“Surgical complications, including leaks and bleeding events, can impact surgical outcomes, causing distress to both patients and surgeons, and are associated with significant cost implications,” said François Gaudemet, President, Surgery EMEA, MedTech, Johnson & Johnson. “We are building on a long legacy of supporting surgeons and driving innovation for consistent and reliable experiences across open, minimally invasive and robotic surgery.” Addressing surgical complications across specialties Thick, fragile and inconsistent tissue present complex variables that can compromise staple line integrity and consequently, patient outcomes.

As a result, surgeons are routinely intervening to mitigate complications, with one study finding that bariatric surgeons reinforced the staple line through oversew, buttress or a combination of both, in 77% of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy cases.3 ____________________________ 1 Benchtop testing in porcine tissue for ETHICON™ 4000 Stapler with ETHICON™ 3D Reloads. Reliable staple line integrity defined as minimum 0.9 reliability at 90% confidence over the intended tissue thickness range for each reload. ETHICON™ 4000 Stapler with ETHICON™ 3D Reloads accommodates a tissue thickness range of 1.0mm to 4.0mm (measured at 8g/mm2, tissue comfortably compressed to closed staple height during firing per IFU).

Based on benchtop testing and clinical effect is unknown. As well as affecting patient outcomes, complications such as leaks or bleeding events can be costly. In the UK, for example, prolonged air leaks were found to occur in 27% of patients undergoing thoracic surgery, at an average additional 90-days postoperative cost of €5,200 per patient.4 Another Swiss study found that bleeding events affected 8% of thoracic surgery cases, at an average additional cost of over €26,000.5 Surgical stapling technology backed by real-world evidence Since 2017, the use of Johnson & Johnson’s Surgical Stapling devices has been associated with improved clinical and economic outcomes — across tissue types, patient populations and countries — in bariatric, thoracic and colorectal procedures.6,7,8,9 The OTTAVA™ Robotic Surgical System is under development and is not authorized to be marketed or sold in any market.

CE marking pending. About Surgical Solutions from Johnson & Johnson MedTech Across Johnson & Johnson, we are tackling the world’s most complex and pervasive health challenges. For over 100 years, we have helped advance surgical care through our innovative portfolio across wound closure, adjunctive hemostats, surgical stapling and instruments, robotics and digital solutions.

Together, with clinicians and healthcare experts around the world we are progressing what’s next in surgery to better solve patient needs in metabolic and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and aesthetics and reconstruction. About Johnson & Johnson At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal.

Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more about our MedTech sector’s global scale and deep expertise in cardiovascular, orthopaedics, surgery and vision solutions at jnjmedtech.com. Follow us at @JNJMedTech and on LinkedIn.

Ethicon, Inc. is a Johnson & Johnson company. ____________________________ 1 Compared with Johnson & Johnson and leading competitor manual and/or leading competitor powered staplers. Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the ETHICON™ 4000 Stapler. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements.

These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Johnson &