September 24, 2009
Results
From Landmark PROSPECT Trial Demonstrate the Ability
of Volcano's VH® IVUS Imaging to Identify Plaques Most
Likely to Cause Heart Attacks
PROSPECT results presented today include the landmark finding that angiographically
mild lesions with certain morphologic features on grayscale and VH IVUS present
with a 3 year cardiac event rate of 17%, versus other morphologies (indistinguishable
by conventional angiograms) with three year event risks of less than 1%. (Read
more...)
September 24, 2009
Prilosec
and Plavix Together Again!
Late Breaking News form the TCT 2009. The COGENT Trial resolves the controversy
over Proton Pump Inhibitors and Plavix. The result: no interaction was found
between
the
two
and it is
safe
for patients
to take their Prilosec with their Plavix! (Read
more...)
September 22, 2009
SRO
at the Wrist Angioplasty Seminar -- Transradial is
Hot
From The Editor's Blog: I'm at the TCT in San
Francisco, standing outside "The Transradial Angiography
and Intervention Seminar" -- because (and a hundred or
so cardiologists) can't fit in the room! (Read
more...)
September 17, 2009
Angioplasty
Comes Home to San Francisco (Video)
From The Editor's Blog: Next week thousands of interventional cardiologists
will gather in San Francisco for the TCT, the largest meeting about angioplasty,
stents and related procedures in the world. But what most of these cardiologists
don't realize is that they will be coming home -- "home" being where
the first coronary angioplasties were done. (Read
more...)
September 16, 2009
Training
for Transradial Angioplasty: Get On The Wait List
Courses in the transradial approach to PCI have been difficult to find, but
as word about transradial's benefits spreads, a new problem has arisen -- attendance
at these
courses fills
up even
before the dates are announced. (Read
more...)
September 16, 2009
Interview
with Sunil V. Rao, MD, FACC
The Director of the Cardiac Cath Lab at the Durham VA Medical Center in Durham,
North Carolina and author of a landmark study about transradial, discusses
the current status of this approach in the U.S. and its growth. (Read
more...)
September 16, 2009
Transradial
Angioplasty at TCT
From The Editor's Blog: I've previously complained about how the national cardiology
meetings have barely mentioned a technique used 50% of the time in Canada,
Europe and Asia. But this year's TCT is stepping up and has even scheduled
an entire afternoon symposium (Tuesday, September 22) devoted to transradial. (Read
more...)
September
16, 2009
Transradial
Angioplasty Activities at TCT 2009
This year's Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) meeting in San
Francisco will host a number of symposia and workshops highlighting the growing
use of the transradial (wrist) approach to angioplasty, stenting and diagnostic
catheterizations. The centerpiece of the weeklong activities is "The Transradial
Angiography and Intervention Seminar" comprising an entire afternoon with twenty-three
separate presentations by global leaders in the field. (Read
more...)
September 15, 2009
Drug-Eluting
Stents: Looking Ahead
From The Editor's Blog: During the
first two days (September 21-22) of this year's TCT, the meeting
will be hosting the "DES Summit" -- more than 16 hours
of presentations -- over 100 separate short talks on every aspect
of drug-eluting stents, from safety to antiplatelet therapy to biodegradable
stents to drug-eluting balloons and the use of these devices in patients
from stable to STEMI (heart attack). (Read
more...) September 15, 2009
Drug-Eluting
Stent Summit Announced for TCT 2009 Meeting in San
Francisco
Over 16 hours of presentations on drug-eluting stents will kick off next week's
TCT meeting, billed as the largest global medical and scientific symposium
dedicated to interventional cardiovascular medicine. The annual week-long meeting
is being held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco this year, and will return
to its regular venue in Washington DC in 2010. (Read
more...)
September 13, 2009
Terumo
Interventional Systems Announces Launch of Glidewire
Advantage™ Peripheral Guidewire
The Glidewire Advantage Peripheral Guidewire combines Terumo’s well-established
Glidewire construction on the distal 25 cm with a unique spiral PTFE coating
on the proximal end. The result is a guidewire that easily navigates and crosses
the lesion, while also providing the operator with excellent tactile feel and
support for secure device placement. These two wire sections are seamlessly
fused together using Terumo’s proprietary DuoCore™ Technology. (Read
more...)
September 13, 2009
Terumo
Interventional Systems Announces Line Expansion of
Its Pinnacle® Destination® Guiding Sheaths
The introduction of the 8F Destination Guiding Sheath extends the range of
interventional procedures that can be performed by this market-leading product
to include atherectomy and stent graft procedures.
The Pinnacle Destination Guiding Sheath line supports virtually all applicable
diagnostic and interventional procedures, offering
a comprehensive range of French sizes (5F – 8F), lengths
and tip shapes as well as two different valve types. (Read
more...)
September 10, 2009
Volcano
Corp. Announces Events at TCT Meeting
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leader in the fields of Intravascular
Ultrasound (IVUS) and Functional Measurement (FM) today announced a wide variety
of events taking place at this year's Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics
(TCT) meeting in San Francisco. A wide spectrum of activities will demonstrate
how these technologies can improve the results obtained from angioplasty and
stenting, and includes late-breaking clinical trials, symposia with panels
of experts, live case demonstrations and an investor event. (Read
more...)
August 21, 2009
Interview
with David E. Kandzari, MD
Dr. David E. Kandzari is Director of Interventional Cardiology Research at
Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California. His career in interventional cardiology
has been unique in that he has had the opportunity to be involved in drug-eluting
stent issues from multiple perspectives: academic, clinical, regulatory and
industry. In this exclusive interview, Dr. Kandzari shares his thoughts on
the current status of drug-eluting stents and the outstanding safety and clinical
issues. (Read
more...)
August 20, 2009
Transradial
Angioplasty Training Course Announced for Scranton,
Pennsylvania
To help meet the need for training of cardiologists and staff in the technique
of transradial access for angioplasty and stenting, Pennsylvania-based Drs.
Samir B. Pancholy and Ian Gilchrist have organized a one-day training course
in the method. The didactic course will be held on October 10, 2009 at the
Hilton Scranton & Conference Center. (Read
more...)
July 29, 2009
Is
Radioactive Isotope Shortage an Opportunity for CT
Scans to Shine?
From the Editor's Blog: Maybe the shortage of technetium, used in nuclear stress
tests, will increase the utilization of CT Angiography. (Read
more...)
July 28, 2009
Transradial
Wrist Angioplasty Safe and Effective in Treatment of
Heart Attack
For
patients having the most serious form of heart attack, a new study
from the United Kingdom concludes that primary angioplasty performed
from the wrist "is safe, with comparable outcomes to a
femoral approach and a lower risk of vascular complications." (Read
more...)
July 27, 2009
Volcano
Corporation Schedules Second Quarter Conference Call,
Webcast
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) will hold a conference call to discuss its
financial results and operating activities open to all interested parties at
2 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time (5 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time), Tuesday, August
4, hosted by Scott Huennekens, president and chief executive officer, and John
Dahldorf, chief financial officer. (Read
more...)
July 10, 2009
Prasugrel
/ Effient Approved by FDA
After a year-and-a-half of review, amid concerns over potentially serious bleeding
complications, the FDA today approved Eli Lilly's blood thinner Prasugrel (it
will be marketed in the U.S. as Effient). (Read
more...)
July 8, 2009
Volcano
Achieves Major Milestone in Japan Direct Sales Initiative
With Signing of Termination Agreement With Goodman
Volcano Corporation said today it has signed a termination agreement with its
largest distributor in Japan, Goodman Company, Ltd. This agreement, which took
effect today, will enable Volcano to accelerate its transition to a direct
sales force in the market to support its intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and
Functional Measurement (FM) consoles and disposables, as well as products currently
in development. (Read
more...)
July 5, 2009
Stents:
An Insider's Look
From the Editor's Blog: I recently talked at length with Dr. Giulio Guagliumi
of Bergamo, Italy about his extensive work with one of the newest intravascular
imaging
modalities
that looks inside the coronary artery: Optical Coherence Tomography, or OCT.
He's been using the light-based technique to examine implanted stents and determine
whether or not healing has occurred; that is, whether the stent struts have
been covered over by a layer of endothelial cells. (Read
more...)
July 5, 2009
Interview
with Giulio Guagliumi, MD About Optical Coherence Tomography
and Stents
Dr. Giulio Guagliumi, an internationally recognized leader in the use of Optical
Coherence Tomography (OCT) in the coronary arteries, practices in the Cardiovascular
Department of Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo in Bergamo, Italy. Dr. Guagliumi
has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and is principal investigator
in several clinical trials assessing the performance of stents inside the coronary
artery, using OCT imaging. In this interview, he discusses the dynamic changes
occurring with this technology. (Read
more...)
June 22, 2009
Texas
Governor Signs Landmark Early Heart Disease Detection
Screening Legislation
Today Governor Rick Perry of Texas signed the nation's first preventive cardiovascular
screening bill for early detection of coronary artery disease. The legislation,
which will take effect on September 1, requires Texas insurers to pay up to
$200 for a either a non-contrast computed tomography (CT) scan measuring coronary
artery calcification, commonly known as a Calcium scoring exam, or ultrasonography
for measuring carotid intima-media thickness and plaque. (Read
more...)
May 28, 2009
Heart
Experts: Texas Gov. Perry Can Save Thousands of Lives,
Reduce Healthcare Costs
Both houses of the Texas Legislature have passed HR 1290 which mandate
that Texas insurers must cover simple Calcium Scoring and ultrasound tests
for the early detection of coronary artery disease. The leaders of SHAPE (Society
for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication) which count among them some of
the leading cardiologists in both the U.S. and Europe now hope that
Governor Rick Perry will sign the bill, making Texas the first state to make
available what these experts feel is a critically important diagnostic test. (Read
more...)
May 26, 2009
Texas
Senate Passes Calcium Scoring Bill
On Saturday May 23, the Texas State Senate passed the Texas Heart Attack Preventive
Screening Bill (HR 1290) by a vote of 26-5. This is significant because it
mandates insurers in Texas to cover Calcium Scoring, the first legislature
to do so. (Read
more...)
May 26, 2009
Women's
Heart Health at Stanford
In my recent interview with Dr. Jennifer Tremmel, Clinical Director of Women's
Heart Health at Stanford, we discussed some of the ways in which heart disease
manifests itself differently in women than in men, and how treatment for women
has been skewed by the historical context. (Read
more...)
May 25, 2009
Meeting
to Highlight Use of New Imaging Technologies for Guiding
Stent and Angioplasty Procedures
This week marks one of the first courses to focus exclusively on the range
of innovative intravascular imaging and measurement technologies that have
been gaining in use over the past couple of years. "OCT, IVUS, FFR: When, Where,
How" will be held on May 28 and 29 in Bergamo, Italy. The course will utilize
the newest innovations in Optical Coherence Tomography(OCT), Intravascular
Ultrasound (IVUS), Virtual Histology (VH) and Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR)
and how they can be used to optimize percutaneous procedures, such as angioplasty
and stenting. (Read more...)
