Olympus becomes exclusive distributor of Terumo's GLIDEWIRE Urologic Guidewire in the U.S.

Olympus, a global technology leader in designing and delivering innovative solutions for medical and surgical procedures, among other core businesses, announced today that it has partnered with Terumo Corporation to be the exclusive distributor of the GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Hydrophilic Coated Guidewire, a device cleared by the FDA for urological use. Beginning immediately, the Olympus Urology and Stone Management sales force will distribute the device to U.S. customers.

The GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Guidewire is considered the gold standard of guidewire offerings, and is an excellent complement to the imaging and therapeutic device solutions of the Olympus Urology segment. Guidewires produced by Terumo Corporation will be supplied by its U.S. subsidiary, Terumo Medical Corporation, for Olympus' U.S. subsidiary, Olympus Medical Systems Group.

Through the partnership, Terumo Corporation will benefit from the U.S. presence and marketing arm of Olympus in Urology, and Olympus will benefit from the guidewire quality and reputation of Terumo Corporation. The GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Guidewire is used during minimally invasive urology procedures such as ureteroscopies, percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and lithotripsy procedures to help advance devices and enable easy tracking of urological instruments, catheters and stents.

"Given that GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Guidewire is the top-requested brand in guidewires, Olympus is very excited about this partnership and how it allows both companies to ensure physician access to the best technology," said Richard Reynolds, Executive Vice President - Sales, Marketing & Shared Services of the Medical Systems Group at Olympus Corporation of the Americas. "The GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Guidewire is designed to help physicians address the triple aim of the Affordable Care Act – improving quality of care, reducing healthcare costs and enhancing patient satisfaction."

Kidney stone disease is a common malady, affecting nearly 1 in 11 individuals in the United States at some point in their lives, with evidence that the number of those who have had a stone is rising. Market research by Millennium Research Group, Inc., indicates that the expanding U.S. urological device market is expected to reach $2.3 billion by 2016. According to Terumo Corporation, the company's guidewires are the most preferred hydrophilic wire in the U.S.

Key features of the GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Guidewire include:

• Kink Resistance: A gradual taper from shaft to tip makes the tip highly flexible and provides consistent access to ureteral orifice independent of anatomical variation.
• Designed to Reduce Trauma: A tapered core wire at the hydrophilic distal tip allows for protection against uroendothelial perforation and sub mucosal advancement.
• Highly Lubricious Coating: The proprietary hydrophilic coating, in conjunction with the core design, gives GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Guidewire its unique properties of smooth advancement, precise and consistent access and easy tracking of urologic instruments.
• Range of Options: GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Guidewire is available in 24 options, including standard and stiff shaft, as well as in multiple tip configurations, including straight, angled and Bentson type tips.

The GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Guidewire can help facilities address the three key requirements of healthcare reform:

• Increased Quality of Care: Precision of access, smooth advancement and easy tracking of instruments are benefits that in combination may provide quality-of-care advantages over other guidewires.
• Decreased Costs: Efficiency associated with the GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Guidewire's ease of use enables time saved, which can reduce associated costs.
• Enhanced Patient Satisfaction: Capability to protect against perforation and trauma can result in a reduced chance of patient complications.

With this partnership expansion, both Terumo Corporation and Olympus will, for the first time, jointly market products in the field of Urology in the U.S., as well as explore opportunities to broaden the types of products offered in the field of Gastroenterology, which is already an established area of focus of the partnership.

The GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Guidewire will be showcased at the American Urological Association's 2015 Annual Meeting to be held on May 15-19 in New Orleans, LA.