December
30, 2004
Private
Sector Tsunami Aid Grows
Pharmaceutical and medical device companies have pledged significant funds to
aid South Asia in the aftermath of the tragic tsunami that has taken over 125,000
lives. Pfizer tops the list with a pledge of $35 million ($10 million in cash,
the rest in medical supplies) equaling the entire initial aid package promised
by the Bush administration (note: U.S. government aid was increased ten-fold
to $350 million on Friday, December 31). Johnson & Johnson and Abbott have
each pledged $2 million (Abbott
recently upped their contribution to $4 million), with Merck coming
in at $250,000 and Boston Scientific at $100,000. You can donate through any
number of organizations -- go to the Washington Post article "How
You Can Help" for more information.
(source: Matthew Goldstein, TheStreet.com)
December
17, 2004
Bush
Chief Speechwriter Has Coronary Procedure
George W. Bush's chief speechwriter, Michael Gerson, underwent successful angioplasty
and received two coronary stents to reopen partially blocked vessels on Friday
after suffering chest pains.
(source: Reuters)
(Special Section)
Johnson & Johnson Agrees to Buy Guidant
December 16, 2004
J&J
sees no antitrust roadblocks to Guidant
deal
Although a topic which has been discussed about the merging of these
two cardiology units, J&J seems to feel there won't be any significant
problems. (Note: see Editor's
blog for more about this issue.)
(source: Reuters)
December 15, 2004
Johnson & Johnson
and Guidant Announce Definitive Agreement
Valued at $23.9 Billion Based on $76
per Share
They just celebrated their 10th anniversary yesterday -- and today they
are announcing they will become part of the healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson.
Their official press release states that the "Transaction will bring
together cardiovascular expertise and technologies to benefit patients
and physicians worldwide."
(source: Guidant Corporation / Johnson & Johnson)
December 15, 2004
Johnson & Johnson
to Acquire Guidant
The long-anticipated deal has been made.
(source: Associated Press)
J&J
Says to Buy Guidant for $25.4 Billion
(source: Reuters)
December 14, 2004
J&J-Guidant
Deal Could Aid Boston Scientific - Analysts
How could the teaming up of two major competitors help the third? By
slowing down the current Guidant pipeline, says Deutsche Bank analyst
Tao Levy -- short term. But long term is a bit different story.
(source: Susan Kelly, Reuters)
December 13, 2004
J&J:
Don't Stop Dealmaking Now
Patent expirations and a thin pipeline mean the giant needs more than
Guidant.
(source: Amy Barrett & Michael Arndt, BusinessWeek
Online)
December 13, 2004
Johnson & Johnson
and Guidant Hold More Talks on Acquisition
May take a couple more days -- there is negotiating going on over the
price/share.
(source: Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times)
December 12, 2004
J&J,
Guidant Close to Finalizing Deal
Closer...closer...looking for a
formal announcement on Monday
(source: Jessica Hall, Reuters)
December 12, 2004
Sale
would be premium for execs: Top Guidant
officials stand to gain millions from
transaction
What happens to the a company when it is bought by another? This article
details the various agreements in place that will be triggered if the
merger is voted on (executives from both J&J and Guidant are scheduled
to meet this Sunday evening to discuss and possibly vote on the merger).
(source: Jeff Swiatek, Indianapolis Star)
December 10, 2004
Guidant
deal seen insulating J&J from drug
exposure
Another article about the implications of the merger, with a very specific
opinion from an interventional cardiologist, regarding his current choices
of drug-eluting stents: "Dr. Samin Sharma, head of interventional
cardiology at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, said he and many other cardiologists
are hoping J&J will buy Guidant and coat the smaller company's highly
maneuverable bare metal Vision stent with sirolimus. "It would be
a marriage made in heaven -- the most flexible stent on the market coated
with the best drug, and that's why J&J and Guidant need each other."
(source: Ransdell Pierson, Reuters)
December 10, 2004
Johnson & Johnson
near Guidant deal
MarketWatch reports on a Wall Street Journal source that the two companies
have scheduled a Sunday Board meeting and that the merger may be announced
by Monday. Stay tuned.
(source: CBS MarketWatch)
December 9, 2004
J&J,
Guidant Talks Undeterred by Overlap
Rumor swirls have included talk of anti-trust regulations forcing J&J
to sell off Guidant's stent business, but that is not the plan, according
to "sources familiar with the situation", who also hint that
the deal might be sealed as early as Monday.
