Abiomed Provides Multi-Year Grant to Boston Children's Hospital Heart Center

DANVERS, Mass., Oct. 1, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abiomed, Inc. (Nasdaq:ABMD), a leading provider of breakthrough heart support technologies, today reported its donation of an unrestricted grant in the amount of $375,000 to Boston Children's Hospital Heart Center, a newly dedicated cardiovascular care center founded within Boston Children's Hospital.

The Boston Children's Hospital Heart Center integrates all pediatric specialists related to a patient's care in order to treat both the heart and the whole child. This organizational structure allows for a more focused clinical approach and a fully aligned research effort so that new therapies have the best chance of treating today's patients. Abiomed's funding will help support research and education initiatives of the Heart Center's Advanced Cardiac Therapies (ACT) Program.   Among the uses of these funds, the following scientific and clinical goals will be pursued:

• Advance the understanding of basic pathophysiology and symptom correlation in pediatric acute decompensated heart failure patients.
• Engage key opinion leaders to assess the potential for multi-center registries and improved methodologies for monitoring neurologic function and quality of life for pediatric patients who receive mechanical circulatory support. 
• Investigate new cellular and genomic cardiac regeneration therapies that will stimulate myocardial recovery.

"We are very thankful for Abiomed's generosity in providing this gift to Boston Children's Hospital Heart Center," said Sandra Fenwick, President and Chief Executive Officer, Boston Children's Hospital. "Boston Children's is a leader and innovator in pediatric cardiology and heart surgery. This grant from Abiomed, supporting our scientific and clinical goals, will help us advance the care of children with advanced heart failure.

Boston Children's Hospital Heart Center is one of the nation's most active pediatric heart failure and transplant centers, managing some of the most complex pediatric and adult congenital heart failure cases in the world and is consistently ranked number one in Pediatric Cardiology and Heart Surgery by US News & World Report.

"We are very excited about this area of research for pediatric heart failure patients. Abiomed is pleased to support Boston Children's research and advancements for new, cutting edge technologies in the field of pediatric cardiac care," said Michael R. Minogue, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Abiomed.

* The Impella pediatric device is not approved by the FDA

ABOUT ABIOMED

Based in Danvers, Massachusetts, Abiomed, Inc., is a leading provider of medical devices that provide circulatory support. Our products are designed to enable the heart to rest by improving blood flow and/or performing the pumping of the heart. For additional information please visit: www.abiomed.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding development of Abiomed's existing and new products, the Company's progress toward commercial growth, and future opportunities and expected regulatory approvals. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements based upon a number of factors, including uncertainties associated with development, testing and related regulatory approvals, including the potential for future losses, complex manufacturing, high quality requirements, dependence on limited sources of supply, competition, technological change, government regulation, litigation matters, future capital needs and uncertainty of additional financing, and other risks and challenges detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

ABOUT BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

Boston Children's Hospital is home to the world's largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, where its discoveries have benefited both children and adults since 1869. More than 1,100 scientists, including seven members of the National Academy of Sciences, 13 members of the Institute of Medicine and 14 members of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute comprise Boston Children's research community. Founded as a 20-bed hospital for children, Boston Children's today is a 395 bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care grounded in the values of excellence in patient care and sensitivity to the complex needs and diversity of children and families. Boston Children's is also the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. For more information about research and clinical innovation at Boston Children's, visit www.bostonchildrens.org.