May 20, 2009
Interview
with Jennifer Tremmel, MD
Dr. Tremmel is Director of Transradial Interventions at Stanford Medical Center
and Clinical Director of Women's Heart Health at Stanford Clinic. Within 6
months of learning the radial technique, she was doing 100% radial angioplasties,
reducing complications from bleeding to near zero. (Read
more...)
May 19, 2009
Optical
Coherence Tomography (OCT) Presentations by Volcano
at EuroPCR 2009
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) today highlights its technology leadership
position in the emerging field of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) at the
EuroPCR conference in Barcelona, Spain. Volcano's wholly owned subsidiary,
Axsun, has developed what we believe to be a truly revolutionary new class
of ultra-miniaturized external cavity lasers that are expected to power the
highest performance OCT systems for intracoronary and other medical imaging
segments. (Read
more...)
May 19, 2009
New
Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) Study of Underexpanded
Stents, Thrombosis and Restenosis
A study, published in the current issue of JACC Interventions, details 120
drug-eluting stent cases as viewed by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in order
to examine characteristics that may lead to in-stent restenosis (ISR) or stent
thrombosis. The researchers found that in cases of thrombosis, the proximal
parts of many of the stents were inadequately expanded. An accompanying editorial
suggests greater use of IVUS and more attention to detail can reduce the number
of these adverse clinical events. (Read
more...)
May 18, 2009
Medtronic
to Participate in the Piper Jaffray Post-EuroPCR Summit
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced it will participate in the Piper
Jaffray PCR Post-Op Summit on Friday, May 22, 2009, in London. Scott R. Ward
Scott Ward, President, CardioVascular
Medtronic Scott Ward, president of the CardioVascular business and senior vice
president at Medtronic, will speak to the attendees of the conference at 8
a.m. British Summer Time (2 a.m. Central Daylight Time). (Read
more...)
May 18, 2009
Volcano
Announces Worldwide Exclusive Distribution Agreement
With Lumen Biomedical for Xtract™ Thrombus Aspiration
Catheter
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) today announced an exclusive worldwide distribution
agreement to initiate the formal launch of the Xtract™ thrombus
aspiration catheter, manufactured by Lumen Biomedical. The Xtract thrombus
aspiration
catheter is available for immediate sale in the U.S. and Europe. This marks
Volcano's entry into what some believe is a $70+ million aspiration market. (Read
more...)
May 16, 2009
Innovative
Stent Manufacturer XTENT Plans To Close Business After
Failing to Find Buyer
XTENT (Nasdaq: XTNT), maker of an innovative stent that received the European
CE Mark just two months ago, is closing its doors after failing to find a partner
or buyer, a goal first announced in January. The Company's Board of Directors
voted yesterday that "it is in the best interests of the Company and
its stockholders to liquidate the Company's assets and to dissolve the Company." The
plan is subject to stockholder approval. (Read
more...)
May 13, 2009
Volcano
Corporation Presentation at JMP Conference to be Webcast
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) said today that it will
be participating in the Eighth Annual JMP Securities Research Conference on
Monday, May 18.
The presentation by John Dahldorf, chief financial officer, will begin at 3:00
p.m., Pacific Daylight Time (6:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time). (Read
more...)
May 6, 2009
Plavix
PPI Study Released
From the Editor's Blog, what the newly released Medco Study of Plavix and Proton
Pump Inhibitors means for physicians and patients. (Read
more...)
May 6, 2009
Heartburn
Drugs Increase Cardiac Events for Stent Patients by
50%
Most stent patients are required to take the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel
(Plavix) for at least a year to prevent blood clots inside the stent. A new
study, presented today at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions
(SCAI) 32nd Annual Scientific Sessions, showed that the beneficial effects
of Plavix are compromised by common drugs, used for the treatment of heartburn
and ulcers: the combined risk of hospitalization for heart attack, stroke and
other serious cardiovascular illnesses was increased by 50%. (Read
more...)
May 6, 2009
Volcano
Corporation Presentation at Bank of America/Merrill
Lynch Conference to be Webcast
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) said today that it will be participating
in the Bank of America and Merrill Lynch 2009 Health Care Conference on Thursday,
May 14. The presentation by Scott Huennekens, president and chief executive
officer, will begin at 11:20 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time (8:20 a.m., Pacific
Daylight Time). (Read
more...)
May 5, 2009
Volcano
Reports 1st Quarter Revenues of $49 Million; IVUS and
FM Businesses Grew 24%
Volcano Corp. (VOLC) reports a greater loss over the same period in 2008, due
mainly to lower margins and the strength of the
dollar. However, revenue of intravascular ultrasound and functional measurement
products grew 24%. (Read
more...)
May 4, 2009
Effectiveness
in Stenting
As Volcano's CEO Scott Huennekens writes in an op-ed piece, there's
a whole toolbox of devices and techniques that are candidates for "comparative
effectiveness" in
that they may be able to increase the success of interventional procedures
-- or
even
target patients
who need these procedures more accurately. (Read
more...)
May 1, 2009
Comparative
Effectiveness Research and The Patient
More than a billion dollars has been allocated to "Comparative Effectiveness
Research" in the U.S. Federal government's stimulus package, yet the term continues
to be confused with "cost-effectiveness". They are not the same, and in an
attempt to clarify the difference, Angioplasty.Org will be posting a number
of articles and interviews in the near future about these issues: specifically
how they impact the field of interventional cardiology. (Read
more...)
April 27, 2009
Volcano
Corporation Schedules First Quarter Conference Call,
Webcast
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leader in the development, manufacturing
and sales of products for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral
artery disease, today announced that it will report its operating results for
the first quarter of fiscal 2009 on Tuesday, May 5. (Read
more...)
April 21, 2009
CT Scans for Strokes
Today's Wall Sreet Journal discusses the controversy over the use of CT scans
to diagnose and triage treatment for stroke victims. (Read
more...)
April 18, 2009
Plavix
and PPIs: Update
A reader writes in about Plavix and proton pump inhibitors to get the latest
info -- there is some, and soon there will be more when the SCAI meets in Las
Vegas next month. (Read
more...)
April 17, 2009
Transradial
Angioplasty at ACC.09
A summary of all studies concerning transradial access that were presented
during the American College of Cardiology 58th Annual Scientific Session held
March 29-31, 2009. The take-away message from these studies was that the radial
approach is comparable in success rate to the femoral with significantly lower
complications. Radial access also makes possible same-day discharge of patients
after stenting. (Read
more...)
April 17, 2009
Angioplasty from the Wrist: Interest is Growing But Lack of Training Limits Spread in U.S.
U.S. cardiologists who practice the radial approach have identified lack of
training opportunities as a major roadblock to its proliferation. Yet at this
year's ACC.09, one of the largest cardiology conferences in the U.S., exposure
to studies involving the transradial approach was limited to six poster
presentations and one 15-minute oral presentation. (Read more...)
April 8, 2009
Medtronic's
Endeavor Stent Reduces Occlusion of Small Arterial
Side Branches by 50%
A new study, published online before print in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions,
concludes that "Patients treated with ZES [Medtronic's Endeavor Zotarolimus
Eluting Stent] were less likely to develop sidebranch occlusion during stent
placement than patients treated with PES [Boston Scientific's Taxus Express
Paclitaxel Eluting Stent]. (Read
more...)
April 6, 2009
Cardiology
Sites Taking Notice of the Radial Approach to PCI
Two polls on web sites for cardiology professionals are gauging the interest
and popularity of the transradial (wrist) approach to angioplasty and stenting
-- and the results are surprising, considering the low utilization of radial
in the U.S. (Read
more...)
April 3, 2009
Medtronic
Launches Driver Sprint RX Coronary Stent System Worldwide
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced earlier this week that it has begun the
international launch of its Driver Sprint RX Coronary Stent System, which received
the CE (Conformité Européene) Mark in February 2009. The company plans to have
its bare-metal stent on a rapid exchange platform commercially available in
more than 100 countries worldwide. “The Driver stent system has always been
very deliverable,” explained leading stent researcher Dr. C. Dubois of Leuven
University Hospital in Belgium. “Now, the new Driver Sprint system makes it
even more deliverable for the most challenging anatomy.” (Read
more...)
March 30, 2009
Medtronic's
Endeavor® Drug-Eluting Coronary Stent Approved in Japan
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), today announced approval of its Endeavor drug-eluting
coronary stent system by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare
(MHLW), clearing the way for the highly anticipated launch of the product in
the world’s second largest market for advanced medical technology. Medtronic
plans to launch the Endeavor drug-eluting stent (DES) immediately following
the authorization of reimbursement which is expected on May 1, making the Endeavor
DES commercially available in every major market in the world. (Read
more...)
March 29, 2009
Abbott's
Market-Leading XIENCE V® Shows Increasing Clinical
Advantages Over TAXUS® Express2™/TAXUS® Liberte™ Between
Two and Three Years
Long-term data presented today from Abbott’s SPIRIT II clinical trial demonstrated
that the clinical advantages of the XIENCE V® Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent
System continued to increase between two and three years compared to the TAXUS® Express2™ Paclitaxel-Eluting
Coronary Stent System / TAXUS® Liberte™ Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System
(TAXUS). (Read
more...)
March 29, 2009
ZEST:
3 Stents Go Head-to-Head-to-Head
The results of ZEST, a large scale randomized multi-center trial of all comers
were presented this morning to the i2 Summit at ACC.09 by Dr. Seung-Jung Park
of Asan Medical Center in South Korea. The goal of the trial was to evaluate
paclitaxel- and sirolimus-eluting stents compared with zotarolimus-eluting
stents in patients with coronary artery disease. (Read
more...)
March 29, 2009
Small
Trial for Innovative 'Healing' Stent Contradicts Findings
from Larger Studies
Cardiologists anticipating positive results from a small head-to-head study
comparing the novel Genous 'pro-healing' stent to a third generation bare metal
chromium-cobalt stent were disappointed yesterday by less than favorable data
from the 100-patient GENIUS-STEMI study. The MACE rate was 24% for the Genous
vs. 10% for the bare metal stent. TLR was 14% vs. 4%. Not only were these rates
very high, but they were far different from data that has been presented in
the initial clinical trials for the Genous, as well as a very large 5,000-patient
observational study, called the e-Healing Registry. (Read
more...)
March 29, 2009
Society
of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) Announces
Third Annual Young Investigator Awards
The Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT), the leading international
professional society devoted to cardiovascular computed tomography (CT), is
now accepting submissions for the third annual Young Investigator Awards. Sponsored
by Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., the unrestricted educational grant
will be awarded to two residents or fellows in either radiology or cardiology
for their patient care research in the categories of technical and clinical
advancement of cardiovascular CT. The deadline for submissions is April 6,
2009 (Read
more...)
March 28, 2009
Stents:
Same Outcomes, Less Money Than Surgery for Many Heart
Patients
For many patients with triple-vessel or left main disease, drug-eluting stents
provide similar outcomes to bypass surgery -- and for less money, according
to data from the SYNTAX trial, presented this morning to the i2 Summit at the
American College of Cardiology's 58th annual scientific session. (Read
more...)
