Abbott Announces European Launch of TREK(TM) Catheter System, Representing an Advancement in Balloon Technology

TREK Reflects a Leap in Balloon Design, with 10 Changes from 'Tip to Hub' for Improved Performance

PARIS, May 26, 2010 - Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced the European approval and launch of
its TREK(TM) Coronary Dilatation Catheter for the treatment of coronary
artery disease. The TREK system represents a new approach to balloon catheter
design, and provides physicians with a high-performing option for treating
challenging lesions and difficult-to-reach blockages. Abbott received CE Mark
for the TREK system earlier this year.

"The TREK system has a more seamless, transitionless design that allows
for successful navigation to hard-to-access lesions, which is an important
factor in treating patients with complex anatomy. In contrast, the designs of
many balloon catheter systems include more abrupt junction points that can
create resistance while trying to access complex lesions," said Julinda
Mehilli, M.D., director of Clinical Research and Data Coordinating,
Intracoronary Stenting and Antithrombosis Research (ISAR) Center, German
Heart Center in Munich. "With the TREK system, blockages may be crossed
smoothly and reliably even in vessels that are tight and challenging; lesions
which were previously thought to be some of the most challenging may now be
reached."

The TREK family is a completely re-engineered line of balloon catheters,
incorporating many advanced design and technology changes. The TREK system is
available in two catheter designs, including the specialty catheter
MINI-TREK(TM) for accessing smaller vessels. The TREK system is designed to
be used by physicians to open up, or pre-dilate, a lesion before a stent is
placed - a step which has been shown to improve patient outcomes when the
stent is later expanded in the vessel(1).

"During the development stage, we brought together a talented group of
engineers and challenged them to rethink every design aspect with the
ultimate goal of creating a balloon dilatation catheter that would offer
superior deliverability and performance. The result is TREK, which
incorporates 10 new design changes for improved performance and represents a
true leap forward in balloon dilatation catheter design," said Robert Hance,
senior vice president, vascular, Abbott. "With TREK and MINI-TREK, we are
able to offer two advanced balloon catheter systems designed to meet
physicians' needs for accessing challenging anatomy to help improve patient
outcomes."

TREK is available in 77 sizes and in a wide variety of diameters (from
1.2 mm to 5 mm) and lengths (from 6 mm to 30 mm). It currently is available
on a rapid exchange delivery system, and Abbott plans to launch a
high-pressure version called NC TREK(TM) later this year. The TREK dilatation
catheter is the delivery platform for Abbott's future generations of stent
technology.

TREK is currently an investigational device and is not available for sale
in the United States.

About Abbott Vascular

Abbott Vascular is a global leader in cardiac and vascular care with
market-leading products and an industry-leading pipeline. Abbott Vascular
offers a comprehensive cardiac and vascular devices portfolio, including
products for coronary artery disease, vessel closure, endovascular disease,
and structural heart disease.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the
discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and
medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The
company employs approximately 83,000 people and markets its products in more
than 130 countries.

Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the
company's Web site at www.abbott.com.

(1) Liu HK, et al. The Perfect Fit: Getting the Most Out of Your Coronary
Stent. Cath Lab Digest. 2005;13(10):20-26.

Media, Jonathon Hamilton, +1-408-624-0314, or Jennie Kim , +1-408-332-4176, or Financial, Larry Peepo, +1-847-935-6722, or Tina Ventura, +1-847-935-9390, all of Abbott