(source: Reuters)
December 9, 2004
Abbott
has an eye on stent firms' merger talk
More analysts discuss the effect the merger might have on the current
and future players in the stent market.
(source: Bruce Japsen, Chicago Tribune)
December 8, 2004
Guidant
merger talks jolt industry: Johnson & Johnson
deal would challenge Medtronic's primacy
Has this impending merger got everyone worried? You bet!
(source: Jim McCartney, St. Paul Pioneer Press)
December 8, 2004
J&J
Guided to Guidant?
The possible merger between device heavies is discussed from the business
side by Motley Fool (free registration required). There's been much speculation
about the meaning of such a merger (see articles below) -- The Fool characterizes
it as a "massive...broadside aimed squarely at key competitors Boston
Scientific and Medtronic." (Read my comments in my blog, The
Voice in the Ear -- ed.)
(source: Dave Marino-Nachison, The Motley Fool)
December 8, 2004
Guidant
Acquisition Would Benefit St. Jude
Adding to the instant analyses of a much-speculated-upon event, Forbes
reports that Credit Suisse First Boston thinks the merger between J&J
and Guidant might have positive effects for St. Jude, and also "slight
positives" for Boston Scientific and Medtronic.
(source: Forbes.com)
December 8, 2004
For
Boston Scientific, a potential threat;
Competition will get hot in cardiac market
if firm's rivals merge
The Boston Globe's take on the possible merger and its impact on its "hometown" company.
(source: Ross Kerber, Boston Globe)
December 8, 2004
Johnson & Johnson
Decides It Needs Devices
An update on the possible J&J / Guidant merger and the impact that
it will have on the field of medical devices.
(source: Barnaby J. Feder, New York Times)
December
7, 2004
Johnson & Johnson
Said to Be in Talks for Heart Device Maker
Is J&J going to buy Guidant? Rumors swirl as Ron Dollens is about
to step down as CEO of Guidant at the end of this month with no successor
yet named. After all, Guidant is currently a marketing partner, selling
J&J's CYPHER™ drug-eluting stent. Such a move would certainly
change the playing field in the "Stent Wars". A breaking story
from the New Your Times (free registration from NYT is required to
read it.)
(source: Andrew Ross Sorkin and Barnaby J. Feder, New
York Times)
|
November
16, 2004
The
Claim: Sex Can Set Off a Heart Attack
The "REALLY?" column discusses whether or not this is true. For more
information about heart disease, love and sex, read this
article from the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation.
(source: Anahad O'Connor, New York Times)
November
13, 2004
Cheney,
Short of Breath, Heads to Hospital
Cheney
Leaves Hospital
Vice President Dick Cheney, who had a stent and ICD implanted back in 2001
and has had a history of heart trouble, was being taken to a hospital on Saturday
for tests after experiencing some shortness of breath, which a White House
spokesman said might be attributable to a bad cold he has had. The second article
reports that Cheney "feels fine" and no problems were found.
(source: Deb Riechmann, Associated Press / CBS News)
November
7, 2004
Coronary
Stents Do Not Improve Long-Term Survival
A study, presented by Duke cardiologist David Kandzari, M.D. at this year's
American Heart Association meeting, shows that stenting has little effect on
survival rates of patients with CAD, However, stenting does reduce the need
for repeat procedures and does have a role in preventing the pain associated
with CAD (angina). There is also a suggestion that some patients would be better
served through bypass surgery. The study was done before drug-eluting stents
were available, but the author hypothesizes that the results from drug-eluting
stents will be similar.
(source: Duke University Medical Center)
October 21, 2004
Guidant
Begins Enrollment in New Study of Carotid Stenting
The company is beginning enrollment in the CAPTURE (Carotid ACCULINK/ACCUNET
Post Approval Trial to Uncover Rare Events) post-approval study, required by
the F.D.A. Approximately 1,500 patients who receive the newly-approved carotid
stent will be studied for longer term outcomes. Currently the Guidant ACCULINK
carotid stent is the only such device approved in the U.S. In this company
release, Beverly Huss, president of Guidant Endovascular Solutions, states, "For
patients who are ineligible or at high risk for traditional surgery, carotid
stenting provides a minimally invasive breakthrough therapy to reduce the risk
of stroke. This additional data on carotid stenting performed by a variety
of physicians from across the nation will further advance our knowledge of
this important new therapy."
