Atherotech Receives John S. Jemison Jr. Venture Award; Developer of VAP Cholesterol Test Awarded Top Honor for Entrepreneurship.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 2002

Atherotech, Inc., a leading cardiodiagnostic company and developer of the next-generation VAP(TM)(Vertical Auto Profile) Cholesterol Test, today announced that it has received the prestigious 2002 John S. Jemison Jr. Venture Award from the Birmingham Venture Club. The Venture Club is a program of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The award, which was created in 1988, was named after a prominent Birmingham entrepreneur and venture capitalist. The award acknowledges and honors outstanding entrepreneurial accomplishments and is presented each year to a young and growing Birmingham-area company that has achieved exceptional growth and has attracted outside investors. Atherotech has raised more than $20 million in four successful financing rounds and is using the funds to establish the VAP Test as the new standard of care in cholesterol risk assessment.

According to Roseanne Varner, president and chief executive officer of Atherotech, the company is honored to receive this important award. "The receipt of this award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of each employee of Atherotech," she said. "We are all proud of the fact that we are providing a product that saves lives each and every day. Furthermore, we are pleased that the business and venture communities have recognized our accomplishments. Our ability to secure financing in this difficult economy is evidence of the growing importance and acceptance of the VAP Test in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, by far the leading cause of death in the United States. Building on this momentum, we look forward to another stellar year in 2003."

Atherotech has achieved a series of critical milestones that position the company to capture a significant share of the large and growing cholesterol-testing market. The company tripled its revenue from 2001 to 2002, and it expects to more than double its revenue this year. It also has established agreements with a number of key national laboratories, insurers, and managed care organizations, including a recently announced agreement with Humana. The company has increased its sales force and staff in order to meet the growing demand for the VAP Test and now employs more than 170 people. Most recently, Atherotech has relocated and expanded its headquarters and laboratory, leaving the company well-positioned for continued rapid growth.

The company estimates that more than 280 million cholesterol tests are performed in the United States each year -- most of them based on outdated technology developed in the 1970s that fails to identify 50 percent of patients at risk for heart disease. In contrast, the VAP Test identifies more than 90 percent of patients at risk by directly measuring cholesterol subclasses identified in new National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines as emerging risk factors for heart disease. This additional information can significantly improve a healthcare provider's ability to predict a patient's heart disease risk, including previously undetected premature heart disease, and to intervene to reduce that risk.

Atherotech, a leading cardiodiagnostic company and specialty reference laboratory based in Birmingham, is dedicated to improving the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases that kill nearly 1 million people each year. The company's Birmingham laboratory processes tests six days a week, providing patient results within 72 hours via fax, data download, or online. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.thevaptest.com.