Cardiovascular Device Update articles from June 2003

Cardiovascular Device Update archives from June 2003

Late-breaking trials sessions focus on AF-CHF relationship.(atrial fibrillation; congestive heart failure)
June 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- The late-breaking clinical trial sessions of the 24th annual scientific sessions of the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology (NASPE; Natick, Massachusetts), which were held here in mid-May, focused on studies...

Technology advances expand interventional cardiology's scope.
June 1, 2003... CHICAGO, Illinois -- With the U.S. market introduction of the Cypher drug-eluting stent from the Cordis (Miami Lakes, Florida) unit of Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick, New Jersey), interventional cardiology has entered a new era in which...

'Fantastic' drug target seen in genetic study of clotting enzyme. (From the Lab).(Factor XIII; thrombolytic therapy breakthrough)
June 1, 2003... One of the final players in the chain of events that leads to clot formation could prove a good target for a new generation of clot-busting drugs, a new study suggests. An analysis of minor variations in the gene encoding Factor XIII has shown...

Germany eyes plan to cut healthcare costs. (Report from Europe).
June 1, 2003... A CDU Staff Report Higher costs to patients for prescription drugs and reductions in coverage by state health insurance are among changes to the public healthcare system identified by the German government late last month as it tries to...

Cardio ProfilER on market in UK, Ireland. (Report from Europe).(diagnostic tool)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Biosite (San Diego, California) said that its new Cardio ProfilER diagnostic panel for rapid evaluation of chest pain patients now is available commercially in the UK and Ireland. The company described the product as its first "symptom...

Genotyping effort completed. (Report from Europe).(genetic aspects of heart disease)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Oxagen Ltd. (Abingdon, UK) said it completed the genotyping of DNA from 2,000 volunteers in the PRO-CARDIS consortium study of the genetics of heart disease. They are annotated with information about the metabolic status and history of heart...

Early-stage focus for planned fund. (Report from Europe).(venture capital fund for start-up companies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... BioScience Managers Ltd. (London) and Imperial College London announced a joint initiative to raise a 50 million [pounds sterling] ($80.4 million) fund focused on early-stage companies. The BML Ventures Imperial Fund will make investments in 12...

Boston Scientific (BSX; Natick, Massachusetts) has made a second equity investment in--and extended its exclusive option to acquire--EndoTex Interventional Systems (Cupertino, California). (Acquisitions).(Boston Scientific Corp.)(Endotex Interventional Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Boston Scientific (BSX; Natick, Massachusetts) has made a second equity investment in--and extended its exclusive option to acquire--EndoTex Interventional Systems (Cupertino, California). In addition, Boston Sci has agreed to acquire EndoTex...

Edwards Lifesciences (Irvine, California) has acquired various surgical assets of Embol-X (Sacramento, California), a venture-financed medical technology company. (Acquisitions).(Edwards Lifesciences Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Edwards Lifesciences (Irvine, California) has acquired various surgical assets of Embol-X (Sacramento, California), a venture-financed medical technology company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but Edwards said the deal is "in...

One Equity Partners (Chicago, Illinois) reported that it has made an equity investment in Medex (Dublin, Ohio), a provider of critical-care products, enabling Medex to purchase the worldwide Vascular Access business of Ethicon Endo-Surgery (Cincinnati, Ohio), a business of Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick, New Jersey). (Acquisitions).(One Equity Partners L.L.C.)(Medex Inc.)(Vascular Access Div.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * One Equity Partners (Chicago, Illinois) reported that it has made an equity investment in Medex (Dublin, Ohio), a provider of critical-care products, enabling Medex to purchase the worldwide Vascular Access business of Ethicon Endo-Surgery...

St. Jude Medical (St. Paul, Minnesota) said it has made a $15 million minority investment in Epicor Medical (Sunnyvale, California), a developer of devices for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). (Acquisitions).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * St. Jude Medical (St. Paul, Minnesota) said it has made a $15 million minority investment in Epicor Medical (Sunnyvale, California), a developer of devices for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). The agreement also provides that St....

