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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1


                         Contact:    Eric S. Kentor
                                     Senior Vice President and General Counsel
                                     Kevin R. Sayer
                                     Senior Vice President and Chief
                                     Financial Officer
                                     818-362-5958
                                     MiniMed Inc.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                Investor Relations:
                                     Robert P. Jones/Meredith Pudalov
                                     212-850-5600
                                     Media:
                                     Miriam Adler/Carol Lehrman:
                                     415-296-7383
                                     Morgen-Walke Associates


                     MINIMED INC. TO ACQUIRE PRIVATELY HELD
           HOME MEDICAL SUPPLY, INC., A MEDICAL SUPPLY DISTRIBUTOR AND
              PHARMACY OPERATOR, IN $16 MILLION MERGER TRANSACTION

                 Sylmar, CA, October 20, 1997 - MiniMed Inc. (Nasdaq: MNMD)
today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Home
Medical Supply, Inc. and its affiliated companies (HMS), a privately held group
of companies that is headquartered in Florida. HMS operates a medical products
and supplies distribution business in approximately 30 states, which includes
pharmacy operations in Florida and Georgia. HMS was founded in 1988 by Robert
Kusher, its President. Mr. Kusher is expected to join MiniMed as an executive
officer of the Company.

                 HMS' businesses include pharmacy operations and distribution of
a broad range of diabetes treatment products, including MiniMed's insulin
infusion pumps and related disposables. The acquisition is in furtherance of
MiniMed's announced strategy of establishing an infrastructure to deliver
systems for the treatment of chronic conditions in addition to diabetes and
improving the channels of distribution for its existing products. For the twelve
months ended December 31, 1996, HMS had revenues of approximately $22.0 million,
including approximately $17.0 million of revenues that would be additive to
MiniMed's revenues. HMS currently has approximately 150 employees. 



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                 Under the terms of the agreement, MiniMed will issue shares of
its common stock, valued at $16 million (subject to adjustment in certain
circumstances), for all of the outstanding shares of the HMS entities. The
transaction will be accounted for as a pooling of interests. The acquisition,
which is subject to certain conditions to closing, is expected to be completed
in MiniMed's 1997 fiscal year fourth quarter ending January 2, 1998. All costs
of the transaction and any charges related to the restructuring and integration
of HMS operations are expected to be recorded in the fourth quarter of 1997.

                 "With the acquisition of Home Medical, we are positioning
MiniMed to develop an infrastructure for delivering therapies for various
chronic diseases, as well as helping to continue to grow our existing core
diabetes business," said Alfred E. Mann, MiniMed's Chairman and CEO. Mr. Mann
continued, "Home Medical already has a strong regional presence in the diabetes
market place, and the acquisition can help us more efficiently distribute our
pumps and disposables. In addition, Home Medical carries other diabetes
products, and we believe this acquisition can help us in the distribution of
MiniMed's glucose sensor products, the first of which we are planning to bring
to market in 1998."

                 Terrance H. Gregg, MiniMed's President and Chief Operating
Officer, added, "We intend to use the pharmacy operations and related experience
of Home Medical as a springboard for certain of our strategic initiatives. We
have been working to expand MiniMed's business model to offer comprehensive
disease management products not only for our core diabetes business, but also
for treating other chronic conditions, such as HIV/AIDS. The Home Medical
acquisition will provide us with a foundation upon which we may grow these
opportunities."

                 MiniMed Inc. designs, develops, manufactures and markets
advanced infusion systems primarily for the intensive management of diabetes and
other medical conditions. The Company's products include external pumps and
related disposables, as well as an implantable insulin pump, which is currently
approved for distribution in the European Community and has not yet received
permission to be marketed in the U.S. The Company is also developing a




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glucose monitoring system designed to continuously monitor glucose levels and
new infusion systems to deliver compounds designed to treat a variety of medical
conditions.

                 This press release contains certain forward-looking statements
that reflect MiniMed's current views of certain future events and operations,
and of the Company's prospects generally. These forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties, including those related to MiniMed's ability to
complete the HMS acquisition successfully and effectively integrate HMS'
operations and services (including its pharmacy operations) into those of
MiniMed, as well as risks associated with future product offerings of MiniMed.
The forward looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions,
external factors, uncertainties and other risks that are described in MiniMed's
reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could
differ materially from these forward-looking statements.


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