Conceptus Reports Impressive Interest in Stop Pivotal Study.

Business & Health Editors

NEW YORK--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 4, 2000

Company Presents at UBS Warburg and

Salomon Smith Barney Conferences

Conceptus, Inc. (NASDAQ NM: CPTS) today reported that patient interest in the pivotal clinical study of the STOP(TM) (Selective Tubal Occlusion Procedure) non-surgical permanent contraception device for women has been remarkable. In a presentation tomorrow at the UBS Warburg Global Life Sciences Conferences held in New York, Steven Bacich, chief executive officer, will report that the response to radio advertisements run in markets where clinical sites are located prompted more than 3,000 inquiries from women interested in entering the study.

"We are very pleased by the number of responses from women interested in participating in our pivotal study. Our clinical sites are actively screening these women for eligibility and are scheduling suitable women for their placement procedure," said Mr. Bacich. "This dramatic response combined with positive feedback from physicians makes us well positioned to complete enrollment by the second quarter of 2001 and demonstrates that there is a significant market opportunity for the STOP device in the U.S."

Mr. Bacich also noted that he will discuss the STOP pivotal study during a company presentation to be given on October 16th at the Salomon Smith Barney Health Care Conference 2000, also being held in New York.

About STOP

Surgical tubal ligation has become the most common form of contraception worldwide, despite the fact that it is invasive and costly. About 93% of the procedures in the U.S. are performed in a hospital or surgi-center under general anesthesia, requiring 4-5 hours of hospital recovery time and resulting in 3-4 days off work. A STOP procedure does not require cutting or penetrating of the abdomen, is typically performed with local sedation, and can be performed in a less costly office setting with reduced reliance on back-up emergency facilities and personnel. Accordingly, a woman is expected to spend about 2-3 hours of her day for a STOP procedure and have a rapid return to normal activities.

The STOP device is a unique and proprietary micro-coil that is designed to be deployed permanently into each fallopian tube using the Company's minimally invasive transcervical tubal access catheter system. Once in place, clinical studies have shown that the STOP device induces an occlusive tissue response.

About Conceptus

Conceptus, Inc. is developing STOP, an innovative medical device and procedure designed to provide a non-surgical alternative to tubal ligation, the leading form of contraception worldwide. Data from the United Nations show that worldwide, 30% of reproductive couples using contraception rely on surgical tubal ligation. Additionally, a survey performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that surgical tubal ligation continues to be the most prevalent form of contraception in the U.S., and that 35% of women age 35-44 have had a surgical tubal sterilization. An estimated 800,000 surgical tubal ligations are performed each year in the U.S., of which 93% are performed in a hospital or surgi-center and require general anesthesia. Additional information about the Company and the STOP device is available at www.conceptus.com.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements, the accuracy of which is necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties. The receipt of regulatory approvals, results of product development programs, and clinical efficacy of and market demand for products, among other matters discussed in this release, may differ significantly from the discussion of such matters in the forward-looking statements. Such differences may be based upon factors within the Company's control, such as strategic planning decisions by management and re-allocation of internal resources, or on factors outside of the Company's control, such as delays by regulatory authorities, scientific advances by third parties and introduction of competitive products, as well as those factors set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.