Olympus to Distribute Terumo GLIDEWIRE®, Urologic Hydrophilic Coated Guidewire for U.S. Urology Market

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., (May 15, 2015) – 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.III

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. Healthcare providers are invited to visit the Olympus Booth #101 for a product demonstration. 

For more information about GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Guidewire, please contact Olympus customer service at 1-800-848-9024 or visit medical.olympusamerica.com/procedure/stone-management.

About Terumo Medical Corporation
Founded in 1972 as a Terumo Corporation subsidiary, Terumo Medical Corporation (TMC) develops, manufactures, and markets a complete, solutions-based portfolio of high-quality medical devices used in a broad range of applications for numerous areas of the healthcare industry.  TMC is comprised of two business divisions:  Terumo Interventional Systems and Terumo Medical Products. The company places a premium on providing customers with world-class products, training and education programs that drive clear economic value, better clinical outcomes and improved Quality of Life for patients.  

About Olympus Medical Systems Group
Olympus Medical Systems Group, a division of global technology leader Olympus, develops solutions for healthcare professionals that help improve clinical outcomes, reduce overall costs and enhance quality of life for their patients. By enabling less invasive procedures, innovative diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, and early stage lung cancer evaluation and treatments, Olympus is transforming the future of healthcare.

For more information visit Olympus at medical.olympusamerica.com.

i Scales CD Jr., Smith AC, Hanley JM et al: Prevalence of kidney stones in the United States. Eur Urol 2012; 62: 160.

ii Millennium Research Group, US Markets for Urological Devices 2012.

iii Based on US market share for GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Guidewire and GLIDEWIRE® Hydrophilic Coated Guidewire as of 2014

GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Hydrophilic Coated Guidewire, GLIDEWIRE® Urologic Guidewire, and GLIDEWIRE® Hydrophilic Coated Guidewire are registered trademarks of Terumo Corporation.