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St. Jude Medical Announces Agreement With LUMEDX To Manage Cardiovascular Patient Data

Posted on: Thursday, 6 July 2006, 09:03 CDT

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) today announced a joint marketing and development agreement with LUMEDX to integrate and manage cardiovascular patient data. LUMEDX is a leading cardiovascular information systems provider with more than 350 heart center customers worldwide.

Under the agreement, data from St. Jude Medical's recently approved Merlin(TM) Patient Care System will automatically feed into the LUMEDX Apollo Advance(TM) cardiovascular data repository from hospitals, clinics or physicians' offices. As a result, physicians will be able to access patients' medical records in a "single view," which can help streamline workflow for physicians and improve quality of care for patients - from the time of device implant through follow-up visits.

Traditionally, physicians haven't been able to retrieve this data from a single source. With the St. Jude Medical and LUMEDX agreement, data will be integrated into one electronic medical record, providing clinicians with complete medical information at all stages of patient care. This will also reduce or eliminate duplicate data entry, improve administrative reporting and better track clinical and cost outcomes.

"Today's physicians need solutions that enable them to easily view all relevant patient information - without disrupting their workflow," said Michael T. Rousseau, president of St. Jude Medical's U.S. Division. "Our relationship with LUMEDX demonstrates our commitment to help customers streamline their operations without sacrificing quality. By bringing data integration to the EP lab, we are positioning physicians to make faster, more informed assessments and decisions about their patients, ultimately leading to better quality care and cost efficiencies."

Electrophysiologists (cardiologists with specialized training in the heart's electrical system) implant pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) to treat patients with abnormal heart rhythms. Electrophysiologists rely heavily on data from many sources, including historical data such as medications and lab results, images and ECGs (electrocardiograms) gathered during electrophysiology (EP) procedures.

St. Jude Medical's Merlin Patient Care System, which received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in April 2006, is a portable computer that programs St. Jude Medical's ICDs and pacemakers. The powerful system helps clinicians retrieve and analyze patient information during routine follow-up visits. An intuitive LCD touch-screen helps physicians more efficiently conduct tests, analyze therapeutic and diagnostic data, and program implanted devices for optimal patient care. With the Merlin Patient Care System, patients receive the same high standard of care, but follow-up visits take significantly less time.

"With this agreement, St. Jude Medical and LUMEDX will integrate, consolidate and organize EP, ICD, and pacemaker data into a central cardiovascular information system, helping heart centers produce richer and more comprehensive patient reports," said Laurel Shearer, executive vice president of LUMEDX Sales and Marketing. "LUMEDX's powerful analysis and reporting tools will help support quality initiatives, research studies, internal benchmarking, and faster and more accurate billing and reimbursement efforts."

About St. Jude Medical

St. Jude Medical is dedicated to making life better for cardiac, neurological and chronic pain patients worldwide through excellence in medical device technology and services. The Company has five major focus areas that include: cardiac rhythm management, atrial fibrillation, cardiac surgery, cardiology and neuromodulation. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., St. Jude Medical employs approximately 10,000 people worldwide. For more information, please visit www.sjm.com.

About LUMEDX

With more than 350 heart center clients worldwide, LUMEDX is the market leader in fully integrated cardiovascular information systems and the No. 1 independent integrator of cardiology and vascular information solutions. LUMEDX offers the most proven, comprehensive package of clinical information tools, cardiovascular products and services to help medical institutions enhance quality of patient care, reduce costs, streamline workflow, increase patient volume and grow revenue. Visit LUMEDX at www.lumedx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include the expectations, plans and prospects for the Company, including potential clinical success, regulatory approvals, anticipated future product launches, revenues, margins, earnings, and market shares. The statements made by the Company are based upon management's current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include market conditions and other factors beyond the Company's control and the risk factors and other cautionary statements described in the Company's filings with the SEC, including the risk factors described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 16, 2006 (see Item 1A on pages 15-21) and the cautionary statements described in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 9, 2006 (see pages 29-30). The Company does not intend to update these statements and undertakes no duty to any person to provide any such update under any circumstance.

Source: Business Wire

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