Feb 5, 2001
Guidant to Participate in Merrill Lynch Global Healthcare Conference

Investors Are Invited to Access the Guidant Presentation by Live Webcast

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Guidant Corporation (NYSE and PCX: GDT), a world leader in medical technology, today announced that it will participate in the Merrill Lynch Global Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Medical Devices Conference "2001: A Healthcare Odyssey" at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York on Feb 6. Ronald W. Dollens, Guidant president and chief executive officer, is scheduled to provide a presentation on Guidant's business at 10:10 a.m. (EST).

All investors are invited to access the live webcast of Guidant's presentation through Guidant's website or at the Merrill Lynch website. The webcast will be archived on both websites for future on-demand replay.

System requirements for the webcast include Internet Explorer 5.0 (or higher) or Netscape Navigator 4.0 (or higher). Users also should have the most recent version of Windows Media Player, which can be downloaded for free. Users may experience varying levels of performance based on their connection speed, system capabilities and presence of a corporate firewall. To ensure a connection, users should go to the program five to 15 minutes before its start.

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.