March 27, 2009
Medtronic
Announces ACC 2009 Presentations
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), today announced highlights of clinical data presentations
scheduled for the 2009 American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting that feature
the company’s cardiovascular innovations, including the Endeavor Drug-Eluting
Stent (DES) and the Export Aspiration Catheter. ACC.09 takes place in Orlando
March 28–31 at the Orange County Convention Center. (Read
more...)
March 27, 2009
Volcano
Announces Schedule of Events at the ACC 2009, Integration
into Indec and Medis Software Platforms
Joe Burnett, Vice President of Marketing at Volcano commented, "Three years
ago, you could flip through the ACC program and see a couple of presentations
on intravascular assessment using IVUS or FFR. This year, there are more than
50 presentations, case reviews and abstracts focused on FFR, IVUS, OCT, Forward-Looking
IVUS, and VH® IVUS plaque composition. Word is getting out that more precise
guidance during PCI is important, and the sheer number of talks focused on
higher resolution tools, highlight the increased demand for access to these
technologies. (Read
more...)
March 26, 2009
Boston
Scientific Announces ACC 2009 Schedule
Boston Scientific Corporation today announced the schedule of the Company's
major events and news announcements at the 58th Annual Scientific Session of
the American College of Cardiology / i2 Summit, which runs from March 28-31
in Orlando, Florida. (Read
more...)
March 26, 2009
ACC
2009 Sessions on Intravascular Imaging and Functional
Measurement
The upcoming American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Sessions, being
held in Orlando, Florida from March 28-31 is featuring more than 50 presentations,
case reviews and abstracts focused on intravascular imaging and functional
measurement modalities, such as Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR), Intravascular
Ultrasound (IVUS, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), as well as newer technologies,
like Forward-Looking IVUS and VH plaque composition. (Read
more...) March 26, 2009
Cordis
Celebrates 50 Years of Transforming Cardiovascular
Care
As cardiologists are arriving in Orlando for the beginning of this weekend's
58th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology, just
a few hours away, Cordis Corporation will be celebrating its 50th anniversary
as a manufacturer of innovative medical devices. (Read
more...)
March 24, 2009
Abbott
Moves Forward with Bioabsorbable Stent
Following recent publication of the two-year results of the ABSORB clinical
trial of its novel bioabsorbable drug-eluting stent, Abbott Vascular today
announced the start of the next phase of the trial, set to enroll 80 additional
patients. Article contains an exclusive video of Dr. Charles Simonton, Chief
Medical Officer for Abbott Vascular. (Read
more...)
March 24, 2009
Is
The Scaffolding Coming Down?
From the Editor's Blog -- Today's good news about Abbott's bioabsorbable stent
brings the following analogy to mind: scaffolding. Unfortunately scaffolding
inside the artery, unlike its building construction counterpart, cannot be
removed once its job is done. (Read
more...)
March 20, 2009
XTENT's
Customizable Drug-Eluting Stent Gets European CE Mark
Approval
Hopefully, for the innovative stent manufactured by XTENT, Inc. (Nasdaq: XTNT),
yesterday's European approval has not come too late. On Thursday, the company
announced that it has received CE Mark approval for its CUSTOM NX drug-eluting
stent (DES) System. (Read
more...)
March 11, 2009
Broadcasting
Live Cases
Our video about the live demonstration course in interventional cardiology
was shown at last week's CRT 2009 meeting. (Read
more...)
March 10, 2009
Bent
Out of SHAPE
Did the American Heart Association give its support to a Texas bill which would
put the SHAPE Task Force recommendations into law regarding Coronary Artery
Calcium screening...or not? (Read
more...)
March 9, 2009
Interview
with James K. Min, MD, FACC
The "Advances in Imaging" interview series presents discussions with researchers
and leading specialists in the field of coronary imaging. This current discussion
is with Dr. James K. Min, Director of Cardiac CT labs at Weill-Cornell Medical
College at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital about the role of CT vis-a-vis nuclear
stress testing, radiation dosage from Cardiac CT and more. (Read
more...)
February 28, 2009
Medtronic
Acquires Non-Surgical Aortic Valve Technologies
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced this week that it is acquiring two privately
held companies that have been in the forefront of development for transcatheter
aortic valves. The move, estimated at slightly more than $1 billion, positions
Medtronic to move forward with future development and clinical trials of these
non-surgical approaches to aortic valve replacement, a field currently occupied
by Edwards LifeSciences. (Read
more...)
February 20, 2009
Volcano
Corporation Announces Webcast of February 25th Analyst
Day
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) will hold its 2009 Analyst Day on Wednesday,
February 25, at the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York City. The webcast will begin
at 10 a.m.,
Eastern Standard Time (7 a.m., Pacific Standard Time) and conclude at 2 p.m.,
Eastern Standard Time (11 a.m., Pacific Standard Time). (Read
more...)
February 17, 2009
Medtronic
Reports Third Quarter Revenue of $3.5 Billion
The company reported third quarter revenue of $3.494 billion, a three percent
increase over third quarter revenue reported in fiscal year 2008 or a six percent
increase after adjusting for an unfavorable $110 million foreign exchange impact. (Read
more...)
February 17, 2009
Volcano
Reports Full Year Revenues Increase 31 Percent
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leader in the development, manufacturing
and sales of products for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral
artery disease, today reported that revenues for the full year 2008 increased
31 percent over full year 2007 and that revenues for the fourth quarter of
2008 increased 23 percent over revenues in the fourth quarter of 2007. (Read
more...)
February 17, 2009
Medpedia
-- OMG!!!
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: As a rough estimate, it would seem that
much of the information about interventional medicine on Medpedia is five years
old. If this is any indication of the accuracy
of the rest of Medpedia, I would definitely advise patients to go elsewhere.
I would not call it Web 2.0 -- rather Web minus 1.25. (Read
more...)
February 12, 2009
Volcano
CEO to Present at Roth Capital Partners Conference;
Webcast Announced
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leader in the development, manufacturing
and sales of products for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral
artery disease, said today that it will be participating in the Roth Capital
Partners 21st Annual Growth Stock Conference on Wednesday, February 18. (Read
more...)
February 11, 2009
Taking
Cost-Effectiveness to Heart
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: Can government decide which therapies are
effective and cost-effective? For all patients? What about the concept of personalized
medicine? (Read more...)
February 6, 2009
Vote for
Radial!
This week's poll on theheart.org is about the transradial (wrist) approach
to catheterization and angioplasty. The question is "Should radial access become
the default choice for PCI?" (Read
more...)
February 6, 2009
Volcano
Corporation Schedules Fourth Quarter Conference Call,
Webcast
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leader in the development, manufacturing
and sales of products for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral
artery disease, today announced that it will report is operating results for
the fourth quarter and all of fiscal 2008 on Tuesday, February 17. (Read
more...)
February 5, 2009
CT Heart
Scans, Radiation and the Media
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: Many headlines have been generated by a
recent study in JAMA -- headlines proclaiming the high radiation doses from
Cardiac
CT scans. But the real news is how low
some of the doses were, and that much lower radiation levels are achievable
by all centers currently doing multislice computed tomography. (Read
more...)
February 4, 2009
CT Scans
of the Heart Can Be Done with Low Radiation Dose
Physicians are able to perform CT scans of the heart with minimal radiation
exposure, according to a study published in today's Journal of the American
Medical Association (JAMA). However, this new study shows wide variation in
centers and calls for increased education and training to achieve optimum results. (Read
more...)
January 30, 2009
Wrist
Angioplasty Gaining Acceptance in U.S.
Over the past year, the transradial approach, doing angioplasty and inserting
coronary stents using the wrist as the access site, has gotten significant
attention. Peer-reviewed studies and presentations at meetings have consistently
shown decreased bleeding complications, increased patient comfort and safety,
and lower cost. (Read
more...)
January 28, 2009
Circulation
Publishes Pivotal Two-Year Results On XIENCE V™ Drug
Eluting Stent
Data published online today in Circulation from the SPIRIT III U.S. pivotal
trial evaluating the XIENCE V™ Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System
demonstrated that Abbott's market-leading XIENCE V outperforms the TAXUS® Express²™ Paclitaxel-Eluting
Coronary Stent System (TAXUS) in reducing major adverse cardiac events (MACE)
at two years. (Read
more...)
January 28, 2009
TAXUS® Liberte® Drug-Eluting
Stent System Approved in Japan
Japan has now approved its first second-generation drug-eluting stent, and
that honor goes to Boston Scientific's TAXUS Liberte Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary
Stent System. The company announced today that it has received approval from
the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) to market the stent. (Read
more...)
January 28, 2009
Plavix
Safety Update
The Editor's Blog provides a link to the joint statement by the American College
of Cardiology Foundation, American Heart Association and the American College
of Gastroenterology, regarding the safety of Plavix (clopidogrel) when used
in conjunction with NSAIDs and the issue of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) such
as Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix, Nexium, etc. (Read
more...)
January 26, 2009
Plavix,
Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix -- Do I Hear a Nexium?
Commentary from the Editor's Blog on the FDA announcment today that it is reviewing
the safety of Plavix (clopidogrel) when used with Proton Pump Inhibitors. (Read
more...)
January 25, 2009
Medtronic
Seeks Runners -- Stents Included
Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) recently announced that it is looking for runners from
around the world who have benefited from medical technology to participate
in the company's 4th Annual Medtronic Global Heroes program. Stent patients
are included. The deadline for entry is March 31, 2009. (Read
more...)
January 25, 2009
Study:
CT Scans and Stents Successful in Treating Strokes
Emergency use of CT scans and stents may be able to treat and significantly
reduce the symptoms of a stroke. That is the conclusion of a small 16-patient
study presented this week by Dr. L. Nelson "Nick" Hopkins of the University
at Buffalo, SUNY. The data, presented at the 21st Annual International Symposium
on Endovascular Therapy (ISET), showed that stents were able to open blocked
brain arteries in all of the patients, and that 11 patients (69 percent) had
significant improvement in their stroke symptoms. (Read
more...)
January 23, 2009
Economy
Claims Innovative Xtent
In an announcement today, Xtent Inc. (NASDAQ: XTNT) located in Menlo Park,
California, stated that it is engaging the services of an investment bank to
help the company pursue strategic alternatives, possible sale of some or all
of the company's assets, or other type of acquisition. And of it 121 employees,
all but nine have received termination notices, effective March 23. (Read
more...)
January 23, 2009
EkoSonic™ Ultrasound
Delivery Reduces Dose of Clot-Busting Drugs and May
Lessen Risk of Bleeding in Peripheral Thrombolysis
An innovative catheter-based ultrasound system has been shown to reduce the
need for so-called clot-dissolving drugs by 50%. Since a well-known side-effect
of such drugs is bleeding, a technology that reduces the amount of drug needed
may have significant beneficial impact on clinical outcomes. Once the clot
is dissolved, the patient can then be treated with angioplasty, stents or medical
therapy. (Read
more...)
