Volcano Corporation Announces Distribution Agreement for Peripheral and Endovascular IVUS Indications in Japan
Tuesday February 13, 4:05 pm ET
Agreement Expected to Continue Volcano's Leadership Position in Peripheral IVUS in Japan
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif., Feb. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC - News) today announced the signing of a distribution agreement with Johnson & Johnson K.K., Medical Company. The agreement appoints Cordis Endovascular Systems Japan as a distributor of IVUS products for use in peripheral and endovascular procedures in Japan.
Scott Huennekens, President and CEO of Volcano Corporation commented, "The strong endovascular sales and marketing organization of Cordis Endovascular Systems Japan has worked as a sub-distributor for our IVUS products in the peripheral and endovascular markets for a number of years. Due in large part to their leadership and market development, Volcano is currently the leader in IVUS products for these fields in Japan. This agreement appoints Cordis Endovascular Systems Japan as our direct distributor -- a change that should enable us to further enhance our working relationship and strengthen our position in the peripheral market." Mr. Huennekens continued, "By adding Cordis Endovascular to our Japan distribution team which also includes both Goodman K.K. and Fukuda Denshi (both serving the coronary markets), Volcano continues to build its presence in Japan. We know the team at Cordis Endovascular extremely well and hold them in very high regard."
According to Nobuyuki Sakai, M.D., D.M.Sc, Director, Neurosurgery and Kobe City General Hospital Stroke Center Kobe City General Hospital, "IVUS guided Carotid Artery Stenting (CAS) has clinical efficacy with some explicit benefits in spite of its invasive approach and additional device cost. IVUS can provide important inputs for effective CAS such as plaque length, distal end of plaque and plaque morphology. These inputs help to determine appropriate or optimal devices, including stent and protection devices. In post stent assessment, IVUS is very useful to confirm stent expansion and plaque coverage, whereas this can be difficult when using only fluoroscopy or carotid echography. In addition, IVUS can help evaluate thrombus and protrusion of the plaque into the vessel lumen after stenting. Again, it is difficult to visualize these important features using only fluoroscopy or carotid echography."
About Volcano Corporation
Volcano Corporation, which completed its IPO in June 2006, offers a broad suite of devices designed to facilitate endovascular procedures, enhance the diagnosis of vascular and structural heart diseases and guide optimal therapies. The company's intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) product line includes ultrasound consoles that can be integrated directly into virtually any modern cath lab and single-use phased array and rotational IVUS imaging catheters. Volcano also has unique advanced functionality options like VH tissue characterization and IVUS and angiography co-registration. Volcano also provides functional measurement (FM) consoles and single-use pressure and flow guide wires. Currently, more than 2,500 Volcano IVUS and FM systems are installed worldwide, with approximately half of its revenues coming from outside the United States. For more information, visit the company's website at www.volcanocorp.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this press release regarding Volcano's business that are not historical facts may be "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. Specifically statements regarding the successful execution of collaboration agreements and relationships, ease of product use, the performance of the company's IVUS systems, customer acceptance and use of the company's products and technologies, the role of IVUS technology in optimizing stent placement, the role of IVUS in clarifying atherosclerotic disease process and guiding interventional and system therapies and the availability or results of clinical trial and collaboration activities are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current, preliminary expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause Volcano's results to differ materially from the statements contained herein. Some of the potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results presented are detailed in the company's 10-Q, most recent Registration Statement on Form S-1 and other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Volcano undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date they are made, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
