Dr. Andreas Kuthe Performs First Laparoscopic Procedures Using Cardica's Microcutter XPRESS⿢ 30 Surgical Cutting And Stapling Device

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardica, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRDC) today announced that Andreas Kuthe, M.D., Chief of General Surgery at the Red Cross Hospital Clementinenhaus, Hannover, Germany, successfully completed a total of five laparoscopic procedures using Cardica's' proprietary Microcutter XPRESS™ 30 multi-fire surgical cutting and stapling device. These included several sigmoidectomies, an appendectomy and a small intestinal anastomosis as part of a gastric bypass procedure. Several additional laparoscopic procedures using the XPRESS 30 device are scheduled in Europe.

"I am honored to be the first surgeon to use the XPRESS 30 in a laparoscopic procedure," said Dr. Kuthe. "This device is very easy to use and works more efficiently than traditional staplers. Importantly, the size allowed me to use a smaller trocar for the patient, further minimizing the invasiveness of this procedure."

"We are pleased to announce this significant milestone in the development of our microcutter product line," said Bernard A. Hausen, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Cardica. "As part of our commercialization strategy, we plan to introduce the XPRESS 30 device to selected centers in Europe and to incorporate their feedback into successive iterations of this product and future versions of our Microcutter product line."

About Cardica's Microcutter Product Line

Cardica's Microcutter surgical cutting and stapling product line is designed to provide true multi-fire endoscopic stapling in a variety of procedures, including colorectal, thoracic and general surgery. The Microcutter product line is designed to cut and staple continuously, allowing a surgeon to complete successive deployments without removing the device for a cartridge reload. The first device that Cardica intends to commercialize in its Microcutter product line, the Microcutter XPRESS™ 30, has a shaft that is 8 mm in diameter, compared to commercialized stapling products with shafts that are at least 12 mm in diameter. The smaller diameter of the anticipated Microcutter line allows access through smaller, less-invasive ports and, importantly, through trocars used for the other surgical tools required for laparoscopic procedures. The Cardica Microcutter product line requires a 510(k) review and is not yet commercially available in the U.S.

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