SurModics' coating a key to Cypher success. (Business Developments).(drug-eluting coating for Cypher stent)
June 1, 2003... Johnson & Johnson's (J&J; New Brunswick, New Jersey) Cordis (Miami Lakes, Florida) subsidiary, maker of the recently FDA-approved Cypher drug-eluting stent, and to a lesser extent Wyeth (Madison, New Jersey), maker of the sirolimus compound...

Focusing on a long-term CHF solution. (Business Developments).(congestive heart failure)
June 1, 2003... CardioEnergetics (Cincinnati, Ohio) President and CEO Mark Byrne believes the company's heart-assist device, RePower, ultimately will offer a solution to those suffering from congestive heart failure (CHF). The differentiator between RePower...

First implant from Medinol-Gore alliance. (Business Developments).(Medinol Ltd.)(W.L. Gore and Associates Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Building on an alliance initiated last September with stent maker Medinol (Tel Aviv, Israel), W.L. Gore & Associates (Flagstaff, Arizona) last month reported the first implant of the NOA Coronary Stent System. It is the first product to result...

New equity firm closes on initial fund. (Business Developments).(Thomas, McNerney and Partners L.L.C.)
June 1, 2003... Thomas, McNerney & Partners (New York), a newly formed healthcare private equity firm that invests in life science and medical technology, reported the closing of its initial fund, totaling $216 million, raised from what it called "a broad mix...

Boston Scientific (Natick, Massachusetts) said it has signed an agreement with MediGuide (Haifa, Israel), a privately held company, to develop and commercialize advanced imaging and navigational technologies for use in a broad range of less-invasive therapies. (Agreements).(Boston Scientific Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Boston Scientific (Natick, Massachusetts) said it has signed an agreement with MediGuide (Haifa, Israel), a privately held company, to develop and commercialize advanced imaging and navigational technologies for use in a broad range of...

Cardiac Science (Irvine, California), and Criticare Systems (Waukesha, Wisconsin), unveiled an agreement under which Cardiac Science will manufacture and supply its Powerheart automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to Criticare for sale under the Criticare brand name. (Agreements).(Cardiac Science Inc.)(Criticare Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Cardiac Science (Irvine, California), and Criticare Systems (Waukesha, Wisconsin), unveiled an agreement under which Cardiac Science will manufacture and supply its Powerheart automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to Criticare for sale...

Novoste (Norcross, Georgia) said it has signed an agreement with Orbus Medical Technologies (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) to distribute the R Stent in the countries of Germany, France, England, Canada and Belgium. (Agreements).(Novoste Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Novoste (Norcross, Georgia) said it has signed an agreement with Orbus Medical Technologies (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) to distribute the R Stent in the countries of Germany, France, England, Canada and Belgium. Orbus has previously...

Long, hot summer seen over Medicare reform. (Market Updates).
June 1, 2003... Chances for a Medicare reform bill in this session of Congress--among the myriad choices circulating offices on the Hill--largely boil down to reaching an agreement on the type of reform and how far the legislation goes toward giving private...

Implications of drug-eluting stents debated. (Market Updates).
June 1, 2003... Drug-eluting stents are becoming a reality in the daily practices of many cardiologists, but the much-touted technology isn't getting a warm reception in the nation's hospital boardrooms. The FDA's approval of the Cypher stent from the Cordis...

Beating-heart option shows fewer deaths. (Market Updates).(analysis of coronary bypass surgical outcomes)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Although drug-eluting stents offer a tremendous opportunity in fighting coronary artery disease, many patients still need coronary artery bypass surgery. And researchers at New York University Medical Center (NYU; New York) found that some...

ATS Medical. (Personnel File).(ATS Medical Inc. names vice president of sales)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Marc Sportsman has been named vice president of sales for ATS Medical (Minneapolis, Minnesota). Most recently, Sportsman served as an area vice president at St. Jude Medical. ATS Medical manufactures a pyrolitic carbon open pivot mechanical...

Cambridge Heart. (Personnel File).(Cambridge Heart Inc. names vice president of marketing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Robert LaRoche has been named vice president of sales and marketing for Cambridge Heart (Bedford, Massachusetts), replacing Eric Dufford, who has left the company. LaRoche has been president of his own consulting company, Octant Marketing....

