Sep 30, 2004
Farouc A. Jaffer, M.D., Wins Second Annual Thomas J. Linnemeier Spirit of Interventional Cardiology Young Investigator Award

Guidant-Supported Grant Honors Late Chief Medical Officer

Indianapolis, Ind. - Guidant Corporation (NYSE: GDT) today announced that Farouc A. Jaffer, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass., has won the second annual Thomas J. Linnemeier Spirit of Interventional Cardiology Young Investigator Award. The award, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) and supported through an unrestricted grant by the Guidant Foundation, was presented yesterday at the annual scientific sessions of the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) Conference in Washington, D.C. The award honors the late Thomas J. Linnemeier, M.D., who was Guidant's senior vice president, New Ventures, and chief medical officer, Vascular Intervention.

"It is our honor to present the second Thomas J. Linnemeier Spirit of Interventional Cardiology Young Investigator Award to Dr. Jaffer," said Gregg W. Stone, M.D., Columbia University Medical Center, New York, N.Y., vice chairman of CRF and the director of TCT. "Although Dr. Jaffer has just begun what promises to be a remarkable career, the breadth and scope of the significant work that he has already accomplished is impressive. Dr. Jaffer has received awards for Excellence in Clinical Teaching at Harvard Medical School. He co-developed two NIR molecular probes for imaging thrombin and Factor XIII, and is currently developing a NIR fluorescence catheter to detect inflammation - a technology that holds great promise for applications in a wide range of therapies. Moreover, Dr. Jaffer has authored six articles in peer-reviewed journals, and is widely recognized by his mentors and peers as a talented clinician who is dedicated to advancing the science of cardiology. We are confident that Dr. Jaffer will not only create a lifetime of extraordinary work, but he will surely inspire the next generation of interventional cardiologists."

"We are pleased that Dr. Jaffer has been named the recipient of the second annual Thomas J. Linnemeier award," said Dana G. Mead, Jr., president, Vascular Intervention, Guidant Corporation. "Dr. Jaffer''s remarkable accomplishments thus far clearly continue the legacy of Tom Linnemeier, a widely respected and beloved interventional cardiologist who was known for his innovative spirit, tireless enthusiasm and personal dedication to patients. We look forward to recognizing promising future leaders in the field of interventional cardiology through this award."

The award recognizes present and future clinical and academic excellence in fellowship trainees in interventional cardiology and endovascular medicine. Candidates must be current or recent trainees from a formal fellowship program specializing in interventional cardiology, peripheral intervention or their allied fields. Applicants may be from the United States or abroad.