January 21, 2009
XIENCE
V™ Stent Takes the Lead
In sharp contrast to the current gloomy picture in the healthcare sector, Abbott
reported this morning that its 4th quarter 2008 global sales rose 10.1% over
2007, and that the company's XIENCE V drug-eluting stent was a significant
contributor to the bottom line. (Read
more...)
January 20, 2009
Volcano
Highlights Commitment, Market Acceptance of FFR Product
Line
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leader in the development, manufacturing
and sales of products for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral
artery disease, today commented on the increased demand for their FFR and IVUS
capable consoles, as well as their FFR pressure guide wires. Since announcement
of the FAME study results at the TCT in October, the FFR option for Volcano's
s5i integrated imaging console was included in more than 90% of all new orders. (Read
more...)
January 19, 2009
When
Less is More: Stents, That Is
So many news reports about the recent FAME study in the New England Journal
of Medicine drive home a message that is not exactly correct. The "Stents
May Be Overused" headline is misleading. And here's why. (Read
more...)
January 19, 2009
Transradial
Access from the Wrist is Safer, Easier For Many Patients
Undergoing Angioplasty or Stenting of Blocked Heart
Arteries
Every year, about one million Americans opt for angioplasty over bypass surgery
to open their blocked arteries. New data suggests that beginning the angioplasty
procedure by entering through the wrist, rather than through the groin, will
make it safer and easier on patients. (Read
more...)
January 17, 2009
FAME: "Back
to the Future"
The leading story about stents this past week has been the publication of the
FAME study and how a new St. Jude Medical device that measures blood pressures
inside the artery can reduce the number of unnecessary angioplasty and stent
procedures. Well...it's not a new device; it's definitely not a new concept;
and St. Jude doesn't exactly get the credit for it either, since their chief
role was to acquire the company that created the product. But it is an important
study! (Read
more...)
January 15, 2009
Better
Outcomes for Stents When Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR)
is Used
One-third fewer stents were used in the FFR group and the difference in outcomes
at one year were significant: the FFR group showed a 28% lower incidence of
major adverse cardiac events (repeat procedure to open the artery, heart attack
or death) -- 18.3% vs. 13.2%. The implication in these results is that placing
stents in lesions that are not responsible for ischemia is not only not necessary,
but may cause worse outcomes. (Read
more...)
January 15, 2009
Interview
with Nico H. J. Pijls, MD, PhD
Angioplasty.Org conducts an exclusive interview with Dr. Nico Pijls, co-principal
investigator of the FAME study (Fractional Flow Reserve vs. Angiography for
Multivessel Evaluation) published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The study concludes that "Routine measurement of FFR in patients with multivessel
coronary artery disease who are undergoing PCI with drug-eluting stents significantly
reduces the rate of the composite end point of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction,
and repeat revascularization at 1 year." (Read
more...)
January 13, 2009
Dreadlines
About Stents Revisited
How can a mere article in the "newspaper of record" be dangerous? Is the pen
mightier than the catheter? Is there such a thing as a "killer journalist"? (Read
more...)
January 13, 2009
Medtronic
Seeking Long-Distance Runners Who Benefit From Medical
Technology
Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) announced today it is recruiting runners from around
the world who benefit from medical technology to participate in the fourth
annual Medtronic Global Heroes program. Up to 25 runners will be selected to
receive a paid entry for themselves and a guest to the Medtronic Twin Cities
Marathon or the Medtronic TC 10 Mile and a travel package. The deadline for
applications is March 31, 2009. (Read
more...)
January 12, 2009
Radial
Access Session to be Featured at ISET 2009
The 21st annual ISET meeting in Florida, being held January 18-22, 2009, is
featuring a special concurrent session on Monday, January 19 from 4:30-6:00pm.
Titled "Radial Access Techniques and Applications", Dr. Ramon Quesada of Baptist
Cardiac and Vascular Institute in Miami will moderate a panel with Jeffrey
J. Popma, MD of St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Boston and Ron Caputo, MD of
St. Joseph's Hospital Cardiology Associates in Syracuse, New York. (Read
more...)
January 12, 2009
Medtronic
to Acquire Ablation Frontiers for $225 Million
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) and privately held Ablation Frontiers, Inc., today
announced that the two companies have entered into an agreement whereby Medtronic
will acquire Ablation Frontiers for an initial payment of $225 million plus
potential additional payments contingent upon achievement of certain clinical
milestones. (Read
more...)
January 7, 2009
Volcano
Announces Closing of Axsun Technologies Acquisition
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leader in the development, manufacturing
and sales of products for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral
artery disease, said today that it has closed its previously announced acquisition
of Axsun Technologies, Inc. (Read
more...)
January 6, 2009
Volcano
Corporation Presentation at J.P. Morgan Conference
to be Webcast
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leader in the development, manufacturing
and sales of products for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral
artery disease, said today that it will be participating in the 27th Annual
J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, January 14. (Read
more...)
January 5, 2009
Leading
Interventional Cardiologists Discuss the Advantages
of Transradial Access
Angioplasty.Org is making available a one-hour online symposium, titled "Transradial
Access: The Advantages to You, Your Patient and Hospital", with a panel of
four leading interventional cardiologists: Dr. Jeffrey Popma, Dr. Ramon Quesada,
Dr. Ron Caputo and Dr. Shigeru Saito. The original symposium was held during
the 2008 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) meeting on October
16 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington DC and is being presented
through a partnership of Angioplasty.Org, TCTMD.com and Terumo Medical Corporation. (Read
more...)
January 1, 2009
New
England Journal Criticizes CBS News on Transradial
Angioplasty Report
From the Editor's Blog: I approached Susan Dentzer's article, "Communicating
Medical News - Pitfalls of Health Care Journalism", published in today's issue
of the New England Journal of Medicine, with great interest. I unfortunately
was a bit disappointed, specifically with her criticism of a September 24,
2008 CBS News segment about transradial angioplasty. (Read
more...)
December 21, 2008
St.
Jude Medical Acquires Radi Medical Systems
St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE: STJ) and Radi Medical AB announced today the
completion of St. Jude Medical's acquisition of Radi Medical Systems AB for
$250 million in cash. Radi Medical Systems is the world leader in two segments
of the market for cardiovascular medical devices in which St. Jude Medical
does not currently participate. For 2008, Radi Medical Systems is expected
to generate approximately $80 million in sales, a 19 percent increase over
2007. (Read
more...)
December 9, 2008
Interview
with Szilard Voros, MD
Virtual Histology IVUS allows the cardiologist to see not only the plaque inside
the artery, but what the composition of that plaque is. We discuss this new
technology with one of the leading researchers in the field. (Read
more...)
December 3, 2008
Presentation
on Transradial Angioplasty at 8th Annual Meeting of
the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Catheter
Therapeutics
At this year's 8th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular
Catheter Therapeutics, held in Kyoto from November 23-25, world-renown French
cardiologist Dr. Thierry Lefevre presented a comprehensive overview of radial
angioplasty, not just from the French experience, but worldwide -- complete
with calculations of cost-effectiveness, reports of lower complications, safety,
and indications of patient comfort. (Read
more...)
December 2, 2008
Volcano
Corporation: Intravascular
Imaging Ascending
In the midst of a recession, Volcano Corporation has shown a 19% increase in
its stock value over the past six months. Its only competitor in the U.S. market
suffered a 55% decrease. Why? (Read
more...)
November 30, 2008
Popular
Press Continues to
Breed Confusion Over
CT Heart Scans
Two articles in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine cause
a Rashoman effect: is CT angiography useful for diagnosing coronary artery
disease or not? (Read
more...)
November 24, 2008
Volcano
Corporation Presentation at Piper Jaffray Conference
to Be Webcast
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leader in the development, manufacturing
and sales of products for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral
artery disease, said today that it will be participating in the 20th Annual
Piper Jaffray Health Care Conference on Tuesday, December 2. (Read
more...)
November 20, 2008
Radial
Angioplasty and Angiography Safer For Elderly Patients
A new German study reports that the use of the wrist for catheter access results
in lower bleeding and vascular complications for patients 75 years and older.
A recent study from China found similar safety for elderly patients who presented
with acute myocardial infarction. (Read
more...)
November 20, 2008
Radial
Angioplasty Training at Maricopa Medical Center in
Phoenix
Several recent international studies have shown that catheterizations, angioplasty
and stent placement, when performed from the wrist, result in lower bleeding
complications, and are associated with a significant reduction in mortality.
Even so, the wrist approach, also called transradial access, is performed in
less than 4 out of 100 patients in the United States, although in Canada, Europe
and Asia, use of the technique is far more common. One reason, says Dr. Mehrdad
Saririan of Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, is that "there are a lot of
myths surrounding radial procedures." (Read
more...)
November 11, 2008
Study:
Terumo TR Band™ Hemostasis Device Reduces Radial
Artery Occlusion by 56%
A new study, conducted by Dr. Samir B. Pancholy of Mercy Hospital in Scranton,
Pennsylvania, shows that the concept of "guided compression" in transradial
procedures can reduce radial artery occlusion by 56%, especially when facilitated
by the use of the TR Band™ Hemostasis Device. (Read
more...)
November 11, 2008
Interview
with Samir B. Pancholy, MD, FACC, FSCAI
In this interview, Angioplasty.Org talks with radialist Dr. Samir Pancholy
about his findings regarding the prevention of radial artery occlusion, one
of the few complications associated with the transradial approach to catheter-based
procedures. (Read
more...)
November 10, 2008
Cardium
Completes $6.0 Million Financing
Cardium Therapeutics (Amex: CXM) today announced the completion of a $6.0 million
financing in the form of secured debt with accompanying warrants to purchase
shares of common stock, replacing a prior debt financing that was concluded
and paid off last quarter. (Read
more...)
November 5, 2008
78%
Increase in Intravascular Ultrasound Systems Sales
Boosts Volcano Quarterly Growth by 40%
For the quarter ended September 30, 2008, Volcano reported revenues of $44.1
million versus revenues of $31.5 million in the same period a year ago. The
company said that its financial performance was driven by a 78 percent increase
in intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) system revenues and a 29 percent increase
in IVUS disposable revenues year-over-year. (Read
more...)
November 5, 2008
Volcano
Corporation To Report Third Quarter Results Today During
Conference Call, Webcast
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) will report its operating results for the
third quarter and first nine months of fiscal 2008 on Wednesday, November 5.
The company will hold a conference call to discuss its financial results and
operating activities open to all interested parties at 2 p.m., Pacific Standard
Time (5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time). (Read
more...)
October 23, 2008
Will
Medtronic Get An Rx (Rapid Exchange) For Its Endeavor
Stent?
Ending a prohibition that has lasted almost a decade, federal court judge D.
Lowell Jensen of the Northern District of California ordered yesterday that
the injunction preventing Medtronic's access to the Rapid Exchange (RX) delivery
system will end on October 29, 2008. (Read
more...)
