VANCOUVER, March 29 /CNW/ - Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANPI, TSX: ANP) today announced the execution of a development,license and distribution agreement between its wholly-owned subsidiary,Surgical Specialties Corporation (SSC), and Collagen Matrix Technologies Inc.(CMT), appointing SSC to be the exclusive worldwide distributor of CMT'sDermalogen(TM) products for use in aesthetic surgery and dermatologyprocedures. First introduced in 1998, Dermalogen(TM) is an injectable, collagen-baseddermal filler that can be used for the correction of wrinkle lines and for theremoval or improvement of scars caused by trauma, surgery or acne. "We are excited to complete our first business development initiativewith our newly acquired SSC product and sales franchise, and we feelDermalogen(TM) is a strong complement to our line of aesthetic-basedproducts," said Dr. William L. Hunter, President and Chief Executive Officerof Angiotech. "We are looking forward to working closely with CMT, and anticipate thatthis agreement will further expand and develop our platform of products usedfor aesthetic-based procedures. We believe that Dermalogen(TM) may also havethe advantage of being an alternative for patients who are allergic totraditional collagen treatments," said Pete Molinaro, President of SurgicalSpecialties Corporation. It is anticipated that, pending completion of trials and obtainingregulatory approval, SSC could be selling Dermalogen(TM) in the United Stateswithin 18 months. About Dermalogen(TM) Dermalogen(TM) is an injectable dermal filler that can be used for avariety of facial cosmetic and reconstructive treatments. It addresses thefacial contour defects that cannot be treated effectively either with laser-resurfacing or face lift surgery. These include glabellar creases anddepressed scars caused by trauma, surgery or acne. An alternative to bovinecollagen treatments, Dermalogen(TM) is similar to native dermis and containsintact collagen fibrils, elastic network, and proteoglycans to stimulatecollagen production and vascularization. About Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a global specialty pharmaceuticalcompany that discovers and develops innovative treatment solutions fordiseases or complications associated with medical device implants, surgicalinterventions and acute injury or trauma. To find out more about AngiotechPharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANPI, TSX: ANP), please visit our website atwww.angiotech.com . About Surgical Specialties Corporation Surgical Specialties Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary ofAngiotech Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired during the acquisition ofAmerican Medical Instruments Holdings, Inc. in March 2006. Based in Reading,Pennsylvania, Surgical Specialties Corporation is a specialty surgical devicecompany engaged in wound closure, aesthetic surgery and ophthalmology. It isbest known for the Sharpoint(TM) line of surgical needles and sutures,Sharpoint(TM) ophthalmic microsurgical knives, and Contour Threads(TM) barbedsutures for performing minimally invasive facial ThreadLift(TM) Procedures. About Collagen Matrix Technologies Inc. Based in Boca Raton, Florida, Collagen Matrix Technologies Inc. is aninnovative biomaterials company focused on developing and manufacturinginjectable collagen products for aesthetic procedures, as well as plastic andreconstructive surgery. The company owns a broad range of intellectualproperty to support its collagen matrix technology platform. Forward-Looking Statements and Historical Financial References This press release contains forward-looking statements, which provide ourcurrent expectations or forecasts of future events. In some cases, you canidentify forward-looking statements by words such as "anticipate," "believe"or "intend," but the absence of those words does not necessarily mean that astatement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are subject toknown and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on potentiallyinaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materiallyfrom those expected or implied by the forward-looking statements. Our actualresults could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-lookingstatements for many reasons, including the factors described in the sectiontitled "Risks Related to Our Business" in our Management's Discussion &Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the year endedDecember 31, 2005 and "Risk Factors" in our annual information form for theyear ended December 31, 2004 filed with the Securities and ExchangeCommission. Other factors besides those described in our MD&A and annualinformation form could also affect actual results. You should carefullyconsider the factors described in the sections referenced above whenevaluating our forward-looking statements. You should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements, whichspeak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation topublicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances orevents after the date of this press release, or to reflect the occurrence ofunanticipated events. You should, however, review the factors and risks wedescribe in the reports we file from time to time with the applicable Canadiansecurities commissions or similar regulatory authorities or the Securities andExchange Commission.

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