ABIOMED Strengthens Management Team with Appointments in R&D, Manufacturing, and Clinical and Regulatory Affairs.

Business Editors and Health/Medical Writers

DANVERS, Mass.--(BW HealthWire)--April 24, 2002

ABIOMED, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABMD) today announced three key management appointments. Fred Zarinetchi, Ph.D. has been promoted to Vice President for Research and Development, Karen A. Heffernan has been named Director of Manufacturing Operations, and Zvi Ladin, Ph.D. has joined the Company as Vice President for Clinical, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance.

Dr. Fred Zarinetchi is an eight-year veteran of ABIOMED, with an extensive background in medical device development. Dr. Zarinetchi has been an integral contributor to the development of the AbioCor(TM) Implantable Replacement Heart, and has since August of last year directed the development of ABIOMED's smaller replacement heart based upon technology acquired in 2000 from The Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Zarinetchi received his Doctorate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and conducted his post-doctoral work at Harvard University. He will continue to direct development of the smaller replacement heart, and will assume overall responsibility for leading and managing ABIOMED's research and development efforts. Those efforts will focus on technologies with potential commercial applications in cardiovascular medicine.

Karen A. Heffernan's new appointment follows a highly productive three-year assignment in Quality Control and Quality Assurance management at ABIOMED. Prior to joining ABIOMED, Ms. Heffernan worked with Medtronic AVE (formerly C.R. Bard, Inc.) for twenty years, holding successively more responsible positions in Manufacturing, Quality and Regulatory functions. As Director of Manufacturing Operations, Ms. Heffernan currently oversees all manufacturing for ABIOMED's BVS(R) 5000 product line and will increasingly contribute to the manufacturing scale-up of the AbioCor product as that system moves from clinical trials into future commercial distribution.

Dr. Zvi Ladin joins ABIOMED from ESC Medical Systems, where he was Corporate Vice President for Clinical and Regulatory Affairs. Prior to his six years at ESC, Dr. Ladin was a member of the faculty of Boston University's Department of Biomedical Engineering. Concurrent with his teaching, Zvi received a federal appointment as a Science Advisor for the FDA. Dr. Ladin holds a Doctorate in Medical Engineering from the joint Health Sciences and Technology Program of Harvard Medical School/MIT. He will have full responsibility for ABIOMED's clinical and regulatory affairs and quality assurance functions, including management of clinical trials.

"I'm extraordinarily pleased to announce these appointments," said Dr. David M. Lederman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "It is particularly gratifying to be able to fill key positions by promotion from within. The promotions of Karen Heffernan and Fred Zarinetchi recognize the very significant past contributions both have made to ABIOMED, and position them to exercise greater responsibility and to more fully utilize their full range of talents and capabilities. The opportunities afforded them have been well-earned and we look forward to even greater future contributions."

"We are extremely pleased that Dr. Zvi Ladin has agreed to join ABIOMED," Dr. Lederman continued. "He brings leadership and organizational strengths to areas that are critical to our future success, and will help to sharpen our focus and strategic capabilities in those areas. In addition to adding to the strength of our management team, Dr. Ladin's appointment will allow Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer Robert T.V. Kung to devote more of his time and energy to long-range advanced technology initiatives. Dr. Kung will also continue his invaluable work as a senior scientific resource across all of ABIOMED's technical programs, and especially in support of the initial AbioCor clinical trial to provide continuity through its successful completion."

Based in Danvers, Massachusetts, ABIOMED, Inc. (pronounced "AB'-EE-O-MED") is a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical products designed to assist or replace the pumping function of the failing heart. The Company's AbioCor Implantable Replacement Heart is being implanted in patients as part of an initial clinical trial conducted under an Investigational Device Exemption from the United States Food and Drug Administration. The AbioCor has not been approved for commercial distribution, and is not available for use or sale outside of the initial clinical trial. ABIOMED currently manufactures and sells the BVS, a heart assist device for the temporary support of all patients with failing but potentially recoverable hearts.

This Release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future commercialization of the AbioCor. ABIOMED's actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements based upon a number of factors, including uncertainties associated with development, testing and related regulatory approvals, anticipated future losses, complex manufacturing, high quality requirements, dependence on limited sources of supply, competition, technological change, government regulation, future capital needs and uncertainty of additional financing and other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Release. The Company 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 that occur after the date of this Release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.