Sep 16, 2002
Guidant Launches Newest Coronary Stent in the United States

Sixth-Generation MULTI-LINK Stent System Features Enhanced Deliverability, Market-Leading Stent Design

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 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and launch of the MULTI-LINK ZETA(tm) Coronary Stent System, the company''s sixth-generation MULTI-LINK Stent platform for the treatment of coronary artery disease.

"Since its introduction in 1997, the MULTI-LINK product line has demonstrated a clear pattern of innovation and success, and the MULTI-LINK ZETA System builds on that heritage," said John M. Capek, Ph.D., president, Vascular Intervention, Guidant Corporation. "The MULTI-LINK ZETA has been designed to offer clinicians excellent deliverability in challenging clinical settings. The stent delivery system incorporates, among other features, a novel balloon material and minimal balloon outside the stent. We plan to incorporate these latest technologies in future potential drug eluting stent delivery systems that are currently in development."

Guidant announced CE Mark approval and European launch of the MULTI-LINK ZETA Stent System in May 2002. The new stent system was instrumental in supporting Guidant Europe''s record revenue and unit sales, despite the recent introduction of a drug eluting stent therapy on the European market.

Guidant''s sixth workhorse stent system in as many years, the MULTI-LINK ZETA Stent System contains many technological advancements in deliverability, including a softer, more flexible balloon material designed to enhance delivery to the site of the coronary blockage and promote smooth deployment. The new system leverages the proven design of the MULTI-LINK PENTA(tm) Stent, the market-leading stent launched in mid-2001. Guidant recently announced excellent follow-up results for the MULTI-LINK PENTA Stent System registry: at six months, the MULTI-LINK PENTA Stent System demonstrated a 17.5 percent binary restenosis rate.

"When we evaluated the MULTI-LINK ZETA, I was impressed with its deliverability," said Carey D. Kimmelstiel, M.D., Director of Interventional Cardiology at the Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, Mass. "I am pleased that this next-generation stent system is now available to physicians in the U.S."

Guidant offers a full family of stents to address all types of lesions. 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 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.