October 23, 2008
American
College of Cardiology Honors the Contributions of Interventional
Cardiovascular Medicine
Capping off the 30-Year Anniversary of Coronary Angioplasty, the American College
of Cardiology (ACC) continued the celebration of Dr. Andreas Gruentzig's courageous
and visionary work last week by premiering an exhibit, honoring the history
of interventional cardiovascular medicine and showcasing the broad-based and
far-reaching impact that interventional cardiology has had on cardiovascular
care and medical science. The exhibit includes a video presentation, created
by Burt Cohen, founder of Angioplasty.Org, to honor those who preceded Gruentzig
and formed the foundation for his work. (Read
more...)
October 23, 2008
Boston
Scientific's Carotid Artery WALLSTENT® Gets FDA
Approval
Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave its approval to Boston Scientific's
Carotid WALLSTENT® Monorail® Endoprosthesis for the treatment of patients
with carotid artery disease who are at high risk for surgery. Less than 48
hours since the FDA lifted most of the major restrictions of its 2006 warning
letter to the device manufacturer, one of their major products now has been
given the green light. (Read
more...)
October 23, 2008
Cardium
Announces FDA 510(K) Clearance of InnerCool's RapidBlue™ Endovascular
System
Cardium Therapeutics Amex: CXM) and its operating unit InnerCool Therapies,
Inc. announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the RapidBlue™ System, an endovascular
temperature modulation device. InnerCool's RapidBlue System is a thermal regulating
system designed to manage and control patient body temperature. (Read
more...)
October 22, 2008
ODESSA
Trial Looks Inside Drug-Eluting Stents With Optical
Coherence Tomography (OCT)
(Updated) The results of ODESSA showed that OCT could indeed accurately measure
strut coverage and NIH. An interesting data point was confirmation of the differences
in the currently available DES. ODESSA looked at Cypher, Taxus, Endeavor and
Bare Metal stents. The results showed that at six months, virtually all the
struts of the Endeavor stent were covered -- the healing was even more complete
than with bare metal stents, which reinforces reports of little or no very
late stent thrombosis with the Endeavor. At the same time, an inverse relationship
was observed between strut coverage and growth of neo-intimal hyperplasia (NIH)
-- the Endeavor had the highest NIH growth of the DES (also called Late Loss)
while the Cypher stent had the least Late Loss, but the highest number of uncovered
struts. (Read
more...)
October 13, 2008
Volcano
Corporation Announces Schedule of Events for TCT (Transcatheter
Cardiovascular Therapeutics Conference) 2008
The company has announced a wide range of events including live case transmissions,
symposia to highlight new products and the clinical utility of Volcano technologies
including FFR, IVUS, VH IVUS, OCT and Forward-Looking IVUS (Read
more...)
October 6, 2008
Volcano
Corporation Relocating Corporate Headquarters to San
Diego
The new corporate headquarters is located in the Carmel Valley area of San
Diego and now houses corporate executives, marketing, finance, accounting,
corporate human resources, legal and catheter engineering. The company intends
to expand its operations in San Diego in the future. The company's core research
and development, manufacturing, operations, quality and local human resources
functions will remain in Volcano's facilities in Rancho Cordova, CA. (Read
more...)
September 25, 2008
Is
Radial Angioplasty at a Turning Point in U.S.?
Two recent large-scale studies confirm what a small but growing number of interventional
cardiologists have seen in their own practices: for the proper patients, catheterizations
and angioplasties performed from the wrist (radial) artery are safer than those
performed from the groin (leg) artery, with no difference in procedural success. (Read
more...)
September 24, 2008
CBS
Goes Radial
Commentary from the Editor's Blog -- CBS Network's "Early Show" does a segment
with Dr. Howard Cohen on "the New Angioplasty" -- from the wrist. (Read
more...)
September 21, 2008
Terumo
Announces Educational Programs for Transradial Catheterization
and Angioplasty to be Held at the 2008 TCT Meeting
Terumo Interventional Systems has announced a number of activities, symposia
and workshops, as part of the 2008 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics
(TCT) meeting being held October 12-17, 2008 at the Washington Convention Center
in Washington DC. (Read
more...)
September 20, 2008
Volcano
Corporation Schedules Events for 2008 TCT Transcatheter
Cardiovascular Therapeutics Meeting
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leading manufacturer of intravascular
ultrasound (IVUS) and functional measurement (FM) technology, has scheduled
several events to be held during the 2008 TCT meeting in Washington DC, being
held October 12-17, 2008 at the Washington Convention Center. (Read
more...)
September 16, 2008
Angioplasty
from the Radial Artery in the Wrist is Safer, Says
Study of 600,000 Patients
A study, published in the current issue of the Journal of the American College
of Cardiology: Cardiac Interventions, looked at 593,094 angioplasty and stent
patients and found that those patients who had procedures done from the radial
or wrist artery experienced 58% less bleeding complications than those who
had their procedures done from the femoral artery in the groin -- yet the radial
approach is used less than 2% of the time in the U.S. (Read
more...)
September 15, 2008
Interview
with Tak W. Kwan, MD, FACC, FACP
In this interview, Angioplasty.Org discusses the transradial approach to catheterization
and intervention with Dr. Tak Kwan. For a number of years, Dr. Kwan has worked
closely with Dr. John Coppola of St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City. Both
Dr. Kwan and Dr.Coppola traveled to India in 2003 to learn the radial technique
from Dr. Tejus Patel. (Read
more...)
September 15, 2008
Transradial
Cardiac Catheterizations Using Optitorque™ Catheters
A white paper by Drs. Tak Kwan and Jared S. Corriel describes the use of Terumo's
Optitorque™ catheter for performing transradial cardiac catheterizations.
The authors conclude that the use of this single catheter, which can be used
for both the left and right coronary angiograms, as well as the left ventriculogram,
has the potential to significantly reduce procedure cost and time, complications,
and patient discomfort. (Read
more...)
September 2, 2008
Volcano's
Virtual Histology Imaging Allows Major Drug Study (IBIS-2)
to Measure "Vulnerable Plaque"
Volcano's VH® IVUS technology is being used in an imaging study of GlaxoSmithKline's
novel investigational compound, Darapladib. Dubbed the IBIS-2 (Integrated Biomarker
and Imaging Study) the study results demonstrate the benefits of VH® IVUS
in drug development. (Read
more...)
August 11, 2008
Cardium
Reports on Second Quarter 2008 Highlights and Financial
Results
The Company reported a net loss of $6.6 million, or $0.15 per share, which
included research and development costs totaling $4.0 million and selling,
general and administrative expenses of $2.7 million. Non-cash charges relating
to stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization for the second quarter
of fiscal 2008 totaled $943,000. Total revenue for the second quarter 2008
was $627,000, compared to $229,000 for the same quarter last year. (Read
more...)
July 30, 2008
Medtronic
Stent Thrombosis Study Begins in U.S. Comparing Safety
of Endeavor® and Cypher® Drug-Eluting Stents
The U.S. arm of the PROTECT Study is part of the largest randomized controlled
trial of its kind. The PROTECT Study will enroll 8,800 patients with coronary
artery disease to Evaluate differences in stent thrombosis and other endpoints. (Read
more...)
July 29, 2008
Volcano
Corporation Schedules Second Quarter Conference Call
and Webcast
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leading manufacturer and developer of
intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), functional measurement (FM) and Optical Coherence
Tomography (OCT) products designed to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of
coronary and peripheral vascular disease, today announced that it will report
its operating results for the second quarter and first six months of fiscal
2008 on Tuesday, August 5. (Read
more...)
July 28, 2008
Cardium
Announces Appointment of Paul A. Foster, M.D. To Lead
Generx and Excellarate Late-Stage Development Activities
Cardium Therapeutics (Amex: CXM) announced the appointment of Paul A. Foster,
M.D. as Chief Medical Officer to lead the Company's late-stage clinical development
activities at Cardium's Tissue Repair Company for the MATRIX Phase 2b clinical
study that is evaluating its Excellarate product candidate for the treatment
of diabetic ulcers, and the AWARE Phase 3 clinical study that is evaluating
its Generx product candidate as a potential treatment for recurrent myocardial
ischemia. (Read
more...)
July 26, 2008
CT
in the OC and the DC
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: the topic of CT angiograms is discussed
by an article in the OC Register and by a panel of imaging experts at the NIH. (Read
more...)
July 22, 2008
Interview
with Prediman K. Shah, MD, FACC
Dr. Shah has been working extensively in the area of gene and cell therapy
and recently began enrollment in the AWARE clinical trial (Angiogenesis in
Women With Angina Pectoris Who Are Not Candidates for Revascularization), a
Phase 3 randomized clinical trial for which he is an investigator at Cedars-Sinai.
The AWARE clinical research study is currently enrolling women patients in
the United States to determine the safety and effectiveness of an investigational
medication called Generx™ from Cardium Therapeutics of San Diego. (Read
more...)
July 20, 2008
Radial
Angioplasty Training at St. Vincent's Hospital in New
York
Dr. John T. Coppola and Dr. Tak Kwan of St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan
have announced their third training course in the transradial technique for
catheterization, angioplasty and stenting. Their June course was fully enrolled
weeks in advance. (Read
more...)
Jul 16, 2008
Congress
Overrides Bush Medicare Veto
Although concerns had been raised that the veto-proof majority of last week's
Senate vote on reversing Medicare cuts might not hold, both the Senate and
House of Representatives yesterday quickly overrode President Bush's veto,
made earlier in the day. The vote represents only the fourth time in eight
years that Congress has overidden one of President Bush's vetoes. (Read
more...)
Jul 15, 2008
Bush
Vetoes Medicare Bill -- Override Not Certain
As expected, President Bush today vetoed the Medicare legislation passed earlier
this month by both the House and Senate. An override of Bush's veto is all
but certain in the House of Representative, where the original vote was an
overwhelming 355-59. However, the Senate vote was much closer (69-30, with
Presidential candidate John McCain not voting). (Read
more...)
July 12, 2008
Passing
of an Era -- Michael DeBakey (1908-2008)
(From
the Editor's Blog)
As I sat in my editing room, screening the 120 minutes, I was astounded at
the detail and breadth of this man's experience. His stories about his mother's
sewing classes (where he learned the technique that would revolutionize vascular
surgery!) to his dinner with General Patton in Patton's French chateau during
WWII, to his surgery on the Duke of Windsor who, like Arethra Franklin, refused
to fly and took a train from NYC to Houston -- I was constantly reminded of
what an amazing impact this one human had on the field of medicine. (Read
more...)
July 12, 2008
Dr.
Michael DeBakey, Father of Cardiac Surgery, Dies at
99
Considered the father of cardiac surgery, and by many the world's greatest
surgeon, Michael E. DeBakey passed away on Friday night in Houston, just two
months shy of his 100th birthday. Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana to Lebanese-Christian
immigrants, DeBakey invented numerous surgical procedures and techniques, as
well as a host of devices that revolutionized vascular and cardiac surgery. (Read
more...)
July 10, 2008
Stent
Safety Study of 5,000 Patients Started by Abbott for
XIENCE V™ Drug Eluting Stent
Just one week after FDA approval of the XIENCE V™ Everolimus Eluting
Coronary Stent System, Abbott has announced that six hospital centers already
are recruiting and enrolling patients in the XIENCE V USA post-approval study.
