Palo Alto, Calif. — November 11, 2004 — In its recent analysis, Frost & Sullivan selected ABIOMED, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABMD) as the recipient of the 2004 Technology Leadership Award for developing innovative circulatory assist devices including the BVS 5000 and AB5000 Circulatory Support Systems and the AbioCor Implantable Replacement Heart. In the area of short-term support, ABIOMED is the market leader, offering devices that have the potential to recover a patient's natural heart. For those patients whose hearts cannot recover and cannot receive a heart transplant, the AbioCor will offer extended life and improved quality of life.

Frost & Sullivan presents this award to a company that has pioneered the development and introduction of an innovative technology that either has impacted or has the potential to impact several market sectors. The award recognizes a company's successful technology development that is expected to bring significant contributions to the industry in terms of adoption, change, and competitive posture.

Frost & Sullivan benchmarked all companies active in the circulatory support market and, on the basis of this research, selected only ABIOMED to receive this year's Technology Leadership Award. In particular, ABIOMED stood out in terms of the innovative qualities of its AB 5000, BVS 5000 and AbioCor product lines, its established record of technology development and innovation, and the scope and significance of its intellectual property. Companies were judged on the ability of their circulatory assist technologies to meet patient and customer needs, the competitive advantage of the technologies in comparison to other companies in this market and the potential for technologies to be accepted in the market place.

"ABIOMED is a proven technology leader in the field of mechanical circulatory support, with a suite of products ranging from heart recovery and assist to heart replacement. The company has a rich and promising product pipeline, based in part on its strong intellectual property portfolio that includes more than 70 patents or patents pending and hundreds of trade secrets," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst S. Ravi Shankar.

The company recently launched the AB5000 Circulatory Support System, capable of driving both the blood pumps of the widely used BVS 5000 system and the new AB5000 Ventricles. The BVS 5000, the least expensive ventricular assist device on the market, is a particularly good option for regional hospitals that perform open-heart surgeries. Patients experiencing an acute cardiac event can be put on the BVS 5000. If, after several days, a longer duration of support is required, surgeons can switch from the BVS Blood Pump to the AB5000 Ventricle without re-opening the chest. The AB5000 Console is easily moveable, allowing for patient mobility or transport to more advanced cardiac centers if necessary.

"The BVS and AB5000 devices have a common mechanism for attachment, and the console of AB5000 is designed to recognize and be compatible with both. By eliminating the need for an additional surgery, risk of bleeding and infection is minimized, giving patients improved chances for survival." explains Shankar.

The AB5000 received FDA approval in September 2003 and was formally launched in the market during April 2004. The company has announced that the product has been greeted with enthusiastic reviews by its customers, and is experiencing tremendous sales growth. In the company's recent quarterly earnings announcement, it was announced that the AB5000 had 129% revenue growth over the prior quarter. The company has also launched the AB5000 product globally, and recently announced that several top European hospitals are now using the device.

The other device that is expected to distinguish ABIOMED in the circulatory support market is the AbioCor Implantable Replacement Heart. A product of 25 years of research and development, the company has applied for FDA approval under a Humanitarian Device Exemption, which would make the device available to up to 4,000 end stage heart failure patients per year. In addition, the company is working on the next version of AbioCor ('AbioCor II'). The company's goal is to seek market approval for the AbioCor II in 2008. One of the primary advantages of AbioCor is in that it is fully implantable, with no wires or tubes piercing the skin. The device is powered through a TET, or transcutaneous energy transmission, which powers the device through the patient's skin. This feature significantly reduces the chances of life threatening infections. Another advantage of the device is that since the patient is not permanently attached to a large console, the patient has the possibility of returning home and enjoying a good quality of life.

About ABIOMED, Inc.
Based in Danvers, Massachusetts, ABIOMED, Inc. (pronounced "AB'-EE-O-MED") is a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical products designed to assist or replace the pumping function of the failing heart. ABIOMED, which currently sells the BVS® 5000 Biventricular Support System and the AB5000™ Circulatory Support System, is the market leader in devices for the temporary support of patients with failing but potentially recoverable hearts. In September 2004, ABIOMED applied for initial FDA market approval for the AbioCor Implantable Replacement Heart to treat a defined subset of irreversible end-stage heart failure patients under a Humanitarian Device Exemption.

About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company founded in 1961, partners with clients to create value through innovative growth strategies. The foundation of this partnership approach is our Growth Partnership Services platform, whereby we provide industry research, marketing strategies, consulting, and training to our clients to help grow their business. A key benefit that Frost & Sullivan brings to its clients is a global perspective on a broad range of industries, markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. With a client list that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, as well as the investment community, Frost & Sullivan has evolved into one of the premier growth consulting companies in the world.

Contact: Stacie Jones
Frost & Sullivan
210.247.2450
Stacie.jones@frost.com

Andrea tenBroek
ABIOMED, Inc.
978.646.1815
mediarelations@abiomed.com