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Cordis Corp.
FDA approves drug-coated stents
May 14th, 2003
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first drug-eluting stent for angioplasty procedures to open clogged coronary arteries. In most cases, a stent is left permanently in the artery to keep the vessel open after angioplasty. The new stent slowly releases a drug and has been shown in clinical studies to significantly reduce the rate of reblockage that occurs with existing stents. Drug-eluting stents may have a substantial impact on the occurrence of re-blockages for patients with heart disease. Each year 800,000 angioplasty procedures are performed in the United States to open clogged coronary arteries. In approximately 15-30% of patients, the...
Source: Biotech Week (2003-05-14)
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