Angiotech's Licensee, Cook Medical, Announces CE Mark Approval and European Launch of the Zilver(R) PT...( The World's First Peripheral Drug-Elu...)

The World's First Peripheral Drug-Eluting Stent Now Available in Europe

VANCOUVER, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANPI, TSX: ANP) today announced Cook Medical, a license holder of Angiotech's paclitaxel technology, reported CE Mark approval and limited commercial launch of the Zilver(R) PTX(R) Drug-Eluting Peripheral Stent in Europe. This approval represents a global landmark in bringing drug-eluting stent (DES) technology to people suffering from peripheral artery disease (PAD), a chronic disease affecting tens of millions of patients worldwide that is a leading cause of leg amputation and shortened lifespan.

"The awarding of the CE Mark is set to herald a revolution in the treatment of peripheral arterial disease," said Dr. Michael Dake, Professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University Medical School and Medical Director of the Cath/Angio Laboratories at Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California. "This global study demonstrates that the Zilver PTX has the integrity, safety and durability needed to successfully address many of the well-known limitations of current treatments for the management of PAD."

"Cook is to be congratulated for succeeding where many others have failed in making drug-eluting stent technology a reality for patients with peripheral vascular disease," said Dr. Bill Hunter, President and CEO of Angiotech. "The Zilver PTX stent platform has shown tremendous mechanical performance in clinical trials, and when combined with the proven benefits of paclitaxel in the prevention of restenosis, the Zilver PTX is poised to become the first choice for interventionalists in the management of this common medical condition."

For the first time, patients in Europe today had access to a highly effective medical t
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