Endosonics inks deal with Cordis

Intraluminal ultrasound developerEndosonics did not let the merger of competitors CVIS and BostonScientific go unnoticed (see story, page 2). Two days after theCVIS/Boston Scientific deal was announced, Pleasanton, CA-basedEndosonics responded by inking a global marketing and distributiondeal with catheter firm Cordis.

According to the agreement, the firms will jointly market Endosonicsintracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) products in the U.S., Latin Americaand the Far East, with the exception of Japan. Cordis has agreedto purchase a guaranteed minimum of ICUS devices for sale in thesecountries over the next 12 months, according to Endosonics.

Endosonics will continue to handle marketing of ICUS productsin Europe and Japan through its existing distributor organization.Endosonics will also maintain existing marketing channels forits drug delivery and advanced angioplasty products.

Endosonics also announced that two new products would be introducedat this week's European Society of Cardiology Congress in Berlin.Endosonics will launch the next generation of its Oracle-Micropercutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) catheters,which are capable of performing PTCA and ultrasound imaging onthe same catheter. European shipments will begin in the fourthquarter of this year.

Endosonics will also introduce the first models of its controlledangioplasty technology (CAT) PTCA catheters. A focal membranewithin the PTCA balloon enables CAT catheters to focus the dilatingforce of the balloon directly at a diseased lesion without damagingthe adjacent section of arterial wall, according to the company.Limited shipments in Europe will begin this year, with a fullproduct launch in early 1995.