Post-marketing studies for stents are now required of companies by the FDA,
as part of the approval process, in order to better monitor these devices. (Read
more...)
July 9, 2008
Senate
Reverses Medicare Cuts to Doctors
In a critical vote that threatened to cut Medicare payments to physicians by
more than 10%, the U.S. Senate today approved legislation that reverses those
cuts. Buoyed by the appearance of Senator Ted Kennedy, who made his first visit
to the Senate since being operated on for brain cancer, the Senate passed the
law by a veto-proof 69-30 vote .(Read
more...)
July 8, 2008
CT
Heart Scan Experts Criticize New York Times Article
(Updated) --
A recent
New York
Times front
page feature
on CT angiography
has produced
strong reactions
from cardiologists
who work
in the field
of Computed
Tomography
-- reactions
that range
from surprise
to anger.
Several of
the imaging
specialists
who were
quoted in
the article
were particularly
upset by
the coverage. (Read
more...)
July 7, 2008
CT
Tour of the Heart
An extensive refutation of last week's New York Times article on CT Angiography
was posted this morning on Angioplasty.Org, but the coolest part of the article
is Dr. Henry Hecht's "CT Tour of the Heart". (Read
more...)
July 2, 2008
Abbott's
XIENCE™ V Everolimus Drug-Eluting Coronary Stent
is Approved by FDA
Surprising analysts on Wall Street, who had recently written that Abbott's
new drug-eluting stent might not be approved until the fourth quarter, Abbott
today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved
the XIENCE V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System for the treatment of
coronary artery disease. (Read
more...)
June 29, 2008
Misleading
Report on CT Heart Scans
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: A major article about CT angiograms in this
morning's New York Times has some major omissions and takes an inappropriately
negative view of an imaging technology that can save lives and money. Significant
facts are left out of the article, facts that would refute much of its critique. (Read
more...)
June 28, 2008
Interview
with Ron Waksman, MD, FACC
Our IVUS Center features a discussion about an important new study, just published
in the European Heart Journal, showing that IVUS guidance can improve
outcomes with drug-eluting stents, including significantly lower rates of stent
thrombosis. (Read
more...)
June 27, 2008
Half-Price
Stents?
In a posting today, CNBC's Mike Huckman cites a research note that Boston Scientific
is now bundling its TAXUS paclitaxel-eluting stent for $1,100 each -- less
than half of its original price. (Read
more...)
June 26, 2008
Interview
with Mauricio G. Cohen, MD, FACC
In its ongoing series of interviews with practitioners of the transradial approach
to catheterization and interventions, Angioplasty.Org discusses how and why
Dr. Cohen decided to specialize in this alternative vascular access technique.
Also featured is Dr. Cohen's tutorial slide show. (Read
more...)
June 19, 2008
Young
Investigators Award Finalists Announced by Toshiba
Medical
Continuing its mission to improve the quality of patient care, Toshiba America
Medical Systems, Inc. has named the finalists of the second annual Young Investigators
Award. Sponsored by Toshiba through an unrestricted educational grant, the
Young Investigators Award will be awarded to two physicians for their patient
care research in the categories of clinical and technical cardiovascular CT. (Read
more...)
June 16, 2008
Toshiba
Infinix Hybrid Systems Used in Three Live Demonstrations
at ISHAC Symposium
Toshiba America Medical Systems' Infinix™ Hybrid cardiovascular X-ray
imaging system will be featured in three live cases during the International
Symposium on the Hybrid Approach to Congenital Heart Disease (ISHAC), June
16-18, 2008. Coordinated by Nationwide Children's Hospital and in its third
year, ISHAC is the most comprehensive symposium on cardiac hybrid procedures. (Read
more...)
June 11, 2008
Cardium
Launches New AWARE Clinical Study Website
Cardium Therapeutics (Amex: CXM) today announced the launch of a new website
at www.anginaresearchstudy.com to
provide patients, caregivers and physicians with information about the Company's
Phase 3 AWARE clinical study. The AWARE study is evaluating the therapeutic
effects of Generx(TM) for the potential treatment of myocardial ischemia (insufficient
blood flow within the heart muscle) and associated angina due to coronary heart
disease. Generx is designed to promote angiogenesis, a natural process of blood
vessel growth within the heart muscle, following a one-time intracoronary infusion
from a standard cardiac infusion catheter. (Read
more...)
June 10, 2008
Interview
with Shigeru Saito, MD
One of the world's leading educators and practitioners of transradial coronary
intervention, Dr. Shigeru Saito discusses how he introduced the technique to
Japan a decade ago and makes recommendations for physicians interested in starting
their own practice. (Read
more...)
June 10, 2008
Interest
in Transradial Angioplasty Growing Among U.S. Cardiologists
In many countries around the world, angioplasty or stenting is done through
an artery in the wrist 30-50% of the time. A recent study reported half the
bleeding complications and lower mortality with this method. Yet in the United
States, the use of this technique, called transradial angioplasty, remains
in the low single digits. One of the reasons has to do with the training of
interventional cardiologists. (Read
more...)
June 7, 2008
Vascular
Surgeons Donate Expertise to Help Soldiers Injured
in Combat
The development of vascular surgery has much to do with the battlefield, and
in each war, successive advances in vascular repair were made in treatments
that were then brought home to the civilian population. So it is no surprise
that all it took was a quick e-mail to members of the Society for Vascular
Surgery (SVS), to convince them to volunteer their expertise to help soldiers
who have been injured in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Read
more...)
June 7, 2008
FDA
Approves Second Medtronic Stent Graft for Minimally-Invasive
Treatment of Aortic Disease
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) has announced their latest FDA approval for an
endovascular device: the Talent™ Thoracic Stent Graft. The approval marks
the second stent graft approval for Medtronic in as many months: on April 16,
the FDA okayed the company's Talent Abdominal Stent Graft. Both devices allow
patients to benefit from a minimally invasive treatment for certain types of
aneurysms of the aorta. (Read
more...)
June 4, 2008
Paul
LaViolette to Leave Boston Scientific
Boston Scientific announced yesterday that Chief Operating Officer Paul LaViolette,
50, will be retiring at the end of this month and his duties will be assumed
by current President and CEO Jim Tobin, who will remain in his position "for
the foreseeable future". The position of COO, held by LaViolette since 2005,
will not be replaced. (includes video interview with Paul LaViolette.) (Read
more...)
June 3, 2008
When
Can I Stop Taking Plavix? -- A New Imaging Modality
May Help Patients and Physicians Determine Optimal
Duration of Antiplatelet Therapy in the Not-Too-Distant
Future
(Updated) The
question
on
the
minds
of
a
great
many
patients
who
have
had
a
drug-eluting
stent
implanted
is: "When
can
I
stop
taking
Plavix?
When
will
my
drug-eluting
stent
be
completely
healed?" It's
THE
question
of
the
day,
and
no
one
is
really
sure
of
the
answer.
However,
a
new
imaging
technology,
called
Optical
Coherence
Tomography
or
OCT,
may
help
with
this
issue
in
the
not-too-distant
future.. (Read
more...)
June 2, 2008
Abbott
Looking for Japanese Approval of XIENCE™ V Everolimus
Eluting Coronary Stent
Although Abbott's XIENCE V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System is still
awaiting U.S. FDA approval, the company already has submitted its application
to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) / Pharmaceuticals
and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). The Japanese market is estimated at 200,000
stents implanted annually, the largest outside of the United States. (Read
more...)
May 28, 2008
ACC
and CRF Announce Partnership on American College of
Cardiology's Innovation in Intervention: i2 Summit
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Cardiovascular Research Foundation
(CRF) announced today a multi-year partnership to jointly sponsor the ACC i2
interventional cardiology meeting in Orlando, Fla., March 28-31, 2009, during
ACC.09, the ACC's 58th Annual Scientific Session and the world's premier cardiovascular
meeting. This will be the beginning of a five-year partnership committed to
collectively developing the interventional component of the ACC Annual Scientific
Session. (Read
more...)
May 27, 2008
Are
Women Smarter Than Men In Recognizing Signs of a Heart
Attack?
Are women really smarter than men when it comes to recognizing the symptoms
of a heart attack? A new study, published in the May 26 issue of the Archives
of Internal Medicine found that to be the case. (Read
more...)
May 23, 2008
SCAI
Announces 2009 Annual Scientific Sessions
A month after announcing that it would not be holding a combined annual meeting
with the American College of Cardiology next year, The Society for Cardiovascular
Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) has announced that it will hold its 2009
Annual Scientific Sessions on May 6-9, 2009, at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas. (Read
more...)
May 19, 2008
New
Smaller Size Embolic Protection Filter to Treat Narrower
Bypass Grafts
Used in bypass surgery, the saphenous vein graft (SVG) is narrower than the
internal mammary artery and tends to be more prone to re-blocking. When that
occurs, angioplasty is often used to open it up again. One problem is that
the plaque from a saphenous vein graft is also more "friable" and can flake
off, which can have serious consequences. Today, Boston Scientific announced
a smaller size filter, which will expand its use to even narrower vessels. (Read
more...)
May 17, 2008
Obama
and Clinton Agree
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: Tomorrow's New York Times carries
a story about a radical new approach to the problems of malpractice suits --
except that it is precisely the solution described in depth two years ago by
the current Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, in the New
England Journal of Medicine. (Read
more...)
May 16, 2008
Abbott
Launches Next-Generation StarClose® SE Vascular
Closure System
Abbott today announced the launch of the StarClose® SE Vascular Closure
System, a next-generation vessel closure device engineered to enable fast,
safe and secure closure of the femoral artery access site following a catheterization
procedure. StarClose SE is available in the United States and Europe. (Read
more...)
May 15, 2008
"Life
Wide Open": A Stent Cypher
Commentary on the New England Journal critique of Johnson & Johnson's CYPHER
stent TV ad campaign, such as it was. Was this really a Direct-To-Consumer
effort? (Read
more...)
May 15, 2008
Intravascular
Ultrasound (IVUS) Use Growing with Integration into
Routine Cath Lab Imaging
Intravascular Ultrasound, or IVUS, is an imaging technology that looks at arteries
from the inside out. Invented two decades ago, IVUS recently has been gaining
in usage due to safety concerns about stent thrombosis and proper stent placement
during angioplasty. (Read
more...)
May 13, 2008
Abbott
Heart Stent Better at Keeping Coronary Arteries Open
and Reducing Adverse Events: Part of a New Generation
of "DES 2.0"
Two-year outcomes from the SPIRIT III trial, studying the XIENCE™ V Everolimus
Eluting Coronary Stent System, were presented today at the EuroPCR 2008 meeting
in Barcelona -- and the results showed Abbott's second generation stent to
be superior to Boston Scientific's market-leading TAXUS paclitaxel-eluting
stent in several important criteria. (Read
more...)
