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Boston Scientific, Aspect Form Business Alliance

May 23, 2005

Boston Scientific and Aspect Medical Systems have announced a strategic alliance in which Boston Scientific will provide Aspect $25 million to fund the development of new brain-monitoring technology designed to aid the diagnosis and treatment of depression, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurological conditions.

The alliance is reinforced through recent study findings indicating that Aspect's technology may be able to help clinicians improve patient responses to antidepressant therapy and provide early identification of cognitive decline associated with AD. For the estimated 18.8 million Americans suffering from depression and 4 million from AD, this research may signal an opportunity to more quickly match depression sufferers with effective pharmaceutical- or device-based therapies, and to help identify AD patients in the earliest stages of disease.

This alliance is intended to fund R&D efforts. Aspect and Boston Scientific will share equally in the profits from products developed to treat and manage depression and other neurological disorders. Up to 20 percent of the funds provided by Boston Scientific may be used to support Aspect's AD R&D initiatives, and Aspect will retain all commercial rights for products developed in this area. Aspect may continue to collaborate with other third parties in the development of customized neurological assessment solutions.

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