HP inks catheter deal with Guidant

Hewlett-Packard has signed an agreement with Guidant of Indianapolisgiving that cardiology device company rights to distribute coronaryand peripheral intravascular ultrasound catheters that HP haslicensed from Boston Scientific. HP executed the deal becauseit believes that Guidant's distribution channels are more suitedfor the IVUS market than its own, according to the Andover, MA,company.

HP gained access to the catheters through an agreement lastyear with Boston Scientific, which at the time was preparing tobuy catheter developers Cardiovascular Imaging Systems and ScimedLife Systems. To avoid a monopoly in the IVUS market, the FederalTrade Commission required Boston Scientific to enter a consentdecree in which it licensed the technology to a third party, Hewlett-Packard(SCAN 3/15/95).

HP already has a deal with Guidant for development of guideddirectional atherectomy catheters. Guidant also has rights todistribute Hewlett-Packard's Sonos Intravascular Ultrasound Systemwith the catheters.