Corporate Support Grows for ACG’s Advancing Excellence Campaign

Gifts Will Help Digestive Health Awareness Efforts and Clinical Research of the ACG Institute

BETHESDA, MD, March 17, 2005 – The American College of Gastroenterology and its Institute for Clinical Research & Education have announced three new corporate commitments to the Advancing Excellence campaign, which will provide long-term support for the Institute’s mission of innovative clinical research, patient education and gastroenterology practice excellence.

Boston Scientific Corporation, Olympus America, Inc and Pentax Medical Company join TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc and ConMed Endoscopic Technologies as early supporters of the campaign. The three new gifts have come in the past few weeks and bring the campaign total to $5,972,000, nearly half of the $12 million minimum goal.

“We want to thank Boston Scientific, Olympus, and Pentax for their leadership and generosity”, said Dr. John Popp, President of the ACG. “The Advancing Excellence campaign addresses the crucial need for stable, long-term and independent financing of Institute programs.”

“Funding provided through the campaign will establish a corpus from which earnings will be drawn annually to support grants and projects,” added Dr. Edgar Achkar, Director of the ACG Institute. “(The ACG Institute) provides more support to physicians who are addressing issues of digestive disorders than any other independent organization, and these exemplary gifts will encourage other leading corporate partners to generously support our efforts.”

Since 1994 the ACG Institute for Clinical Research and Education has provided more than $6 million to more than 370 clinical investigators. With support from the Advancing Excellence campaign, it is expected to double its annual support of clinical investigators and junior faculty, resulting in scientific breakthroughs and the development of new treatment standards over time.