Oct 24, 2002
Guidant Submits Application for FDA Approval of MULTI-LINK VISION Cobalt Chromium Coronary Stent

Stent System Incorporates Innovative Material for Excellent Performance

Indianapolis, Ind. and Santa Clara, Calif. - Guidant Corporation (NYSE and PCX: GDT), a world leader in the treatment of cardiac and vascular disease, today announced that a Pre-Market Approval (PMA) application has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the investigational MULTI-LINK VISION(tm) Coronary Stent System, the company''s seventh-generation MULTI-LINK® Stent platform for the treatment of coronary artery disease. The MULTI-LINK VISION Coronary Stent System is constructed of a cobalt chromium alloy, enabling the stent to have thinner stent struts and enhanced deliverability while maintaining excellent radial strength and visibility.

"As evidenced by the impressive data presented at TCT in September, the MULTI-LINK VISION Stent System registry has demonstrated excellent angiographic binary in-segment restenosis rates of 16.7 percent and target vessel failure rate of 6.7 percent," said Dean Kereiakes, M.D., of Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, a principal investigator for Guidant''s MULTI-LINK VISION registry. "The MULTI-LINK VISION Stent System sets a new standard for treating coronary artery disease."

"The PMA filing for Guidant''s breakthrough MULTI-LINK VISION Stent System represents a milestone in the evolution of the MULTI-LINK product line," said John M. Capek, Ph.D., president, Vascular Intervention, Guidant. "Guidant''s market-leading stent systems now command more than half of the coronary stent market in the United States. The MULTI-LINK VISION Stent System builds on the clear pattern of success of Guidant''s proven stent designs, which have incorporated new technological innovations in each generation. We look forward to bringing this new stent to market."

Guidant plans to use cobalt chromium stents in future drug eluting stent platforms.

Guidant offers a full family of stents to address all types of lesions. The company recently launched its sixth-generation MULTI-LINK ZETA(tm) Coronary Stent System, which contains many technological advancements in deliverability. Guidant's MULTI-LINK PIXEL(tm) System, designed specifically for small vessels, and MULTI-LINK ULTRA(tm) System, designed for large vessels, complete the company's comprehensive product line for the treatment of coronary artery disease. More than two million Guidant stents have been implanted in patients since the launch of Guidant's first coronary stent system.

Guidant Corporation pioneers lifesaving technology, giving an opportunity for a better life today to millions of cardiac and vascular patients worldwide. The company, driven by a strong entrepreneurial culture of more than 10,000 employees, develops, manufactures and markets a broad array of products and services that enable less invasive care for some of life''s most threatening medical conditions. For more information, visit www.guidant.com.