Angiotech and Boston Scientific welcome journal article noting important differences...

Angiotech and Boston Scientific welcome journal article noting important
differences between drug-eluting stent brands

VANCOUVER, May 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(NASDAQ: ANPI, TSX: ANP) today announced its corporate partner, Boston
Scientific Corporation, has welcomed the publication of an article in the
current edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC)
reviewing data on more than 19,000 patients from the Swedish national registry
who were evaluated for restenosis, or the re-narrowing or arteries after
percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The article reported that patients
who received a TAXUS(R) Liberte(R) Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent had numerically
lower incidences of repeat procedures to treat restenosis at two years as
compared to patients treated with 'olimus-based drug-eluting stents (DES),
including Cordis' Cypher(R) Stent and Medtronic's Endeavor(R) Stent. In the
patients with diabetes, the TAXUS Liberte Stent demonstrated a statistically
significant lower restenosis rate compared to the Endeavor Stent, which had
more than two times the risk of repeat procedures.
The Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry holds data on all
patients undergoing PCI in Sweden. The objective of this independent study was
to evaluate restenosis rates of drug-eluting stents in patients with and
without diabetes in a real-world setting. The JACC article reported that both
the TAXUS Liberte Stent and Boston Scientific's first-generation DES -- the
TAXUS(R) Express(R) Stent -- were the only stents in the study showing no
increased risk of restenosis for patients with diabetes as compared to those
without diabetes. Both the Cypher Stent and Endeavor Stent showed significant
increased risk of restenosis in patients with diabetes. In addition, the study
showed that the TAXUS Liberte Stent had an approximately 23 percent lower
restenosis rate at two years compared to the prior-generation TAXUS Express
Stent. The authors concluded that "There seem to be important differences
between different brands of DES."(1)
"The results of this study are noteworthy for TAXUS Liberte, which compared
favorably in rates of repeat procedures to both 'olimus stents," said Donald
S. Baim, M.D., Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of Boston Scientific. "The
findings presented in the article are consistent with our own clinical trial
observations, including recently published ARRIVE and ATLAS data, and may
reflect the different mechanism of action for paclitaxel compared to the
'olimus agents used in the other drug-eluting stents. The newer and
thinner-strut TAXUS Liberte Stent performed better than the TAXUS Express
Stent in reducing restenosis."
The Swedish registry study included four DES brands: TAXUS Liberte, TAXUS
Express, Cypher and Endeavor. In total, the registry included 35,478 DES
implants during 22,962 procedures in 19,004 patients, with 1,807 restenoses
reported over a mean 29-month follow-up period. For the entire study
population, the repeat revascularization rate per stent was 3.5 percent after
one year and 4.9 percent after two years. Overall, the adjusted risk of
restenosis was 1.23 times higher in patients with diabetes than in patients
without diabetes. In patients with diabetes, restenosis was higher in the
non-TAXUS Stents. The sirolimus-eluting Cypher Stent and the
zotorolimus-eluting Endeavor Stent had higher restenosis rates in patients
with diabetes compared with those in patients without diabetes (1.25 times and
1.77 times, respectively).
TAXUS Stents have been evaluated by the industry's most extensive randomized,
controlled clinical trial program, with follow-up to five years in some cases.
These trial results have been supplemented by data on more than 35,000
patients enrolled in post-approval registries. To date, approximately 11
million Boston Scientific stents have been implanted globally, making them the
world's most frequently used stents.
The TAXUS Liberte Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System received U.S. Food
and Drug Administration approval in October 2008, and received European CE
Mark approval for use in patients with diabetes in December 2007. In the U.S.,
the TAXUS Stents are not specifically indicated for use in patients with
diabetes.

(1) J Am Coll Cardiol 2009;53:1660-7

Forward Looking Statements
--------------------------

Statements contained in this press release that are not based on historical
fact, including without limitation statements containing the words "believes,"
"may," "plans," "will," "estimates," "continues," "anticipates," "intends,"
"expects" and similar expressions, constitute "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable
Canadian securities laws. All such statements are made pursuant to the "safe
harbor" provisions of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking
statements may involve, but are not limited to, comments with respect to our
objectives and priorities for 2009 and beyond, our strategies or future
actions, our targets, expectations for our financial condition and the results
of, or outlook for, our operations, research, development, product and drug
development. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, events or
developments to be materially different from any future results, events or
developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Many
such risks, uncertainties and other factors are taken into account as part of
our assumptions underlying these forward-looking statements and include, among
others, the following: general economic and business conditions, both
nationally and in the regions in which we operate; market demand;
technological changes that could impact our existing products or our ability
to develop and commercialize future products; competition; existing
governmental regulations and changes in, or the failure to comply with,
governmental regulations; adverse results or unexpected delays in pre-clinical
and clinical product development processes; adverse findings related to the
safety and/or efficacy of our products or products sold by our partners;
decisions, and the timing of decisions, made by health regulatory agencies
regarding approval of our technology and products; the requirement for
substantial funding to conduct research and development and to expand
manufacturing and commercialization activities or consummate acquisitions; and
any other factors that may affect performance. In addition, our business is
subject to certain operating risks that may cause the actual results expressed
or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release to differ
materially from our actual results. These operating risks include: our ability
to attract and retain qualified personnel; our ability to successfully
complete pre-clinical and clinical development of our products; changes in
business strategy or development plans; our failure to obtain patent
protection for discoveries; loss of patent protection resulting from third
party challenges to our patents; commercialization limitations imposed by
patents owned or controlled by third parties; our ability to obtain rights to
technology from licensors; liability for patent claims and other claims
asserted against us; our ability to obtain and enforce timely patent and other
intellectual property protection for our technology and products; the ability
to enter into, and to maintain, corporate alliances relating to the
development and commercialization of our technology and products; market
acceptance of our technology and products; our ability to successfully
manufacture, market and sell our products; the continued availability of
capital to finance our activities; and any other factors referenced in our
other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and
applicable Canadian regulatory authorities. For a more thorough discussion of
the risks associated with our business, see the "Risk Factors" section in our
annual report for the year ended December 31, 2008 filed with the SEC on Form
10-K, and our quarterly report for the three months ended March 31, 2009 filed
with the SEC on Form 10-Q.

Given these uncertainties, assumptions and risk factors, readers are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.
Except as required by law, we disclaim any obligation to update any such
factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the
forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect
future results, events or developments.

(C) 2009 Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

About Angiotech Pharmaceuticals

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a global specialty pharmaceutical and
medical device company with over 1,500 dedicated employees. Angiotech
discovers, develops and markets innovative treatment solutions for diseases or
complications associated with medical device implants, surgical interventions
and acute injury. To find out more about Angiotech (NASDAQ: ANPI, TSX: ANP),
please visit our website at www.angiotech.com.

SOURCE Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

DeDe Sheel, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, Angiotech
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (415) 293-4412, dede.sheel@fdashtonpartners.com