May 13, 2008
Endeavor
II Four-Year Results Demonstrate Long-Term Safety and
Durable Efficacy of Medtronic Drug-Eluting Stent
Today at EuroPCR, Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), released four-year data from
the ENDEAVOR II clinical trial that reinforces the long-term safety and durable
efficacy of the company’s Endeavor Zotarolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent System
for the treatment of coronary artery disease. (Read
more...)
May 12, 2008
Volcano
Announces Placement of 1,000th s5 and s5i IVUS Imaging
System; Presence at the EuroPCR08 will highlight choice
of different modalities available on single integrated
imaging platform
Scott Huennekens, President and Chief Executive Officer of Volcano, commented, "Reaching
this milestone as quickly as we have is a clear indication of the clinical
adoption of IVUS and FFR, and the competitiveness of our product. More and
more physicians are using intravascular imaging to measure lesion significance
and improve PCI technique. The ease of use and flexibility of our newest systems
have been very well received. These new systems are gaining traction with both
new IVUS users, as well as those who are looking to replace their legacy IVUS
technology." (Read
more...)
May 10, 2008
New
Radial Angioplasty Course Set for St. Vincent's Hospital
in New York
Following up on his April course, Dr. John T. Coppola, Chairman of Cardiology
at St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan, will be presenting a two-day hands-on
training course for cardiologists on the clinical, didactic and practical aspects
of Transradial Access. The course will be held on June 12-13, 2008 at St. Vincent's
Hospital in Greenwich Village, New York. Course Co-Director is Dr. Tak Kwan
and special Guest Faculty is world-famous interventionalist, Dr. Shigeru Saito
of Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, Japan. (Read
more...)
May 9, 2008
Cardium
Reports on First Quarter 2008 Highlights and Financial
Results
Cardium Therapeutics (Amex: CXM) today reported recent highlights and developments,
as well as financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2008. (Read
more...)
May 8, 2008
Nevada
Imaging Centers Installs the First Toshiba Aquilion
ONE™ Dynamic Volume CT System in the Western
United States
As a testament to the growing demand to improve patient care while reducing
healthcare costs, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has installed the first
Aquilion ONE™ dynamic volume CT system in the Western U.S. at Nevada
Imaging Centers in Las Vegas. "As the only dynamic volume CT system in the
world, the Aquilion ONE's ability to image an entire organ and show function
means faster, more accurate diagnosis, better patient outcomes and ultimately
lower healthcare costs," explained Dr. William W. Orrison, chief of Neuroradiology,
Nevada Imaging Centers. (Read
more...)
May 8, 2008
Volcano
Corp Announces First Human Use of the Volcano Optical
Coherence Tomography (OCT) Imaging Catheter
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) announced today the first human procedure
using the Volcano OCT Imaging catheter. The procedure was performed by Dr.
Patrick Serruys at the Thoraxcenter, in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Volcano OCT
will complement its existing line of IVUS imaging catheters and pressure guidewires
used for coronary imaging and lesion assessment. (Read
more...)
May 7, 2008
Volcano
Reports 24 Percent Increase in First Quarter Revenues;
IVUS Disposable Revenues Increase 30 Percent
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leading manufacturer and developer of
intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), functional measurement (FM) and Optical Coherence
Tomography (OCT) products designed to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of
coronary and peripheral vascular disease, today reported results for the first
quarter of fiscal 2008. (Read
more...)
May 5, 2008
Volcano
Announces Participation in SATURN Clinical Trial Sponsored
by AstraZeneca
SATURN is a 104-week, parallel-group, multicentre, double-blind, Phase IIIb
intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging study of approximately 1,300 patients
at 170 centres This study by AstraZeneca is designed to measure the impact
of CRESTOR™ (rosuvastatin) 40 mg and atorvastatin (Lipitor®) 80 mg
on the progression of atherosclerosis in high risk patients. SATURN will compare
the effects of these two statins on the ability to decrease progression or
induce regression of atherosclerosis, the main cause of cardiovascular disease,
following two years of treatment in patients with coronary artery disease. (Read
more...)
May 2, 2008
Another
Way To Rescue A Threatened Heart: Through The Wrist
(Susan
Jenks,
Florida
Today)
Cardiologists say operation takes less nursing care, space, recovery time.
Norberto Schechtmann, vice chairman of the cardiology department at Holmes
Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, is one of several local cardiologists
who uses the radial artery as an alternative way to reach the heart, often
to relieve severe angina or chest pains. Patients who are obese or suffer from
peripheral artery disease, making groin access too difficult, can benefit the
most, he said. (Read
more...)
May 1, 2008
Stent
Pioneer Richard A. Schatz, M.D. Joins Cardium's Scientific
Advisory Board
"We are very pleased to have Richard Schatz join our scientific advisory board," stated
Christopher J. Reinhard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cardium. "Richard
is not only a pioneer in the development of vascular stents but has been involved
in landmark studies related to new therapies for treating cardiovascular disease.
We look forward to benefiting from his expert insights and years of experience
in the field of interventional cardiology as we move forward in the development
of our lead product candidate, Generx, for the potential treatment of recurrent
angina associated with coronary heart disease." (Read
more...)
April 27, 2008
SCAI
and ACC Announce Individual 2009 Annual Scientific
Sessions
The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and the
American College of Cardiology (ACC) today announced a return to the traditional
individual meeting formats for both the SCAI Annual Scientific Sessions and
i2 Summit in 2009. (Read
more...)
April 22, 2008
Study
in JAMA Shows Patients Treated With Abbott's XIENCE™ V
Drug Eluting Stent Experience Better Outcomes Than
Patients Treated With Market-Leading Drug Eluting Stent
A study published in today's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
demonstrated that use of Abbott's XIENCE™ V Everolimus Eluting Coronary
Stent System in patients with coronary artery disease resulted in a significant
50 percent reduction in vessel renarrowing (in-segment late loss) at eight
months, non-inferior rates of target vessel failure (TVF) at nine months, and
an observed 42 percent reduction in major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at
one year compared to the TAXUS® Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System. (Read
more...)
April 16, 2008
FDA
Approves Medtronic’s Talent™ Abdominal Stent Graft
for Repairing Aortic Aneurysms
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), today announced approval from the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration for use of the Talent™ Abdominal Stent Graft on the CoilTrac
Delivery System, an innovative medical device that expands patient access to
a minimally-invasive treatment option for abdominal aortic aneurysms. (Read
more...)
April 15, 2008
Early
and Rapid Cooling Following Heart Attack May Reduce
Damage to Cardiac Muscle
The study, conducted by a team of interventional cardiologists at the Lund
University Hospital, Sweden, evaluated the effect of early and rapid cooling
induced by a combination of cold saline infusion along with InnerCool's endovascular
Celsius Control™ System, before or immediately after reperfusion when
coronary blood flow was restored in the heart in a porcine heart attack model.
Results from this study demonstrated that rapid cooling (to ‹35 degrees
Celsius) prior to reperfusion significantly reduced overall myocardial infarct
size (a measure of tissue damage in the heart) and protected the heart from
other injury. (Read
more...)
April 1, 2008
Toshiba
Introduces Advanced Image Processing for Its Infinix
Cardiac Systems
At this year's American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual meeting in Chicago,
March 30-April 1, 2008 (Booth # 8001), Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.
will be showcasing its Advanced Image Processing (AIP) technology for its Infinix™ X-ray
product line. With AIP, physicians will be able to better visualize even the
smallest interventional devices and provide better patient care to patients
undergoing interventional procedures. (Read
more...)
April 1, 2008
Toshiba
Demonstrates Newest CT Software at ACC
Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. is committed to new CT clinical applications
that improve throughput and workflow, while further reducing contrast and radiation
dose to patients. At this year's American College of Cardiology annual meeting
in Chicago, March 30-April 1, 2008 (Booth # 8001), Toshiba will demonstrate
new applications that embody this commitment -- SURECardio™ Prospective
and Variable Helical Pitch (vHP), which was recently cleared by the FDA. (Read
more...)
March 31, 2008
Toshiba
Introduces Aplio™ Artida™ -- New Cardiovascular
Ultrasound Product at ACC
With its comprehensive applications, the Artida meets the demands of the growing
cardiac 4D market. With Artida's real-time, multi-planar reformatting capabilities,
physicians can quantify global and regional LV function, including LV ejection
fraction, volume and severity of regurgitation. Arbitrary views of the heart
not available in 2D imaging are also obtained that can help with surgical planning. (Read
more...)
March 30, 2008
Toshiba
Launches Breakthrough CT System — the Aquilion ONE
For the first time, physicians can see not only a three-dimensional depiction
of an organ, but also the organ's dynamic blood flow and function. Unlike any
other CT system, Toshiba's Aquilion ONE can scan one organ — including the
heart, brain and others — in one rotation because it covers up to 16 cm of
anatomy using 320 ultra high resolution 0.5 mm detector elements. This reduces
exam time, as well as radiation and contrast dose. With the Aquilion ONE, the
organ or area is captured in a single rotation at one moment in time, eliminating
the need to reconstruct slices from multiple points in time. (Read
more...)
March 28, 2008
FDA
Approves CT Software from Toshiba to Reduce Radiation
Dose and Improve Patient Care and Workflow
Toshiba
America
Medical
Systems,
Inc.
has
received
FDA
clearance
for
two
new
CT
clinical
applications
that
will
improve
throughput
and
enhance
workflow,
while
further
reducing
contrast
and
radiation
dosage.
The
applications, SURECardio™ Prospective
and
Variable
Helical
Pitch
(vHP),
are
available
for
new
Toshiba
Aquilion™ 32-
and
64-slice
CT
systems. (Read
more...)
March 27, 2008
Intravascular
Ultrasound (IVUS) Events at American College of Cardiology
Annual Meeting
Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is scheduled to be part of 29 separate sessions
at this weekend's annual meeting of cardiologists in Chicago. In addition,
IVUS will be used by interventionalists who will be performing 14 live procedures,
to be broadcast to the Convention Center at McCormick Place from Lenox Hill
Hospital in New York, and other medical centers in California, London, Germany,
Japan and Australia. (Read
more...)
March 24, 2008
Toshiba
Installs Milestone 500th Vantage 1.5T MR System at
Jefferson Regional Medical Center
Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., an industry leader in magnetic resonance
(MR) technology, reached a significant achievement in installing its 500th
VantageTM 1.5T MR system at Jefferson Regional Medical Center (JRMC) in Pine
Bluff, Ark. Citing Vantage image quality, patient comfort and Toshiba's gadolinium
contrast-free techniques, JRMC will use the Vantage system for a variety of
diagnostic procedures including orthopedic, head and abdomen imaging. (Read
more...)
March 19, 2008
Cook
Medical Announces the Launch and First Patient Enrollment
of the REFORM Clinical Trial
The FDA has approved initiation of the REFORM clinical trial, officials of Cook
Medical announced today. The REFORM trial is designed to evaluate the Formula™ Balloon
Expandable Stent for the treatment of renal artery stenosis, a narrowing of the
renal artery that can result in hypertension, renal atrophy, and kidney failure
if left untreated. (Read
more...)