(source: Guidant Corporation)
October
13, 2004
Boston
Scientific Announces FDA Clearance For New IQ™ Guide
Wire
Company press release in which Dr. Stephen P. Wiet of Advocate Christ Medical
Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois states, "Often, devices undergo changes that
show promise on paper, but don't pan out in clinical practice...The IQ Guide
Wire blends characteristics of several individual guide wires into a versatile
workhorse version that delivers outstanding performance in clinical application.
The result is a high-tech performance boost to our interventional practice."
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
October
12, 2004
US
Medicare to reimburse for carotid stent use
Guidant's carotid stent device was approved last month, the only such device
on the U.S. market right now. Johnson & Johnson / Cordis is awaiting approval
and several other manufacturers are in the pipeline. Recent reports (read our
summary of the TCT on "Carotid
Stenting") show that this endovascular approach is now rivaling
surgery. Reimbursement is a big breakthrough for this technology.
(source: Reuters)
September
28, 2004
Cut
Off at the Bypass: For Most People, Stents and Drugs Are
Usually Safer, Better
A very interesting article by Marc Siegel, MD, a clinical associate professor
of medicine at New York University Medical School, about the treatments available
for coronary artery disease -- bypass surgery, interventional therapy (angioplasty
and stenting) and medical management with drugs. Taking off on the subject
of Bill Clinton's recent surgery, he states, "But for the vast majority
of patients with heart disease, medications are preferable to surgery, and
if trouble occurs, a stent is now the first choice."
(source: Marc Siegel, MD, Washington Post)
September 27, 2004
Guidant
Announces Plans to Initiate Groundbreaking Vulnerable
Plaque Study
(source: Guidant Corporation)
The study will involve 700 patients and has been dubbed PROSPECT (Providing
Regional Observations to Study Predictors of Events in the Coronary Tree).
It will utilize intravascular imaging technology from Volcano Therapeutics,
Inc. to collect data about characteristics of lesions not causing symptoms
at the time of treatment. The company's press release explains, "The cause
of most heart attacks was once believed to be the gradual closing of arteries
over time as plaque build-up slowly increased restricting blood and oxygen
flow to the heart. However, the vast majority of heart attacks are now believed
to be triggered by the rupture of a lipid-rich vulnerable plaque hidden under
the surface of the artery wall, causing blood to clot on the plaque and suddenly
block the artery." These plaques are not detectable through stress tests
or even angiograms, but through Intravascular
Ultrasound.
related stories:
Volcano
Therapeutics, Inc. Announces Collaboration in Pioneering Vulnerable
Plaque Study -- Volcano Therapeutics, Inc.
September 16, 2004
Guidant
Receives FDA Approval for Small Vessel Cobalt
Chromium Coronary Stent
The company states that this "highly deliverable new stent broadens Guidant’s
market-leading metallic stent portfolio." (a.k.a. "bare metal stent" --
Guidant's initial attempts at developing a drug-eluting stent met with failure
and it is now a marketing partner with Johnson & Johnson / Cordis for the
Cypher stent. However, Guidant will be presenting early results from its new "Spirit
First" drug-eluting stent at the TCT meeting later this month.)
(source: Guidant Corporation)
September
10, 2004
Clinton
spurs epidemic of heart checks
"Hospitals around the country are seeing an epidemic of "Clinton syndrome" as
worried, middle-aged men take the former president's heart problems to heart
and rush to get their own tickers checked. At UMass Memorial Medical Center in
central Massachusetts, five cardiac catheterization rooms stayed open extra hours
to do angiograms -- $5,000 tests that are the gold standard for checking arteries
for blockages."
(source: Associated Press / Alex Williams, New York Times)
September
9, 2004
Patients,
others push for angioplasty
Though speakers at Tuesday’s public hearing at New Britain General Hospital
came from different walks of life, all agreed that New Britain General should
be able to offer the most comprehensive emergency heart care available.
(source: Scott Whipple, New Britain [CT] Herald)
September
8, 2004
LI
congressman recently had angioplasty
Bill Clinton wasn't the only Democrat having heart surgery over the Labor Day
weekend in New York. Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) underwent successful angioplasty
for a blocked artery on Sunday, but already returned to work in Washington
on Tuesday.