Cook. (Personnel File).(Cook Group Inc. names chief technology officer)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Charles McIntosh, MD, has been named chief medical science and technology officer for Cook (Bloomington, Indiana). McIntosh has held numerous positions at the University of Illinois Medical Center and the Champaign/Urbana campus, as well as...

Gish Biomedical. (Personnel File).(Gish Biomedical Inc.)(employee promotions)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Douglas Whittaker has been promoted from director of worldwide sales to president of Gish Biomedical (Rancho Santa Margarita, California), a subsidiary of CardioTech International (Woburn, Massachusetts). Whittaker replaces Kelly Scott, who...

HemoSense. (Personnel File).(HemoSense Inc. appoints director of manufacturing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Kristal Ball has been appointed director of manufacturing for HemoSense (Milpitas, California). Ball previously was in a project management position with LifeScan, a division of Johnson & Johnson. HemoSense develops system for managing oral...

Lipid Sciences. (Personnel File).(Lipid Sciences Inc. selects president and chief executive officer)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * S. Lewis Meyer, PhD, has been named president and CEO of Lipid Sciences (Pleasanton, California). He will continue to serve as a director, a position he has held since July 2002. Meyer was formerly president and CEO of Imatron, until its...

Ventrica receives CE mark for new device. (Product Pipeline).
June 1, 2003... Ventrica (Fremont, California) has come up with a technique that it believes could enable the automatic anastomosis (connection) of blood vessels, which may provide heart surgeons with an alternative to the conventional method of hand suturing....

Abiomed. (Product Pipeline).(ABIOMED Inc. receives product approval)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Abiomed (Danvers, Massachusetts) has received FDA approval for distribution of the AB5000 Circulatory Support System drive and control console. The AB5000 console will drive one or two BVS 5000 blood pumps, either in the hospital or for...

Andromed. (Product Pipeline).(electronic stethoscopes approved)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Andromed (Montreal, Quebec) received approval from the Danish Medical Devices Certification to affix the CE mark to its Androscope electronic stethoscopes and accessories, and to its biological sound sensor, Androsonix. The products also are...

Berlin Heart (Berlin, Germany) said that its Incor rotary implanted blood pump with the Carmeda BioActive Surface (CBAS) received the CE mark for treatment of serious left ventricular failure. (Product Pipeline).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Berlin Heart (Berlin, Germany) said that its Incor rotary implanted blood pump with the Carmeda BioActive Surface (CBAS) received the CE mark for treatment of serious left ventricular failure. CBAS has been used for years in Europe in Berlin...

Biosite. (Product Pipeline).(Biosite Diagnostics Inc. markets diagnostic tool)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Biosite (San Diego, California) has begun full-scale market introduction of the Triage Cardio ProfilER, a new rapid diagnostic intended to aid in the evaluation of chest pain patients. By combining four markers of cardiovascular disease in...

Cardiac Science. (Product Pipeline).(Cardiac Science Inc. receives two patents)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Cardiac Science (Irvine, California) has been granted two U.S. patents, one covering its biphasic waveform technology, the core defibrillation technology embedded in all of the company's Powerheart-brand in-hospital and public access...

Cardima. (Product Pipeline).(Cardima Inc. reports on clinical trials)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Cardima (Fremont, California) reported updates from clinical investigators on its Breakthrough in Isolation Trial: Mapping and Ablation in the Pulmonary Veins (BITMAP) clinical trial in Germany using the Revelation Helix microcatheter. The...

Cardiome Pharma. (Product Pipeline).(Cardiome Pharma Corp. plans clinical trials)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Cardiome Pharma (Vancouver, British Columbia) laid out a strategy to begin a Phase III program for RSD1235, its homegrown anti-arrhythmic product. Scheduled to begin in the second half of the year, the first of three Phase III trials will...

CardioTech International. (Product Pipeline).(CardioTech International Inc. prepares for clinical trial)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * CardioTech International (Woburn, MassachuSetts) completed preparations for a human clinical trial for its CardioPass coronary artery bypass graft. The trial is scheduled to be initially conducted in Brazil, and will involve several clinical...