March 19, 2008
Wrist
Angioplasty Associated with 50% Less Blood Transfusions
and Lower Mortality
A study of over 30,000 patients that examined every angioplasty done in British
Columbia from 1999-2005 was just published online (before print) in the British
journal "Heart" and the conclusion carries an important message for the interventional
cardiology community: trans-radial access was associated with a halving of
transfusion rate and a reduction in 30 day and 1 year mortality. (Read
more...)
March 18, 2008
Cedars-Sinai
Heart Institute in Los Angeles Now Enrolling Women
With Recurrent Chest Pains For AWARE Clinical Trial
The Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute is recruiting female patients with recurrent
chest pains who are not eligible for surgery to participate in a clinical trial
studying an experimental product designed to promote blood vessel growth within
the heart muscle. The AWARE trial will study the effects of Generx™ (Ad5FGF-4)
in women for the potential treatment of myocardial ischemia (insufficient blood
flow within the heart muscle) which can cause chest pains (angina) associated
with coronary heart disease. (Read
more...)
March 15, 2008
Cardium
Reports Financial Results: Narrower Fourth Quarter
Loss; Doubled Annual Revenues
Cardium Therapeutics (Amex: CXM), currently in development of several innovative
medical therapies, yesterday reported a narrower fourth quarter loss, helped
by more than double the
revenues in 2007 from the previous year. (Read
more...)
March 15, 2008
Medicare
Reverses Decision to Limit Coverage of Cardiac CT Heart
Scans (updated)
To the relief of many in the cardiology and radiology community, the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced this week that it will not
change current coverage for Computed Tomographic Angiography (CTA). (Read
more...)
March 14, 2008
Radial
Angioplasty Course Set for St. Vincent's Hospital in
New York
Dr. John T. Coppola, Chairman of Cardiology at St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan,
will be presenting his annual one-day course for cardiologists and related
healthcare professionals, titled, "Complex Interventions via the Transradial
Route", on April 2, 2008. The course is free of charge. (Read
more...)
March 13, 2008
AWARE
Clinical Trial Designed for Women with Heart Disease
Over 25 hospitals across the United States are currently participating in the
AWARE clinical study to evaluate the effects 0f Generx™ (Ad5FGF-4) in
women with recurrent angina who are not candidates for revascularization and
who are receiving optimal drug therapy. The AWARE study is a women-only cardiovascular
clinical study and reflects a growing awareness that heart disease in women
is a major health issue. (Read
more...)
March 12, 2008
Volcano
Corporation Presentation at Cowen Healthcare Conference
to be Webcast
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leading provider of intravascular ultrasound
(IVUS) and functional measurement (FM) products designed to enhance the diagnosis
and treatment of coronary and peripheral vascular disease, will be participating
in the Cowen and Company 28th Annual Health Care Conference on Monday, March
17. The presentation by president and CEO, Scott Huennekens, will begin at
3:15 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (12:15 Pacific Daylight Time). (Read
more...)
March 11, 2008
Cardium's
Corgentin Preclinical Program Shows High Levels of
Targeting to Acutely Ischemic Heart Muscle Following
Intracoronary Infusion
Cardium Therapeutics announced positive findings from its preclinical study
being conducted by researchers at Emory University, which demonstrated highly
efficient uptake of DNA-based vectors within acutely ischemic myocardium (heart
muscle lacking sufficient blood flow as a result of blockage of the coronary
arteries). (Read
more...)
March 6, 2008
Toshiba
MR, CT and Ultrasound Named Best in KLAS in 2007
KLAS recently named Toshiba's AquilionTM 64, XarioTM and Vantage 1.5T MR "Best
in KLAS" in its Top 20 Year-End Report for 2007. This recognition for leadership
in working with customers to maintain satisfaction, gives Toshiba America Medical
Systems, Inc. the top ratings in the CT, MR and ultrasound categories. (Read
more...)
March 5, 2008
Heart
Doctors Await Medicare's Decision on Reimbursement
for Cardiac CT Scans
Next week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is scheduled
to announce a decision on coverage for Computed Tomographic Angiography, commonly
called Cardiac CT or CT Angiography (CTA). This memo, if enacted, would represent
a wholesale cut back in the utilization of coronary CT nationwide -- including
its use in emergency situations. (Read
more...)
February 27, 2008
New "Y"-Shaped
Stent Studied by Medtronic
Today Medtronic, Inc. announced the first human use of its new investigational
bifurcation stent. The new stent employs an innovative Y-shaped design to match
the anatomy of lesions that form at the junctions of coronary arteries. Dr.
Robert Whitbourn, associate professor and director of the Cardiovascular Research
Centre at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, performed the first clinical
implant of the new device on Feb. 25 as an investigator in the trial, dubbed
the BRANCH study. (Read
more...)
February 26, 2008
Toshiba
Medical Names Girish T. Hagan as Vice President of
Marketing
(Toshiba
America
Medical
Systems,
Inc.)
Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. announced today that Girish T. Hagan
has been named vice president of Marketing. Hagan will head Toshiba's business
units including CT, MR, Ultrasound, X-ray and X-ray Vascular, as well as handle
strategic marketing for Toshiba and its products in the medical imaging industry.
The company adds that Hagan's expertise will build on Toshiba's strength in
customer loyalty and technology innovation. (Read
more...)
February 25, 2008
1
in 4 Heart Attack Victims Do Not Take Life-Saving Medications
(Reuters)
A surprising 25 percent of people who have survived a heart attack do not fill
prescriptions for drugs that could prevent another one, Canadian researchers
said Monday. They said people who filled none of their prescriptions had an
80 percent higher chance of dying a year after their heart attacks compared
with those who filled all of them. (Read
more...)
February 22, 2008
Only
1 in 4 Americans Knows Heart Attack Signs
(Mike
Stobbe,
Associated
Press)
Only about 1 in 4 Americans know the warning signs of a heart attack and what
to do first, according to a new government report from the Centers for Disease
Control -- a decline in knowledge since the last survey in 2001. (Read
more...)
February 22, 2008
Medical
Device Manufacturers See Benefit from Democratic Healthcare
Plans
(Kim
Dixon,
Reuters)
Makers of medical devices ranging from diagnostic tests to defibrillators stand
to reap big benefits from U.S. health care system reforms backed by the leading
Democratic presidential contenders Obama and Clinton. While some health care
companies fear Democrats' plans to extend the reach of government's regulatory
hand, that risk is offset for device makers by the prospect of a Democratic
president broadening the market by extending insurance coverage to many of
the 47 million individuals now without it. (Read
more...)
February 17, 2008
Angioplasty
from the Wrist: Transradial Approach Offers Benefits
to Patients and Physicians
(Special
Feature
--
Angioplasty.Org)
Last week two catheterization suites at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City
were taken over by cardiologists Dr. Howard Cohen and Dr. Kirk Garratt in order
to teach visiting cardiologists how to perform angioplasty in a different way
-- from the wrist. (Read
more...)
February 13, 2008
New
Terumo Glidecath® Catheter Yashiro Tip Shape Improves
Access to Celiac Artery
Terumo Interventional Systems' proven Glidecath Hydrophilic Coated catheter
product line makes way for the Yashiro tip shape; a new, three-dimensional
U-shape tip for optimal entry to the celiac trunk. (Read
more...)
February 12, 2008
Terumo
Interventional Systems Expands Its Renowned Glidewire® Hydrophilic
Coated Guidewire Product Line
With its unique double angle to facilitate the selection of vessels that lie
at, or originate at, difficult to access angles and take-offs, the Bolia curve
is among the new additions to the Terumo Glidewire Hydrophilic Coated Guidewire
product line. (Read
more...)
February 12, 2008
Volcano
Reports 35% Increase in Quarterly Revenues; IVUS Disposable
Revenues Increase 46%
"This growth in our IVUS business occurred despite a sluggish global PCI
market. We believe the ease of use and integration provided by our s5 family
of consoles, along with a growing volume of data demonstrating the value of IVUS
in stenting procedures, is driving our increased market presence in the IVUS
arena," he added. "We are encouraged by what appear to be recent favorable
trends in stenting procedures and believe this will further the growth of our
IVUS offerings," he continued. (Read
more...)
February 7, 2008
Removing
Clot Aids Heart Attack Recovery
(Stephanie
Nano,
AP
News)
New research suggests that more people survive major heart attacks with fewer
problems if doctors use a mini-vacuum to clear out an artery blockage instead
of pushing it aside to restore blood flow. (Read
more...)
February 7, 2008
Volcano
Announces FDA 510(k) Clearance of Revolution Rotational
Catheter and FFR for the s5i Integrated IVUS Console
These two new product offerings now enable rotational IVUS and FFR to operate
on the same integrated Volcano s5 Imaging System as Volcano's previous line
of phased array IVUS catheters and functionality. For the first time, physicians
can choose among three powerful diagnostic tools -- all on the same integrated
IVUS platform. (Read
more...)
February 5, 2008
Stopping
Plavix Doubles Risk of Heart Attack or Death for 90
Days, With or Without Stents
A study appearing in tomorrow's Journal of the American Medical Association
(JAMA) reports a two-fold increase in death and heart attack in the 90 days
after heart patients completed their prescribed course of medical therapy with
clopidogrel (Plavix). The study suggests there may be a rebound effect with
clopidogrel that may have major implications for acute coronary syndrome and
stent patients. A study author also makes recommendations for what patients
should do. (Read
more...)
February 1, 2008
FDA
Approves Medtronic's Drug-Eluting Stent
Following the unanimous recommendation of its advisory panel in October, the
FDA today approved Medtronic's Endeavo® Zotarolimus Drug-Eluting Stent
System, making it the third DES available in the U.S. and the first approval
in almost four years (Read
more...)
February 1, 2008
NICE
Issues Final Guidance on Drug-Eluting Stents for the
Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease
The draft guidance recommends the use of drug-eluting stents (DES) for those
patients who are at higher risk of needing further stents if a conventional
bare-metal stent (BMS) were used instead. These patients have a coronary artery
less than 3mm in diameter, or the segment of the artery to be treated is longer
than 15mm. The draft guidance also states that drug eluting stents should only
be used if the price difference between it and a bare metal stent is no more
than £300. (Read
more...)
January 28, 2008
FDA
Approves Toshiba Medical's Vantage Titan MR System
With this clearance, Toshiba is on schedule to make the system commercially
available in the first quarter of 2008. The open-bore of the Vantage Titan
is 18 percent larger than other 1.5T systems on the market, featuring a large
71-centimeter patient aperture. (Read
more...)
January 17, 2008
Terumo
Partners with GHX for More Efficient Electronic Ordering
Capabilities
Working with GHX and its Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system, Terumo Interventional
Systems is looking to deliver providers what they want—when they want it. Through
this e-commerce platform’s unique, streamlined process, hospitals are now easily
able to place orders, generate receipts, and change and track orders with Terumo. (Read
more...)
January 16, 2008
Emergency
Angioplasty System is a Life-Saver in Ottawa, Canada
A reports in tomorrow's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine describes
a protocol that reduced mortality in the emergency treatment of heart attacks
in Canada's capital city of Ottawa during 2005-06. (Read
more...)
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