STJ ST. Jude Medical, Inc.

In an effort to provide important new communications benefits to medical professionals who remotely monitor implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) patients, St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced today it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its version 2.1 software upgrade for the Housecall Plus(TM) remote patient monitoring system. This upgrade enables medical professionals to create electronic PDF (portable document format) files of patient's device interrogation results and either transmit them electronically or post them on a secure Web site for further review by physicians. The upgrade also expands in-office networking capabilities, extending St. Jude Medical's leadership in remote monitoring technology. "With the number of ICD patients expected to expand significantly over the next few years, physicians face an enormous challenge in managing regular follow-up visits for those patients," said Michael J. Coyle, President of St. Jude Medical's Cardiac Rhythm Management Division. "The version 2.1 software upgrade offers physicians even greater flexibility to provide excellent follow-up care more efficiently when using the Housecall Plus system." The Housecall Plus(TM) system offers live communication with a medical professional, and is the world's first remote patient monitoring system to transmit complex ICD data in real time over standard telephone lines for immediate review. The complete diagnostics available in the system provide real-time electrograms, surface ECGs, signals and settings of the ICD, delivered therapies and stored electrograms. Remote monitoring simplifies follow-up visits for all patients, but it is especially important for housebound patients or those who live in isolated areas. While the system does not eliminate the need for doctor visits, it offers important insights into when a patient should be seen. Costs associated with unnecessary office and emergency room visits may also be reduced. A survey of patients currently using the system indicated a very high satisfaction with the convenience of transmitting from home versus driving to a clinic. The Housecall Plus(TM) remote monitoring system supports St. Jude Medical's Atlas(R) and Epic(TM) families of ICD and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices. Future St. Jude Medical ICDs and pacemakers will also function with the system. St. Jude Medical, Inc. (www.sjm.com) is dedicated to the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative medical devices of the highest quality, offering physicians, patients and payers outstanding clinical performance and demonstrated economic value. Any statements made regarding the Company's anticipated future product launches, regulatory approvals, revenues, earnings, market shares, and potential clinical success are forward-looking statements which are subject to risks and uncertainties, such as those described in the Financial Section of the Company's Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 (see page 16). Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.