May 15, 2002
Guidant to Host Mid-Quarter Conference Call

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

Indianapolis, Ind. and Brussels - Guidant Corporation (NYSE and PCX: GDT), a world leader in the treatment of cardiac and vascular disease, today announced CE Mark approval and the European launch of the MULTI-LINK ZETA(tm) Coronary Stent System, the company's sixth-generation stent platform for the treatment of coronary artery disease. The MULTI-LINK ZETA System will be demonstrated at EuroPCR (Paris Course on Revascularization), the leading annual international meeting of interventional cardiologists that takes place May 21-24, 2002.

"We are enthusiastic about the technological advancements in deliverability in the MULTI-LINK ZETA - the company's sixth workhorse stent system in as many years," said John M. Capek, Ph.D., president, Vascular Intervention, Guidant Corporation. "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. Guidant's leadership in stent design, materials and delivery systems will serve as a solid foundation for the company's foray into drug eluting stents."

"We are pleased that Guidant's newest technology is now available to physicians in Europe," said Guido J. Neels, president, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Canada, Guidant Corporation.

The MULTI-LINK ZETA System incorporates a new delivery platform featuring 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.

Clinician feedback has been extremely positive regarding the impact of the new balloon material on the deliverability of the stent. "The MULTI-LINK ZETA System navigates tortuous vessels like a roller coaster going around curves," said Dr. Frank Schoebel of Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Guidant's MULTI-LINK PIXEL(tm) System, designed specifically for small vessels, and MULTI-LINK ULTRA(tm) System, designed for large vessels and saphenous vein grafts, 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.