(source: Newsday)
August 31, 2004
Guidant
Receives First U.S. Approval for New Therapy
Designed to Reduce Risk of Stroke
The company announced that the FDA has approved its carotid stent system, a
combination of the stent and filter (to prevent plaque from breaking off and
travelling to the brain). It is the first such system approved for the U.S.
and offers a minimally invasive alternative to the widely-used open surgical
procedure known as "carotid endarterectomy". Approval of this system
moves the field of medicine one more step away from surgery and towards endovascular,
or catheter-based, therapy. For an extensive look at the history of vascular
(non-cardiac) medicine and the current controversy surrounding this evolution,
view our documentary "Vascular Pioneers" on our companion site at www.VascularTherapy.Org.
(source: Guidant Corporation)
August
27, 2004
Actor
Patrick Stewart Recovers From Angioplasty
David Bowie, Ayatollah Sistani, and now Patrick Stewart....
(source: Anthony Breznican, AP Entertainment Writer)
August
25, 2004
Boston
Scientific Announces FDA Clearance for Peripheral
Cutting Balloon™ Microsurgical Dilatation
Device
The Peripheral Cutting Balloon device features tiny, longitudinally mounted
atherotomes (microsurgical blades) on the surface of an angioplasty balloon
and will be used to treat patients who are currently undergoing hemodialysis
for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). This is the second approval by the FDA
this week for a Boston Scientific interventional device.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
August
23, 2004
Boston
Scientific Announces FDA Clearance for FilterWire EZ™ Embolic
Protection System
The FilterWire EZ System is a low-profile embolic filter which captures embolic
material that becomes dislodged during balloon angioplasty and stenting procedures
for the treatment of saphenous vein graft (SVG) disease. Cardiac surgeons use
the saphenous vein as a graft in coronary bypass surgery -- if and when the
graft clogs up, an interventional procedure is used to open it. The FilterWire
EZ is an improvement over Boston Scientific's earlier device (the EX, approved
a little over a year ago) and has been used in Europe since September 2003.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
August
14, 2004
Iraqi
Cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani Has Angioplasty
in London
Iraq's most influential Shia leader, 73-year-old Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani,
is in a stable condition after undergoing angioplasty at the world-renowned
Harefield heart hospital in London.
(source: BBC News)
July 29,
2004
Bowie
back on form in wake of heart op
A month after undergoing emergency heart surgery (actually, "angioplasty",
ed.) David Bowie looked to have completed a remarkable recovery as he made
his first public appearance in New York.
(source: Edward Black and Lauren Stewart, The Scotsman)
July 26,
2004
Guidant
Announces U.S. Launch of Next-Generation Coronary
Dilatation Catheter
Guidant today announced the U.S. launch of the newest in the company’s
line of coronary dilatation catheters, the VOYAGER™ rapid-exchange (RX)
Coronary Dilatation Catheter, having received F.D.A. approval. Dilatation catheter,
a.k.a. "balloons", are used in a variety of interventional procedures,
sometimes to "pre-dilate" a blockage before a stent is placed; sometimes
to open up a stent that has reclosed over time. The system combines several
exciting new technologies to enhance overall performance,” said John
Lassetter, M.D., of McKay-Dee Hospital Center in Ogden, Utah. “The low-profile
tapered tip contributes to overall system deliverability, which is important
for successful treatment of patients with significant coronary artery disease.”
(source: Guidant Corporation)
July
17, 2004
Boston
Scientific to Recall Additional Coronary Stent
Systems
The company announced today that it is expanding its recall of the Taxus stent
system, as well as some lots of the Express2 bare metal stent. Problems had
occurred in a small number of stents, having to do with the deflation and subsequent
withdrawal of the delivery balloon on which the stent is mounted. An earlier
recall was limited to two manufacturing lots. Most important for patients is
that "...today's action does not affect patients who have already
received these stents, because the difficulty is with the delivery system and
occurs at the time of insertion, not afterward."
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
July 8, 2004
David
Bowie Has Emergency Angioplasty
Thinking he had a pinched nerve in his shoulder, rock-legend Davie Bowie sought
treatment last month in Germany, in the midst of his current tour. Turns out
he had a severely blocked coronary artery and was immediately treated with
emergency angioplasty. Hoping to return to touring next month, Bowie said, "I
can't wait to be fully recovered and get back to work again...I tell you what,
though, I won't be writing a song about this one." Angioplasty.org hopes
Mr. Bowie reconsiders -- after all, when he was recording his great album "Heroes" in
England, Andreas Gruentzig was creating the first angioplasty balloon with
Krazy Glue on the kitchen table of his apartment in Zurich.
