Angiotech Pharmaceuticals announces FDA approval of next-generation TAXUS(R) Liberte(R)...

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals announces FDA approval of next-generation TAXUS(R)
Liberte(R) Atom(TM) Stent system

VANCOUVER, May 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(NASDAQ: ANPI, TSX: ANP) today announced that its corporate partner, Boston
Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) has received approval from the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its TAXUS(R) Liberte(R) Atom(TM)
Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System, a highly deliverable,
next-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) specifically designed for treating
small coronary vessels. It was approved for use in vessels as small as 2.25 mm
in diameter and joins the TAXUS(R) Express(R) Atom(TM) Stent as the only
drug-eluting stents approved for small vessel use in the U.S. The Company
plans to begin a full U.S. launch of TAXUS Liberte Atom next month.
"The rapid adoption of the TAXUS Express Atom Stent has confirmed the need for
this type of stenting option in the treatment of small-vessel coronary artery
disease," said Mark Turco, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I., Director of the Center
for Cardiac and Vascular Research at Washington Adventist Hospital, Takoma
Park, Maryland. "The TAXUS Liberte Atom Stent provides clear design and
deliverability advantages. Additionally, in the TAXUS Atlas Small Vessel
clinical trial, the TAXUS Liberte Atom Stent yielded a two-year target lesion
revascularization rate that was 60 percent less than the TAXUS Express Atom
Stent. I am pleased to be able to offer this option to my patients."
Data from numerous clinical studies have shown that an estimated 10 percent of
patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions have small vessels
((less than)2.5 mm). Until recently, many physicians were inclined to implant
bare-metal stents in these patients since they were the only approved stenting
option for small vessels. Last year's launch of the TAXUS Express Atom Stent
offered an alternative treatment choice for patients with small vessels who
will now have the additional option of the TAXUS Liberte Atom Stent.
The TAXUS Liberte Stent features design improvements over the Company's
first-generation TAXUS Express Stent, including thinner struts to allow better
stent deliverability and conformability, as well as uniform stent geometry for
consistent lesion coverage and drug distribution.
Boston Scientific offers the industry's widest range of coronary stent sizes.
The Company expects to expand its stent portfolio later this year with the
first 38 mm long DES, the TAXUS(R) Liberte(R) Long Stent, which is currently
under review with the FDA.
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.

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.

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