Cardica Launches New Short Shaft Handle For MicroCutter XCHANGE® 30 Surgical Stapler Product Line

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Nov. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardica, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRDC) today announced the global launch of the short shaft handle for its MicroCutter XCHANGE^® 30 surgical stapling device. This handle is specifically designed for use in confined spaces, video assisted procedures as well as for small incision surgical procedures.

"The MicroCutter XCHANGE 30 short shaft is a timely invention that allows me to use the device in patients of any size. This is particularly important when I am operating on a small child, where conventional staplers are large and bulky," said professor of medicine Oliver Muensterer, head of the department of pediatric surgery, University Hospital in Mainz, Germany. "Importantly, the compact nature combined with the small diameter and large range of articulation makes this an ideal product for working within extremely narrow spaces both for laparoscopic, thoracoscopic, and small incision surgeries."

The short shaft option for the MicroCutter XCHANGE 30 is six inches shorter than the standard device, and is designed to facilitate surgical stapling within restricted anatomical areas while maintaining the low profile of the five millimeter diameter shaft.

"When I am operating in an area where the field of vision is exceptionally limited and precision is key, using the short shaft handle helps provide control when placing and deploying the stapler," commented Dr. Muensterer. "I am looking forward to using the XCHANGE 30 in a broader variety of procedures in the future."

"The launch of the short shaft MicroCutter XCHANGE 30 stapler illustrates a substantial corporate and commercial accomplishment as we continue to execute on our strategy to realize the full potential of our cutting-edge technology," stated Bernard A. Hausen, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Cardica. "We developed the short shaft in response to surgeon feedback and believe that this option expands the applicability of the XCHANGE 30 where surgeons desire better control within a confined space while reducing invasiveness for the patient."

The MicroCutter product line now includes the MicroCutter XCHANGE 30 five-millimeter stapler with 80 degrees of articulation in standard and short shaft options. Both devices include four cartridge alternatives, with the curved tip option available on a limited release basis. Options include: the white cartridge for thin tissue stapling with both straight and curved options; and the blue cartridge for medium tissue with the straight and curved options. Cardica intends to continue to expand the MicroCutter product line to meet the needs of minimally invasive surgeons around the world.

About Cardica

Cardica designs and manufactures proprietary stapling and anastomotic devices for cardiac and laparoscopic surgical procedures. Cardica's technology portfolio is intended to reduce operating time and facilitate minimally-invasive and robot-assisted surgeries. Cardica's MicroCutter XCHANGE^® 30, a cartridge-based articulating surgical stapling device with a five-millimeter shaft diameter, is manufactured and cleared for use in a variety of gastrointestinal procedures and appendectomies in the United States, and is marketed for a wide range of surgical procedures in Europe. Cardica is developing the Cardica^® MicroCutter XCHANGE^® 45, a cartridge-based microcutter device that is being designed with an eight-millimeter shaft to be used in a variety of procedures, including bariatric, colorectal, thoracic and general surgery. The Cardica MicroCutter XCHANGE 45 product requires 510(k) clearance and CE Mark and is not yet commercially available in the U.S. or internationally. In addition, Cardica manufactures and markets its automated anastomosis systems, the C-Port^® Distal Anastomosis Systems and PAS-Port^® Proximal Anastomosis System for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, and has shipped over 52,000 units throughout the world.

To learn more about Cardica, please visit the company Website at www.Cardica.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements in this press release regarding the expected benefits that surgeons and patients will receive from the short shaft option for the MicroCutter XCHANGE^® 30 surgical stapler, including statements regarding the anticipated timing of the global launch of the short shaft option, the enhanced control and maneuverability of the device and the potential to operate in a confined space and ultimately result in better patient outcomes, and that Cardica intends to continue to expand the MicroCutter product line to meet the needs of minimally invasive surgeons around the world are "forward-looking statements." There are a number of important factors that could cause results to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements, including: that surgeons may not use the new option correctly, which could prevent the expected benefits from the new option from being realized; that prospective customers may not perceive the benefits of the new version of the XCHANGE 30 to be sufficient to warrant its purchase; that prospective customers may be constrained by pricing pressures or purchasing requirements in the hospitals and facilities in which they work, which could prevent them from purchasing the new option or the XCHANGE 30 standard shaft; as well as other risks detailed from time to time in Cardica's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2014, under the caption "Risk Factors," filed on September 25, 2014. Cardica expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein. Readers are encouraged to read Cardica's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, available at www.sec.gov.

SOURCE Cardica, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.cardica.com