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Thoratec Says New Heart Failure Guidelines Show Increasing Acceptance of VADs As Treatment Option for Heart Failure Patients

Posted on: Thursday, 1 September 2005, 09:01 CDT

PLEASANTON, Calif., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Thoratec Corporation , a world leader in products to treat cardiovascular disease, said today that new heart failure guidelines released by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) demonstrate growing acceptance for the use of Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) in the treatment of heart failure patients.

The guidelines outlined diagnosis and treatment approaches for heart failure patients, based on four stages of the disease ranging from risk factors to end-stage heart failure. The organizations noted that about five million U.S. residents are living with heart failure and more than 550,000 people are diagnosed with the condition each year. They estimated that direct and indirect health care expenses related to the disease will approach nearly $28 billion in 2005.

The guidelines recommended that VADs be considered as a viable treatment option for Stage D patients, who are those with refractory heart failure who might be eligible for specialized advanced treatment, including transplantation.

"These new guidelines indicate that using VADs for long-term, permanent support is now among the leading therapy options for these patients. This demonstrates the significant advances that have been made in the technology and the ongoing improvement in survival rates and quality of life experienced by patients supported by a VAD," noted D. Keith Grossman, president and chief executive officer of Thoratec.

"This kind of ratification is encouraging as we continue to develop the market for assist devices. The ACC/AHA guidelines-which also referenced the ability of VADs to enable patients to recover the use of their natural heart- noted the results of the REMATCH trial, which involved our HeartMate(R) LVAS (left ventricular assist system). In addition, they cited the potential of next generation devices that may contribute to longer survival. Our belief is that our HeartMate II, which is currently undergoing a Phase II pivotal trial, is one such device," he continued.

Thoratec Corporation is a world leader in hemodynamic restoration therapy- developing products to treat cardiovascular disease. The company's product lines includes the Thoratec(R) VAD and HeartMate LVAS, with more than 9,500 devices implanted in patients suffering from heart failure. Thoratec's HeartMate LVAS is the first and to date only FDA-approved device for Destination Therapy, or the permanent support of late-stage heart failure patients who are not eligible for heart transplantation. Thoratec's product line also includes the Vectra(R) vascular access graft (VAG) for patients undergoing hemodialysis. Additionally, its International Technidyne Corporation (ITC) division supplies blood coagulation testing and skin incision products. Thoratec is headquartered in Pleasanton, California. For more information, visit the company's websites at http://www.thoratec.com/ or http://www.itcmed.com/.

Many of the preceding paragraphs, particularly but not exclusively those addressing guidance for future performance or timelines or adoption of our products, contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements can be identified by the words, "expects,""hopes,""believes," and other similar words. Actual results events or performance could differ materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of factors, many of which are beyond Thoratec's control. Therefore, readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these statements. Investors are cautioned that all such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including risks related to the development of new markets including Destination Therapy, the growth of existing markets for our products, customer and physician acceptance of Thoratec products, the results of clinical trials including the HeartMate II, the regulatory approval processes, the effects of healthcare reimbursement and coverage policies, the effects of price competition from any Thoratec competitors and the effects of any merger and acquisition-related activities. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release should be considered in light of these factors, and those factors discussed from time to time in Thoratec's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, such as discussed under the heading, "Factors That May Affect Future Results," in Thoratec's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Thoratec undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Thoratec Corporation

CONTACT: investors, Keith Grossman, President, Chief Executive Officerof Thoratec Corporation, 925-847-8600, or Neal Rosen of Kalt Rosen & Company,415-397-2686; or media, Jennifer Chan of FischerHealth, Inc., 310-577-7870,ext. 164, or jchan@fischerhealth.com

Web site: http://www.thoratec.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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