Feb 17, 2003
Guidant Announces U.S. Market Launch of the Newest Addition to its Pacemaker Portfolio

INSIGNIA Entra is Small, Smart and Long-Lasting

Indianapolis, Ind. and St. Paul, Minn. - Guidant Corporation (NYSE and PCX: GDT), a world leader in the treatment of cardiac and vascular disease, today announced U.S. availability and launch of the newest addition to the INSIGNIA family of pacemakers - the INSIGNIA® Entra line. The INSIGNIA Entra line complements the existing INSIGNIA family of pacemakers, which was launched worldwide in June of 2002, and gives clinicians another option for treating a diverse population of patients.

"The adoption rate of the INSIGNIA Plus pacemaker has been exceptional, surpassing even the very successful launch in 2001 of the PULSAR(tm) MAX II pacing system," said Fred McCoy, president, Cardiac Rhythm Management, Guidant. "Now, the introduction of the INSIGNIA Entra pacemaker gives our physician-customers a great Guidant option in the single-sensor part of the pacemaker market."

Like the INSIGNIA Plus line, the INSIGNIA Entra pacing system offers comprehensive patient management by offering 110 seconds of dual channel Electrogram (EGM) storage'"the most available on the market today. EGMs give the physician a recording of the electrical activity occurring within the heart. The increased storage capabilities provide physicians more information for better patient management and diagnostic accuracy.

The INSIGNIA family of pacemakers is small, smart and long lasting. The unique teardrop shape and smaller size give the device a more physiologic dimension intended to provide greater patient comfort and to facilitate its insertion during implantation. In addition to being smaller than previous Guidant pacemakers, this entire family offers improved longevity over its predecessors. The family also includes ease-of-use features that allow the clinician to easily and quickly perform a comprehensive set of patient follow-up tests.

"The INSIGNIA family of pacemakers enables me to provide unmatched therapy and comprehensive diagnostics in an increasingly challenging patient population," said Dr. James Coman, electrophysiologist, Oklahoma Heart Institute, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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.

NOTE TO MEDIA: For more information about Guidant, including its products and services, please visit the company''s newsroom at www.guidant.com/newsroom.