(source: BBC)
June 23,
2004
Silver
lining: Natick firm marks 25 years selling medical
devices
A brief overview of Boston Scientific on its 25th anniversary, celebrated yesterday
by employees and co-founders Pete Nicholas and John Abele.
(source: Craig M. Douglas, MetroWest Daily News)
June 22, 2004
Boston
Scientific Announces $1 Million Gift to Doctors
Without Borders
The company, as part of celebrating its 25th anniversary, announced that it
plans to make a $1 million gift to Doctors Without Borders, an international
medical humanitarian organization, because of the its work providing access
to medical care for populations suffering from extreme hardships. Doctors Without
Borders (website)
delivers emergency aid to victims of armed conflict, epidemics, and natural
and man-made disasters, and to others who lack health care due to social or
geographical isolation.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
June 9, 2004
Biophan,
Boston Scientific extend collaboration
Rochester, NY-based Biophan has been working on a coating for medical devices
that allows MRI imaging. The implications of being able to image metallic devices
such as stents, etc. could potentially be very important, for example, in eliminating
the costs, discomfort and potential complications of diagnostic angiography.
(source: Steve Lewis, Nanobiotech News)
May 25, 2004
Abbott
Vascular Devices Unveils the StarClose Vascular
Closure System
The StarClose, a new vascular closure device, and one that does not employ
collagen plugs, was introduced at the Paris Course on Revasculation today by
Abbott.
(source: Abbott)
April 21, 2004
Cordis
Endovascular's Carotid Stent System Recommended
for Approval by FDA Advisory Panel
The company today reported the Circulatory System Devices Panel of the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended approval of the company's new
Cordis Carotid System which consists of two components: the PRECISE® Nitinol
Self-Expanding Stent and the ANGIOGUARD™ Emboli Capture Guidewire. These
products currently are approved for use in carotid arteries outside the U.S.
(source: Cordis Corporation)
March
25, 2004
Boston
Scientific and EndoTex Interventional Systems, Inc. Announce
Completion Of Enrollment In Carotid Stenting Trial
The clinical trial, known as CABERNET, uses the
EndoTex NexStent™ Carotid Stent in conjunction with
the Boston Scientific FilterWire EZ™ Embolic Protection
System to treat patients who are at high risk for a carotid
endarterectomy. Although the FilterWire EZ is available
in Europe, both devices are limited to investigational
use in the United States. Endovascular approaches such
as these to traditionally "open" surgical procedures
are revolutionizing vascular surgery. To get a more comprehensive
view of this revolution, and its background, you can view
online our recent video "Vascular
Pioneers: Evolution of a Specialty", hosted by
our sister site, VascularTherapy.Org.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
March
10, 2004
Doctors
see vascular system as road to treatment
An interesting overview article about how the whole field of "endovascular" therapy
has been replacing open surgery in the treatment of so many diseases. It was Charles
Dotter and subsequent pioneers of angioplasty who first envisioned
the circulatory system of the body as a highway, in which therapy could be
delivered. Certainly this has occurred in the heart, with angioplasty and stenting
now more used than bypass surgery. For a full view of how the field of vascular
surgery has been and is being affected by the switch-over to endovascular,
you can view online our recent video "Vascular
Pioneers: Evolution of a Specialty" -- it's a 52 min documentary
(divided into chapters for easy viewing) and features 20 of the most prominent
vascular and endovascular surgeons practicing today, hosted by our sister site,
VascularTherapy.Org.
(source: Debra Sherman and Julie Steenhuysen, Reuters)
March 10,
2004
Data
Show Heart Imaging Helps Physicians
Dr. John J. Mahmarian, lead investigator of the INSPIRE clinical trial which
tested the value of stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) said of the findings, "This
is a significant breakthrough because the current perception is that a heart
attack sufferer needs to undergo coronary angiography, or surgical procedure,
to evaluate the damage of the heart. This study demonstrated that patients
found to be at low risk by MPI also are at low risk of a second heart attack
and therefore unlikely to benefit from coronary angiography." This new
non-invasive imaging technique may ultimately significantly reduce the need
for angiograms and/or angioplasties performed on a specific set of heart attack
patients.
