Feb 21, 2001
Guidant Expands its Product Offerings for the Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease

Company Receives CE Mark Approval on Latest Coronary Stent System and Filed for U.S. Approval Earlier This Year

Indianapolis, Ind. and Santa Clara, Calif. - Guidant Corporation (NYSE and PCX: GDT), a world leader in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, announced today approval of a new stent system designed to treat patients suffering from coronary artery disease. Guidant's fifth-generation broad-use coronary stent system, the MULTI-LINK PENTA(tm) Coronary Stent System, has received CE Mark approval in Europe. In addition, Guidant recently filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval of the MULTI-LINK PENTA Coronary Stent System.

"These two significant milestones are the latest examples of Guidant's continuing leadership in developing new, innovative stent systems for the treatment of coronary artery disease," said John M. Capek, Ph.D., president of Guidant's Vascular Intervention Group. "The CE Mark approval of the MULTI-LINK PENTA - Guidant's fifth broad-use coronary stent system - comes just four months after the U.S. launch of our previous broad-use coronary stent system, the MULTI-LINK TETRA(tm) Coronary Stent System. Equally important is the filing of this system with the FDA earlier this year, and the prospect of making this new coronary stent system available to physicians and their patients throughout the world."

Guidant, which received FDA approval of its fourth-generation MULTI-LINK TETRA Coronary Stent System in October 2000, recently launched a new coronary stent system, the MULTI-LINK PLUS(tm) Coronary Stent System, in Japan. Guidant's prolific product development efforts have culminated in the company becoming the world leader in stents and stent delivery systems, with more than 1.8 million stents used to treat patients with coronary artery disease since 1997.

The MULTI-LINK PENTA will be fully launched in Europe during the Paris Revascularization Course in May 2001.

Coronary stents are used to treat patients whose coronary arteries have become blocked due to atherosclerosis. Stents have the ability to restore blood flow through previously blocked arteries, which improves blood flow to the heart muscle and can reduce the risk of future, serious problems such as heart attack or death. Delivered on a catheter through a small incision in the patient's leg, the stent is then steered through the patient's vessels to the blockage, where the stent is expanded and remains in the artery to improve blood flow.

A global leader in the medical technology industry, Guidant Corporation provides innovative, minimally invasive and cost-effective products and services for the treatment of cardiovascular and vascular disease.