Stent Test Suggests Not Much Difference Between Rivals
By TSC Staff
3/7/2005 9:28 AM EST
Updated from 8:01 a.m. EST
The coronary stent showdown looks like a draw.
Results from the Reality trial, released today at the American College of Cardiology annual conference in Orlando, Fla., suggest that both Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ:NYSE - commentary - research) Cypher and Boston Scientific's (BSX:NYSE - commentary - research) Taxus drug-coated stents were comparable in preventing artery reclogging.
The study said that both products were "efficacious, at comparable rates, in preventing in-segment binary restenosis (re-clogging), which was the primary endpoint of the study, in moderately complex patients."
The test was sponsored by Cordis, a J&J unit, and involved 1,386 patients at 90 hospital centers in Europe, Latin America and Asia.
In other stent news out of Orlando, Medtronic (MDT:NYSE - commentary - research) based in Minneapolis, announced that its drug-eluting Endeavor stent performed successfully, paving the way for its eventual marketing in Europe and the U.S. and also providing competition for J&J and Boston Scientific.
"Overall, the clinical results are impressive and show that more than 95 percent of the patients who received an Endeavor stent in the trial required no further treatment or revascularization at the original treatment site at the nine month assessment period," said Dr. William Wijns, co-principal investigator of the Endeavor II clinical trial. "The Endeavor stent's performance in this trial provides substantial evidence that the Endeavor drug eluting stent is safe and that it substantially reduces clinical restenosis compared to a bare metal stent."
The trial enrolled 1,197 patients at 72 facilities in 17 countries, making it the first and largest drug-eluting stent trial comparing a drug-eluting stent to a bare metal stent performed outside the U.S., Medtronic said.
Drug-coated stents are meshlike metal tubes inserted into arteries after vessel-clogging plaque has been removed. The stents facilitate blood flow and reduce the risk of heart attack. Also known as drug-eluting stents, they release chemicals into the arteries periodically to reduce the risk of arteries reclogging. Uncoated stents also reduce the reclogging risk, but the drug-coated devices perform better.
Boston Scientific, the current market leader, shed 84 cents, or 2.7%, to $30.55 in premarket trading Monday. Medtronics rose $1.28, or 2.4%, to $54.75. J&J's closed at $67.74 Friday, up $1.5%.
TheStreet.com previewed the stent news in detail on Friday. |
