Patients Reap Benefits of Heart Health Advance
Two Years After the CYPHER® Sirolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent Was First
Introduced,
Doctors See Long-Term Results; Ability to Treat Broad Range of Patients
MIAMI, June 21 -- In June 2003, Byron Curtner, M.D., a 47-year-old family practice physician and marathon runner, knew something was wrong with his heart when he started experiencing shortness of breath on a routine run. The North Little Rock, Arkansas, native saw his doctor immediately who found a 99 percent blockage in his right coronary artery. He thought that open-heart surgery would be his only option. Instead, Dr. Curtner became one of the first patients in the United States to receive a CYPHER® Sirolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent, an advance in heart health care designed to re-open clogged heart arteries without invasive surgery. Two years later, Dr. Curtner is gearing up for another marathon.
"I feel as healthy and energetic as I have ever felt," said Dr. Curtner. "My doctor told me I would have been a prime candidate for open heart surgery if drug-eluting stents were not available and it's unlikely I would have been able to resume my marathon training as quickly as I did. I have a great appreciation for the clinical benefits of this new treatment option."
Dr. Curtner is one of more than a million patients in 80 countries who have received the CYPHER® Stent since it was introduced in 2003, the first ever drug-eluting stent approved by the Food and Drug Administration and the first to be approved worldwide. Today, more than 86 percent of coronary stent procedures involve the use of drug-eluting stents, according to a recent physician poll conducted by a leading analyst firm. (i)
"Drug-eluting stents are one of the most revolutionary advances in heart care," said Dr. Stephen Ellis, Professor and Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio. "Since the CYPHER® Stent was introduced in 2003, a greater number of patients are being treated with this medical technology, providing a less invasive option for treating coronary artery disease.
Dr. Ellis is one of the many cardiologists who has rapidly shifted from bare metal stents to drug-eluting stents based on excellent clinical results, including drastically reduced rates of artery re-clogging (also known as restenosis), and sustained long-term outcomes for a wide range of patients. (ii)
Recent studies investigating the CYPHER® Stent have demonstrated its success among a broad range of patients and the number of these patients needing re-treatment has declined, according to clinical studies presented at medical meetings in the past two years.
In February 2005, Staff Sergeant Roy Wilson was serving in Iraq when he began developing chest pain. Doctors flew him to a hospital in Germany, where they determined he would need immediate treatment. Given the extent of his disease, many thought coronary artery bypass grafting was his only option.
Once home and scheduled for surgery, his doctors deemed him a candidate for the CYPHER® Stent. The week following his procedure, he was back on the military base in Tupelo, Mississippi, and feeling well.
"Receiving this type of treatment option has made a huge difference in my life. It's good to know I can continue serving my country and enjoying my family life as well," said the Aberdeen, Mississippi, native who has already returned to active duty.
Note to Editors: Additional patient stories regarding the CYPHER® Stent are available by calling the communications department at +1-786-313-8687.
About the CYPHER® Stent
The CYPHER® Stent continues to break new ground in fighting one of the most formidable challenges in the treatment of heart disease: restenosis (reblockage). Developed and manufactured by Cordis Corporation, the CYPHER® Stent is currently available in 80 countries and has been used by doctors to treat more than one million patients worldwide.
About Cordis Corporation
Cordis Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson company, is a worldwide leader in developing and manufacturing interventional vascular technology. Through Cordis' leadership in research, development and innovation, physicians worldwide are better able to treat the millions of patients who suffer from vascular disease. For more information about Cordis, please visit http://www.cordis.com.
*Sirolimus, the active drug released for the stent, is marketed by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, under the name Rapamune®. Rapamune is a trademark of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Cordis Corporation has entered into an exclusive worldwide license with Wyeth for the localized delivery of sirolimus in certain fields of use, including delivery via vascular stenting.
(i) Lehman Brothers 3rd Annual Drug-eluting Stent Physician Survey, March 2005
(ii) SIRIUS Trial 3-year Data Presentation, American College of Cardiology Meeting, March 2005
Source: Cordis Corporation
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