(source: Baylor College of Medicine)
March 9,
2004
Emory
researchers find race and gender gaps in treatment
of heart attack
Emory Heart Center researchers studied the records of 672,817 white and black
patients younger than 75 years of age. "We found that African-American
women and men have continued to receive less aggressive management than white
men after myocardial infarction," says Emory investigator Viola Vaccarino
MD, Ph.D., lead author of the study. Dr. Vaccarino says the researchers were
surprised to discover there has been no trend toward a lessening of the treatment
gaps for women and blacks in recent years.
(source: Emory University Health Sciences Center)
March
8, 2004
Exercise
As Good As Angioplasty For Some Heart Patients
Better results at half the cost, study from the University of Leipzig finds.
It's a program that "makes excellent biological sense" for patients
with narrowed coronary arteries but no major symptoms other than angina, says
Dr. Richard A. Stein, chief of medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center Singer
division in New York and a spokesman for the American Heart Association.
(source: Ed Edelson, HealthDay)
March 8,
2004
Striking
Benefits Found In Ultra-Low Cholesterol (source:
Rob Stein, Washington Post)
New
Conclusions on Cholesterol (source: Gina
Kolata, New York Times)
Comparison
of Intensive and Moderate Lipid Lowering with Statins
after Acute Coronary Syndromes (source:
New England Journal of Medicine -- in PDF format)
Intensive
Statin Therapy — A Sea Change in Cardiovascular Prevention (source:
Eric J. Topol, MD, Editorial in New England Journal of
Medicine -- in PDF format)
Presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting, two new studies show
that reducing LDL ("bad cholesterol") levels even lower than current
recommendations resulted in additional significant reductions in heart attacks
and the need for angioplasty and bypass surgeries. Patients were given Lipitor,
a widely-used statin drug to reduce the LDL. The findings are being hailed
by leading cardiologists in superlatives, such as "sea change", "breakthrough",
and "a turning-point for the field". The above headlines link to
two articles in the news media, as well as two links to the "early release" from
the New England Journal of Medicine of one of the studies, and an editorial
by Eric J. Topol, MD of the Cleveland Clinic
March 7, 2004
Guidant's
Carotid Artery Stenting Trials Demonstrate Positive
Outcomes in High-Risk Patients as Alternative
to Surgery to Reduce the Risk of Stroke
A company press release announced positive results in the ARCHeR (ACCULINK
for Revascularization of Carotids in High Risk Patients) series of clinical
trials. The ARCHeR trials were designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy
of carotid artery stenting as a minimally invasive alternative for treating
carotid artery disease and reducing the risk of stroke in patients either ineligible
or at high risk for surgery. “ Results from the ARCHeR trials point to the
potential of carotid artery stenting as an effective therapy for the thousands
of patients with carotid artery disease who, because of their risk and co-morbidity
factors, are not well-treated by standard carotid surgery,” said William Gray,
M.D., director of Endovascular Care at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle,
Washington. “Carotid stenting appears poised to become a realistic treatment
option for these high-risk patients.”
(source: Guidant Corporation)
February
27, 2004
FDA
Posts New Web Site on Heart Disease
The Food and Drug Administration today posted a new web site on cardiovascular
disease, Heart Health Online (www.fda.gov/hearthealth).
The web site focuses on FDA-regulated products to prevent, diagnose, and treat
cardiovascular disease. It describes cardiovascular conditions, and it links
to detailed information about specific diagnostic tests, medications, medical
devices, and healthy lifestyles. The web site will be expanded monthly with
new conditions and treatments.
(source: United States Food and Drug Administration)
February 20, 2004
Boston
Scientific Announces Settlement of All Litigation
with Guidant
According to the company, "All pending disputes between the companies
will be immediately dismissed. In addition, the companies have agreed to cross
license patents in certain specified technology areas."
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
February 19, 2004
Boston
Scientific Receives Canadian License for its
Carotid Wallstent® System
Company announces Canadian approval of its stent that is used in keeping open
carotid arteries -- a procedure that is more and more being used as a less-invasive
alternative to open surgery.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
February 18, 2004
Enrollment
Complete in First Randomized Head-to-Head Trial
Of Drug-eluting Coronary Stents
Cordis announced that enrollment of patients in its clinical trial matching
its own Cypher drug-eluting stent with Boston Scientific's Taxus is complete
and that results of this comparison should be available by the end of the year.
(source: Cordis Corporation)
February 17, 2004
Medical
devices have been a bright spot
A health article -- this time, economic health -- an interesting article about
how the Minnesota economy has been helped by the concentration of four of the
largest medical device companies: Boston Scientific (see press release below),
Guidant, Medtronic and St. Jude.
