May 22, 2002
Guidant Begins Clinical Trial of New Stent to Treat Bifurcated Lesions

Indianapolis, Ind. and Paris - Guidant Corporation (NYSE and PCX: GDT), a world leader in the treatment of cardiac and vascular disease, today announced that the first patient has been treated in a clinical study that will evaluate the safety and performance of Guidant's new MULTI-LINK FRONTIER(tm) Coronary Stent System. The MULTI-LINK FRONTIER Stent System is specifically designed to treat atherosclerotic lesions in native coronary arteries at the site of a bifurcation, where one vessel branches from another.

Bifurcated areas of the vascular system are a common location for the build-up of atherosclerotic plaque. These lesions are particularly challenging to treat with currently available stents because of the risk of blocking blood flow to the side vessel. About twenty percent of patients treated for coronary artery disease are treated for bifurcated lesions.

"This new clinical study expands Guidant's leadership in innovative stent technology and promises to further strengthen our broad stent platform portfolio," said John M. Capek, Ph.D., president, Vascular Intervention, Guidant Corporation. "We are enthusiastic about the potential of this new stent for the treatment of patients suffering from coronary artery disease in hard-to-treat areas of the vascular system."

"Bifurcations remain today one of the top challenges for interventional cardiologists around the world. I am excited to be a part of this study of a new therapy that could enable physicians to more easily treat patients with these challenging cases," said Dr. Thierry Lefevre of the Institut Hospitalier Jacques Cartier in Massy, France, who is principal investigator of the study.

The clinical trial has a target enrollment of 100 patients in 15 centers across nine countries. The study will follow patients with de novo (previously untreated) or restenotic bifurcation lesions implanted with Guidant's MULTI-LINK FRONTIER System. The primary endpoint of the study is the major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rate at six months.

The first patient enrolled in the study was treated with the MULTI-LINK FRONTIER Stent System during a live case demonstration at EuroPCR (Paris Course on Revascularization), the leading annual international meeting of interventional cardiologists that takes place through May 24, 2002. Dr. Wim van der Giessen, cardiologist at Erasmus University and co-principal investigator of the study, performed the first implant at Thoraxcentre in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

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.