St. Jude Medical Announces European Approval and First Global Implant of New Pacemaker Family

The pacemakers offer an important combination of features,including optimized settings to save time at implant, VIP(TM)(Ventricular Intrinsic Preference) technology to minimize ventricularpacing, the FastPath(TM) summary screen to speed follow-up exams, andadvanced technologies to extend the life of the device in patients.

The Victory(R) pacemaker family is expected to be released broadlyin Europe in the first quarter of 2006.

"The Victory pacemaker comes with optimized settings right out ofthe box, which greatly reduces device set-up time at implant," saidWolfgang Ehrlich, M.D., who performed the first implant at theKerckhoff Klinik in Bad Nauheim, Germany.

A cardiac surgery team directed by Wolf-Peter Kloevekorn, M.D. andthe cardiology department, under the direction of Christian Hamm,M.D., assisted in the first implant procedure.

"The ability of the Victory pacemaker to measure thresholds andintrinsic events and display those results with EGMs (intracardiacelectrograms) for quick verification means that 80% of standardfollow-up testing is complete when the patient walks in the door,"said Johannes Sperzel, M.D., who performed the first patientfollow-up.

Victory(R) pacemakers also introduce VIP(TM) technology, anenhancement developed from years of clinical experience with theAutoIntrinsic Conduction Search (AICS) feature. VIP(TM) technology isdesigned to promote more natural heart function and minimizesventricular pacing. This is an important clinical consideration, sincestudies such as St. Jude Medical's DAVID (Dual-Chamber And VVIImplantable Defibrillator) trial have shown that excessive ventricularpacing may contribute to heart failure in some patients. VIP(TM)technology is designed to allow the patient's own heartbeat to be "incontrol" the majority of the time.

Any necessary in-clinic testing can be completed more rapidly thanbefore with the FastPath(TM) summary screen, which provides pre-settest values and increases flexibility with multiple follow-up options.This allows clinicians to spend more time with the patient and lesstime programming the device.

Engineered to anticipate a wide variety of the diagnostic andtherapy needs of patients, Victory(R) pacemakers (models 5810 and5816) also offer a suite of algorithms designed to make it easier forphysicians to manage patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is theworld's most common cardiac arrhythmia that results in a very fast,uncontrolled heart rhythm caused when the upper chambers of the heart(atria) quiver instead of beating.

Other innovative technology in the Victory(R) pacemakers includesventricular AutoCapture(TM) pacing, Advanced Hysteresis and Auto RestRate, which may improve the longevity of the pacemaker as well asreduce the number of replacement surgeries patients must undergo.

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (www.sjm.com) is dedicated to the design,manufacture and distribution of innovative medical devices of thehighest quality, offering physicians, patients and payers outstandingclinical performance and demonstrated economic value.

Any statements made regarding the Company's anticipated futureproduct launches, regulatory approvals, revenues, earnings, marketshares, and potential clinical success are forward-looking statementswhich are subject to risks and uncertainties, such as those describedin the Company's 8-K filed October 17, 2005. Actual results may differmaterially from anticipated results.