(source: Janet Moore, Star Tribune)
February 17, 2004
Boston
Scientific Announces Expansion Plans in Minnesota
"We've been growing steadily, and we've outgrown our existing space," said
Paul LaViolette, Boston Scientific Senior Vice President and Group President,
Cardiovascular. "Our expansion plans for Minnesota reflect our expectation
of continued growth, driven by our anticipated U.S. launch of TAXUS this quarter
as well as other products in the pipeline."
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
February
9, 2004
Depression
and Cardiovascular Sequelae in Postmenopausal
Women
A large proportion of older women report levels of depressive symptoms that
are significantly related to increased risk of CVD death and all-cause mortality,
even after controlling for established CVD risk factors. Whether early recognition
and treatment of subclinical depression will lower CVD risk remains to be determined
in clinical trials.
(source: Archives of Internal Medicine)
February
9, 2004
Company Ties Gene to
Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
An Icelandic company states it has discovered a "variant gene that doubles
the risk of heart attack and stroke among Icelanders who carry it". The
announcement is not without controversy, but the article quotes Dr. Eric Topol
of the Cleveland Clinic, co-author of the paper, called the finding "a
signal of a really big step forward."
(source: Nicholas Wade, New York Times -- Times requires registration;
it is free)
February
5, 2004
Angioplasty
an Option for Clogged Brain Arteries
Not heart-related, but this report from the American Stroke Association's annual
meeting in San Diego discusses the fact that angioplasty clears clogged brain
arteries and prevents stroke in people who fail to respond to medication.
(source: Robert Preidt, HealthDay)
February
4, 2004
Even
Very Elderly Patients Can Benefit From Angioplasty
or Bypass
A study from Haifa, Israel indicates that selected patients 80 or older can
do as well as those a decade younger. Christopher P. Cannon, MD, FACC with
Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts comments, "“In
general there has been reluctance to treat the elderly, especially octogenarians,
as aggressively as younger patients...this study suggests we need to be more
aggressive with our elderly patients." You can read the entire study in
PDF format here.
(source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology)
February
4, 2004
New
guidelines take a personal approach to preventing
cardiovascular disease in women
New guidelines, based on a woman’s individual cardiovascular health,
were released today by the AHA. According to Lori Mosca, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.,
chair of the writing group and director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian
Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, “The concept of cardiovascular
disease (CVD) as a ‘have-or-have-not’ condition has been replaced
with the idea that CVD develops over time and every woman is somewhere on the
continuum.” Access
a PDF file of the guidelines here.
(source: American Heart Association)
February 4, 2004
New
Guidelines Show Women How to Avoid Heart Disease
A report on the new AHA guidelines (link above) issued today.
(source: Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay)
February 2, 2004
Medtronic
Receives CE Mark Approval For The Sprinter™ Semi-Compliant
Rapid Exchange Balloon Dilation Catheter
Company announces that its latest balloon technology, designed to navigate
difficult lesions, has been approved for sale in Europe.
(source: Medtronic Inc.)
February
1, 2004
Technology
improves patient outcomes
Angioplasty.Org is always interested in the impact of medical technology at
the local level. This is a piece from Evansville, Indiana about how the practice
of cardiology, as well as other specialties, has changed as a result of these
breakthroughs.
(source: Ella Johnson, Evanville Courier & Press)
January
29, 2004
Angioplasty
for Heart Attack Particularly Helpful for Women
The Reuters article states, "People suffering a heart attack may be treated
with clot-busting drugs or taken directly to the OR to have the blockage in
their coronary arteries cleared by angioplasty. The latter strategy, it seems,
helps women more than men." The complete study can be read in the American
Heart Journal (free registration required).
(source: Reuters Health, American Heart Journal)
January
21, 2004
Arterial
Puncture Closing Devices Compared With Standard
Manual Compression After Cardiac Catheterization
Researchers in Vienna, Austria conducted a "meta-study" of 30 other
studies "to assess the safety and efficacy of APCDs (Angioseal, Vasoseal,
Duett, Perclose, Techstar, Prostar) compared with standard manual compression
in patients undergoing coronary angiography or percutaneous vascular interventions." While
indicating that poor methodology in some of the studies may have affected the
results, the researchers concluded that "...there is only marginal evidence
that APCDs are effective and there is reason for concern that these devices
may increase the risk of hematoma and pseudoaneurysm." The topic of femoral
closure devices, which significantly reduce the amount of time patients need
to lay still and be immobilized post-angioplasty, is one of the more popular
threads in our FORUM. Angioplasty.org invites comments on this article and
experiences of patients and healthcare professionals in our FORUM
topic.
