Sep 9, 2002
Guidant Announces Completion of Patient Enrollment for Key Study In Emerging Field of Heart Attack Prevention

Vulnerable Plaque Presents Significant Opportunity for Preventive Treatment

Indianapolis, Ind. - Guidant Corporation (NYSE and PCX: GDT), a world leader in the treatment of cardiac and vascular disease, announced today that a company-supported optical coherence tomography (OCT) study of complex lesions recently completed enrollment. The study examined images of lesions in patients with coronary artery disease at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass. Results will be presented by Dr. Ik-Kyung Jang at the annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference that takes place September 24-28, 2002, in Washington, D.C.

"Each year, 1.1 million Americans suffer from heart attacks. Guidant sponsored this study to advance our knowledge about the significance of early diagnosis and treatment of lesions that may be the cause of subsequent heart attacks," said John M. Capek, Ph.D., president, Vascular Intervention, Guidant Corporation. "Guidant is committed to accelerating the development of vulnerable plaque diagnostics and to exploring new applications for our portfolio of therapies that will save lives of patients suffering from cardiac and vascular disease."

Traditional medical knowledge holds that heart attacks are caused by arteries that become occluded over time, as atherosclerosis progresses within the artery wall. However, a newly established body of evidence shows that as many as 85 percent of heart attacks are triggered by complex vulnerable lesions - vulnerable plaque - that suddenly cause blood to clot and occlude the artery. Research suggests that local therapies may be effective in treating vulnerable plaque as a component of optimal patient management. Since 1999, Guidant has invested significant research efforts in determining the best ways to identify and treat complex vulnerable lesions that may cause heart attack.

Optical coherence tomography is a new coronary imaging technology that provides resolution ten times greater than intravascular ultrasound. Investigators in the Guidant-supported study used this new technology to gather highly detailed information about the unique characteristics of complex lesions that may lead to a heart attack. The OCT system used in the study was developed at Wellman Laboratories of Photomedicine, based at Massachusetts General Hospital within the Department of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School.

"With 63 patients enrolled, this is likely the largest study of its kind, and I expect the results will stimulate discussion in the interventional cardiology community about the best ways to find and treat vulnerable plaque. Guidant''s initiative and leadership in this innovative work have been extremely valuable," said Ik-Kyung Jang, M.D., Ph.D., interventional cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and principal investigator for the study. The co-principal investigators were Brett Bouma, Ph.D., and Guillermo Tearney, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professors at Massachusetts General Hospital conducting research at Wellman Laboratories.

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.