Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc.: David M. Hall Named Chief Financial Officer.

Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 7, 2002

The Board of Directors of Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ANPI) (TSE:ANP) today announced the promotion of David M. Hall, BA, BComm, to Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.

"David has been a long standing and steady corner stone in our establishment," said William Hunter, MD, MSc, Chairman and CEO of Angiotech. "His tireless devotion and dedication make this promotion both well earned and deserved."

Hall, an officer of Angiotech since 1994, is one of the Company's business founders and has been instrumental in the overall development of the organization. Most recently as Senior Vice President, Finance, as well as Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. Hall led Angiotech's efforts to raise capital throughout the Company's history. He helped plan and organize Angiotech's Initial Public Offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange in December 1997 as well as the Company's listing on the NASDAQ National Market in February 2000. Mr. Hall's vast relationships with research analysts and individuals in the finance community have been essential to the economic well being of Angiotech.

Hall held previous positions as Corporate Development Officer for ID Biomedical Corporation, as an institutional research analyst and corporate financier for a national institutional brokerage company, and as an equity portfolio manager for a large Canadian insurance company. Mr. Hall received his BA in Economics (Honors) in 1975 and BComm in Finance (Honors) from the University of Manitoba in 1977.

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a Canadian pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of medical device coatings and treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases through reformulation of paclitaxel. Several pharmaceutical therapies are in clinical development and the paclitaxel-coated coronary stent program is currently in multiple international clinical studies. Other medical device programs include paclitaxel-loaded surgical implants.

Statements contained herein that are not based on historical fact, including without limitation statements containing the words "believes," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipates," "intends," "expects" and words of similar import, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 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. Such factors include, among others, the following: general economic and business conditions, both nationally and in the regions in which the Company operates; technology changes; competition; changes in business strategy or development plans; the ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; existing governmental regulations and changes in, or the failure to comply with, governmental regulations; liability and other claims asserted against the Company; and other factors referenced in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any such factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments.