared peripheral guide wires and guiding catheters in the United States and Europe that include the HI-TORQUE SUPRACORE(tm) 35 and HI-TORQUE STEELCORE(tm) 18 Guide Wires, and the EZ PATH(tm) Guiding Catheter.

"Guidant has established itself as a world leader in coronary vascular intervention," said Ginger L. Graham, president of Guidant''s Vascular Intervention Group. "The development and launch of the MEGALINK stent for biliary indications represents a new opportunity for us to provide clinicians the same leading-edge technology for a new non-coronary indication."

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.