Criticare Systems (CSI; Milwaukee, Wisconsin) received FDA approval to market its arrhythmia detection and alarm software. (Product Pipeline).(Criticare Systems Inc.)(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Criticare Systems (CSI; Milwaukee, Wisconsin) received FDA approval to market its arrhythmia detection and alarm software. The system provides real-time analysis of ECG traces and indicates through audio and visual alarms if an abnormality is...

CryoCath Technologies (Montreal, Quebec) said that two presentations were made at the 69th annual meeting of the German Society of Cardiology last month. (Product Pipeline).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * CryoCath Technologies (Montreal, Quebec) said that two presentations were made at the 69th annual meeting of the German Society of Cardiology last month. The presentations documented the clinical experience of two European cardiovascular...

Edwards Lifesciences. (Product Pipeline).(results of Carpentier-Edwards Perimount aortic pericardial tissue heart valve evaluation trials)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Edwards Lifesciences (Irvine, California) said it completed a 20-year follow-up on the effectiveness and durability of its Carpentier-Edwards Perimount aortic pericardial tissue heart valve. The data indicate that patients 60 years and older...

Eli Lilly and Co. (Indianapolis, Indiana) said ReoPro (abciximab) improves the recovery of patients with ischemic stroke when administered up to six hours after stroke onset, according to data from AbESTT (Abciximab in Emergent Stroke Treatment Trial) presented at the 12th European Stroke Conference in Valencia, Spain. (Product Pipeline).(results of ReoPro (abciximab) stroke treatment trials)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Eli Lilly and Co. (Indianapolis, Indiana) said ReoPro (abciximab) improves the recovery of patients with ischemic stroke when administered up to six hours after stroke onset, according to data from AbESTT (Abciximab in Emergent Stroke...

Endologix. (Product Pipeline).(PowerLink System for abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment to be marketed in France)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Endologix (Irvine, California) said that the Agence Francaise de Securite Sanitaire des Produits ce Sante has granted Endologix marketing approval for its PowerLink System in France. The PowerLink System, a minimally invasive treatment for...

Guidant (Indianapolis, Indiana) reported positive results from a Baylor University Medical Center (Dallas, Texas) study of its Syncrus Internal Cardioversion System for treating postoperative atrial fibrillation. (Product Pipeline).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Guidant (Indianapolis, Indiana) reported positive results from a Baylor University Medical Center (Dallas, Texas) study of its Syncrus Internal Cardioversion System for treating postoperative atrial fibrillation. The Syncrus System is...

LuMend. (Product Pipeline).(Front-runner X39 CTO Catheter)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * LuMend (Redwood City, California) has launch its fifth-generation catheter platform, the Front-runner X39 CTO Catheter. The X39 is about 50% smaller than previous generations. The company also reported safety data for blunt micro-dissection,...

Medtronic. (Product Pipeline).(Medtronic Paceart System manages arrhythmia treatment history)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Medtronic (Minneapolis, Minnesota) said that it is distributing a Health Insurance Portability and Accountabilty Act-ready version of the Medtronic Paceart System that incorporates several new features designed to empower clinics to protect...

OmniSonics Medical Technologies (Wilmington, Massachusetts) reported initial results of pre-clinical studies of the Resolution System to treat occlusions in coronary arteries. (Product Pipeline).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * OmniSonics Medical Technologies (Wilmington, Massachusetts) reported initial results of pre-clinical studies of the Resolution System to treat occlusions in coronary arteries. Dr. Sung Choi, of Tufts-New England Medical Center (Boston,...

St. Jude Medical (St. Paul, Minnesota) reported the first implants of the Epic + DR implantable cardioverter defibrillator, the first ICD with the AF Suppression algorithm. (Product Pipeline).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * St. Jude Medical (St. Paul, Minnesota) reported the first implants of the Epic + DR implantable cardioverter defibrillator, the first ICD with the AF Suppression algorithm. Dr. Peter Gfollner performed the first European implant at...

W.L. Gore & Associates. (Product Pipeline).(new sizes for the Gore-Tex Intering Vascular Graft)
June 1, 2003... * W.L. Gore & Associates (Flagstaff, Arizona) said the Gore-Tex Intering Vascular Graft is now available in 4-6 mm, 4-7 mm and 6 mm sizes specifically configured for vascular access. The Gore-Tex graft provides easier handling and placement...