Taxus Has Lower MACE Rate Than Cypher, American Journal of Cardiology Study

(2005-08-22)

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc corporate partner, Boston Scientific ("BSC"), today welcomed the results of an independent study demonstrating that BSC's TAXUS(R) Express2(TM) paclitaxel- eluting stent system had lower incidents of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) than Johnson & Johnson's Cypher(R) sirolimus-eluting stent system. The results of the study were published in the August 1 edition of the American Journal of Cardiology.

The study showed a safety trend in favor of TAXUS over Cypher in the cumulative one-year MACE rate, the study's primary endpoint, which was 15.6 percent for TAXUS versus 20.4 percent for Cypher. Of the three MACE components, the results favored TAXUS over Cypher in the cumulative rates of target vessel revascularization (TVR, or retreatment rate) (5.9 percent for TAXUS versus 10.3 percent for Cypher) and myocardial infarction (10 percent for TAXUS versus 14.1 percent for Cypher). For the third MACE component, cumulative mortality, the results were essentially equivalent (7.2 percent for TAXUS versus 7.7 percent for Cypher).

"The major finding of this study is that unrestricted use of PESs (paclitaxel-eluting stents) in a universal drug-eluting stent environment is associated with a nonsignificantly lower incidence of major adverse cardiac events at one year compared with SESs (sirolimus-eluting stents)," according to the study.

"We are pleased that this new study reconfirms the strong safety profile of paclitaxel-eluting stent systems we have seen across our broad range of clinical trials as well as in approximately 1.5 million TAXUS systems implanted to date," said Hank Kucheman, President of BSC's Interventional Cardiology business. "It is particularly impressive that the safety results demonstrated a trend in favor of the paclitaxel-eluting system among the challenging diabetic patient population in this study. Our focus on safety is one of the reasons TAXUS is the worldwide market leader in drug- eluting stents."

The study, conducted at the Rotterdam Cardiology Hospital in The Netherlands, included 293 patients with diabetes and de novo coronary artery disease who were enrolled in identical sequential registries, one assessing the paclitaxel-eluting stents and one assessing the sirolimus-eluting stents. BSC acquired worldwide exclusive rights from Angiotech to use paclitaxel to coat its coronary stent products and has co-exclusive rights to other vascular and non-vascular products.

Vancouver-based Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company pioneering the combination of pharmaceutical compounds with medical devices and biomaterials to both create novel solutions for poorly addressed disease states and dramatically improve surgical outcomes. To find out more about Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANPI, TSX: ANP), please visit our website at angiotech.com.

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Analysts and Investors: Todd Young, Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(604) 221-7676 ext 6933
Analysts: Rui Avelar, Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(604) 221-7676 ext 6996
Media: Wendy Carhart, Waggener Edstrom Bioscience, (503) 443-7354,
Email: wendyc@wagged.com

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
http://www.angiotech.com