Tuesday, November 16, 2010 3:46:10 PM
Drug-coated stents safe for large heart arteries
By Debra Sherman and Ransdell Pierson
CHICAGO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Drug-coated heart stents are as safe as the old bare metal variety for patients with narrowed large coronary arteries, a large European study showed, alleviating concerns about their long-term use.
There was no increase in the number of deaths or heart attacks two years after the drug-coated stent was implanted, according to data presented at the scientific sessions of the American Heart Association in Chicago.
The clinical trial, conducted and paid for by the University Hospital in Basel, Switzerland, is important because there had been significant concern that drug-coated stents caused blood clots to form, resulting in death or heart attack, long after implantation.
Stents are tiny wire mesh tubular devices that prop open diseased arteries. The drugs on the stent keep the vessel from reclogging, reducing the need for repeat procedures. They are implanted using a catheter that is threaded through a vessel, usually in the groin, up to the heart.
Dr. Christoph Kaiser, co-author of the study and head of interventional cardiology at the University Hospital, said drug-coated stents are generally preferred over the older bare metal stents for smaller vessels.
In addition to an improved safety profile, patients treated with drug-coated, also known as drug-eluting, stents had fewer repeat procedures.
"Now that drug-eluting stents show no late harm in large vessels, I think doctors will change," he said.
"The fear of using drug-eluting stents in large vessels is no longer justified," he added.
The study of 2,314 patients in Switzerland, Denmark, Austria and Italy were divided into three groups: one group got Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Cypher-Select sirolimus-eluting stent, another got Abbott Laboratories' (ABT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Xience everolimus-eluting stent, and the other got Abbott's Vision bare metal stent.
The patients were enrolled from March 2007 to May 2008 and after two years, the rate of cardiac death or heart attack was 2.7 percent for the sirolimus stents, 3.3 percent for the everolimus stents and 4.8 percent for the bare metal stents.
Kaiser said he was surprised by the positive results.
"We can only speculate, but it is probably due to the fact that stents are getting better over the years and so are doctors and implantation techniques," he said.
Medtronic Inc (MDT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Boston Scientific Corp (BSX.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) also manufacture stents. (Reporting by Debra Sherman and Susan Kelly; Editing by Dave Zimmerman)
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Drug-coated-stents-safe-large-rc-4289511732.html?x=0&.v=139
The obstacle to discovery is the illusion of knowledge.
Recent SRDX News
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 08/23/2024 08:06:26 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 08/23/2024 08:05:18 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 08/20/2024 08:25:15 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 08/20/2024 08:24:34 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 08/08/2024 08:02:09 PM
- Form 10-Q - Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 07/31/2024 12:00:27 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 07/31/2024 11:00:10 AM
- Surmodics Reports Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results • Business Wire • 07/31/2024 11:00:00 AM
- Form SC 13G/A - Statement of Beneficial Ownership by Certain Investors: [Amend] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 07/09/2024 05:49:02 PM
- Form DEFM14A - Definitive proxy statement relating to merger or acquisition • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 07/08/2024 08:28:06 PM
- Kuehn Law Encourages, FFNW, HCP, CALB, and SRDX Investors to Contact Law Firm • PR Newswire (US) • 06/17/2024 12:08:00 PM
- Form SC 13G - Statement of acquisition of beneficial ownership by individuals • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/10/2024 08:57:37 PM
- Surmodics Awarded Thrombectomy Products Agreement with Premier, Inc. • Business Wire • 06/10/2024 11:00:00 AM
- Rowley Law PLLC is Investigating Proposed Acquisition of Surmodics, Inc. • PR Newswire (US) • 05/29/2024 10:36:00 PM
- Form DEFA14A - Additional definitive proxy soliciting materials and Rule 14(a)(12) material • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/29/2024 12:04:56 PM
- Form DEFA14A - Additional definitive proxy soliciting materials and Rule 14(a)(12) material • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/29/2024 11:28:28 AM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/29/2024 11:27:01 AM
- Surmodics Enters into Definitive Agreement to be Acquired by GTCR for $43.00 Per Share in Cash, Representing an Approximate Equity Value of $627 Million • Business Wire • 05/29/2024 11:00:00 AM
- Form SD - Specialized disclosure report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/24/2024 08:01:05 PM
- Surmodics Reports Second Quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results; Updates Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Guidance • Business Wire • 05/01/2024 11:00:00 AM
- Surmodics to Report Second Quarter of Fiscal 2024 Financial Results on May 1 • Business Wire • 04/19/2024 11:00:00 AM
- Surmodics to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences in March and April • Business Wire • 02/27/2024 01:00:00 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/12/2024 09:22:07 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/12/2024 09:18:16 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/12/2024 09:16:12 PM
VHAI - Vocodia Partners with Leading Political Super PACs to Revolutionize Fundraising Efforts • VHAI • Sep 19, 2024 11:48 AM
Dear Cashmere Group Holding Co. AKA Swifty Global Signs Binding Letter of Intent to be Acquired by Signing Day Sports • DRCR • Sep 19, 2024 10:26 AM
HealthLynked Launches Virtual Urgent Care Through Partnership with Lyric Health. • HLYK • Sep 19, 2024 8:00 AM
Element79 Gold Corp. Appoints Kevin Arias as Advisor to the Board of Directors, Strengthening Strategic Leadership • ELMGF • Sep 18, 2024 10:29 AM
Mawson Finland Limited Further Expands the Known Mineralized Zones at Rajapalot: Palokas step-out drills 7 metres @ 9.1 g/t gold & 706 ppm cobalt • MFL • Sep 17, 2024 9:02 AM
PickleJar Announces Integration With OptCulture to Deliver Holistic Fan Experiences at Venue Point of Sale • PKLE • Sep 17, 2024 8:00 AM