(source: Journal of the American Medical Association)
January
19, 2004
Modified
Gene Therapy Better for Heart
Researchers in Scotland are working to target the delivery of gene therapy
in what the author calls "budding field of gene therapy for heart disease".
(source: Ed Edelson, HealthDay)
January
18, 2004
Heart
attack roulette?
Another article about a community's struggle with providing the best treatment
for heart attack victims -- angioplasty.
(source: Henry L. Davis, Buffalo News)
January
18, 2004
Gene
therapy tried on heart patients
Local angle on a gene therapy clinical trial in Montana.
(source: Billings Gazette)
January 16,
2004
Boston
Scientific Completes Enrollment Of Carotid Stenting
Clinical Trial
In the latest example of how interventional catheter-based medicine has spread
into many specialties, the Company announced that enrollment is completed in
the BEACH clinical trial which is using the Company's FilterWire EZ™Embolic
Protection System and Carotid Wallstent® Monorail® Endoprosthesis to treat
patients who are at high risk for the surgical treatment of carotid endarterectomy.
In the procedure, a stent (larger than the type used in coronary angioplasty)
is placed in the carotid (neck) artery.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
January
16, 2004
Declining
Prevalence of No Known Major Risk Factors for
Heart Disease and Stroke Among Adults --- United
States, 1991--2001
Despite publicity and widespread knowledge about the need for lowering the
risk factors associated with heart disease (high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
diabetes, smoking, and obesity) the number of Americans with one or more of
these factors increased in the past decade -- a relative increase of almost
10%, while the relative percentage of people with no risk factors at all went
down by almost 14%. The CDC says, "These findings underscore the potential
for an increased burden of heart disease and stroke on the health-care system.
To prevent the debilitating outcomes of heart disease and stroke among the
aging U.S. population, increased prevention efforts and treatment interventions
are needed.
(source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the Centers
for Disease Control)
January 15,
2004
'Opportunities
great,' according to interventional cardiologist
Speaking at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, Martin Leon,
MD provided an status overview of the current field of interventional cardiology,
said, "It's a great time to be an interventionalist," he said. "the
opportunity to provide solutions to important medical problems is great." The
article provides a good picture of where cardiology is going. (Read
our interview with Dr. Leon in the Angioplasty.Org library).
(source: Jim Stommen, BioWorld Today)
January
14, 2004
New
evidence bolsters use of heart scans
Now there is evidence that CT scans for calcium can play a significant role
in predicting cardiac deaths and making treatment decisions for the millions
of people in the middle-range of coronary risk.
(source: Thomas M. Burton, The Wall Street Journal)
January
7, 2004
Strict
Blood Sugar Control Key for Diabetic Heart Patients
A report on a study in today's Journal of the American College of Cardiology
that finds controlling blood sugar levels in diabetic heart patients after
angioplasty and stenting may be very important in reducing restenosis.
(source: Karen Pallarito, HealthDay)
January 7, 2004
FDA
Clears Xtrak Support Catheter For Crossing Difficult
Lesions
Company press release describes their TOPS™ support catheter that the
FDA has now approved for sale in the U.S. It can be used over standard guide
wires and can assist in getting an angioplasty balloon through narrow or total
occlusions in the artery.
(source: Xtrak Medical, Inc.)
January
1, 2004
New
stats show heart disease still America's No.
1 killer, stroke No. 3
Statistics compiled from 2001 show that coronary heart disease alone is the
single largest killer of Americans. The disease continues to devastate women
as it accounts for one in five women’s deaths. The statistics also show
that 2/3 of the U.S. adult population is overweight or obese, and that 1/3
of all deaths from smoking-related illness (almost 1/2 million annually) are
cardiovascular-related.
(source: American Heart Association)
January 1, 2004
Heart
disease goes beyond the heart
In a companion article to the one above, the American Heart Association discusses
what the current statistics shows about diseases related to cardiovascular
disease (sometimes the same disease process, but in a different part of the
body). These include: congestive heart failure, peripheral arterial disease
(clogged vessels in the arms and legs), end-stage renal disease and venous
thromboembolism (blood clot).
(source: American Heart Association) |
Click
here for more information about the following ads
|
|