Apr 21, 2004
Guidant Receives European Approval for New Stent for Bifurcated Coronary Lesions

Stent Successfully Treats Patients with Difficult Coronary Blockages

Indianapolis, Ind. and Santa Clara, Calif. - Guidant Corporation (NYSE: GDT) today announced Conformité Européenne (CE) Mark approval of the company''s MULTI-LINK FRONTIER(tm) Coronary Bifurcation Stent System, which is specifically designed to treat plaque in coronary arteries at the site of a bifurcation, where one vessel branches from another. The new stent system will be immediately available in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, with expansion soon to additional countries in Asia and the Middle East.

Bifurcated areas of the vascular system are a common location for the buildup of plaque. These lesions are particularly difficult to treat with currently available stents because of the risk of blocking blood flow to the side vessel. About 20 percent of patients treated for coronary artery disease have lesions at bifurcations.

"The MULTI-LINK FRONTIER Coronary Bifurcation Stent System expands Guidant''s leadership in innovative stent technology and further strengthens our broad stent platform portfolio. Treating bifurcated lesions has traditionally proven challenging for interventional cardiologists around the world. This new therapy could enable physicians to more easily perform these challenging procedures," said Dana G. Mead, Jr., president, Vascular Intervention, Guidant Corporation.

Thierry Lefèvre, M.D., of the Institut Hospitalier Jacques Cartier in Massy, France, was the principal investigator of the clinical study which provided safety and performance data for CE Mark approval of the MULTI-LINK FRONTIER Coronary Bifurcation Stent System. "The positive results of the study demonstrate excellent acute and long-term outcomes. The novel side-branch portal allows physicians to preserve access to the side branch, and the easy-to-use system should increase the percutaneous treatment of patients with lesions at the site of coronary bifurcations," said Dr. Lefèvre.

Guidant Corporation is a world leader in the treatment of cardiac and vascular disease. The company pioneers lifesaving technology, giving an opportunity for better life today to millions of cardiac and vascular patients worldwide. Driven by a strong entrepreneurial culture of 12,000 employees, Guidant 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.