First Heartburn Patients Treated With New Procedure From Bard; Patients in New York City, Detroit and San Antonio First to be Treated with Endo Lumenal Gastroplication.

Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers

MURRAY HILL, NJ--(BW HealthWire)--May 18, 2000

C.R. Bard, Inc. (NYSE-BCR) today announced that, following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance, the first three patients have successfully undergone treatment for chronic heartburn using the company's new Endo Lumenal Gastroplication device. Known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), chronic heartburn affects over 16 million Americans each day. The Endo Lumenal Gastroplication procedure is marketed by Bard Interventional Products, located in Billerica, MA.

The first patients, treated at St. Vincent's Hospital, New York City, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit and Methodist Specialty & Transplant Hospital, San Antonio, TX, required only mild sedation for the procedure and were able to return home the same day. All patients resumed normal activities the following day and are reporting no symptoms or discomfort related to their condition.

"Finally, there is a simple, non-invasive endoscopic treatment for chronic heartburn that allows patients to return to a normal quality of life, almost immediately," said Bard Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, William H. Longfield. "This is significant for people who were chronic heartburn sufferers, who often lived with serious discomfort and had to rely on daily doses of acid-controlling medications," he said.

The Bard Endo Lumenal Gastroplication device is attached to the end of a flexible endoscope, placed down the throat and, like a tiny sewing machine, allows the physician to place stitches in two different locations near the structure that connects the stomach to the esophagus.

Currently, the Bard Endo Lumenal Gastroplication procedure is available in 14 hospitals across the country. By the end of 2000, Bard plans to have close to 100 medical centers trained in this new procedure.

"The response to this new procedure has been overwhelming," Longfield said. "Gastroenterologists are eager to be trained in this procedure. It is simple, effective and finally provides them with an endoscopic tool to treat their patients' pain and discomfort from chronic heartburn. Patients are enthusiastic because it is a simple, non-invasive procedure that gives them back their life, almost immediately," he explained.

Because the Bard Endo Lumenal Gastroplication procedure does not require an incision, it allows for faster recovery time than standard surgical procedures currently used to treat GERD and an almost immediate improved quality of life for patients. Patients can return to normal activities the next day. In addition, this new procedure costs less than $3,500 versus $15,000 for surgery and more than $2,000 per year for acid-controlling medications.

Prolonged exposure to stomach acid can result in esophagitis, ulcers, asthma and Barrett's esophagus, a precursor to esophageal cancer. Sixty million Americans suffer from heartburn and 18 million Americans have daily heartburn and take medications to reduce acid production.

C.R. Bard, Inc., headquartered in Murray Hill, New Jersey, is a leading multinational developer, manufacturer and marketer of health care products.

Bard Interventional Products is a division of C.R. Bard, Inc., specializing in the field of gastroenterology. For more than ten years, Bard Interventional Products has been developing minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic products used in conjunction with procedures requiring flexible endoscopy. Visit the company website at www.crbard.com.