Guidant releases more safety data, blames leads

Guidant released a 153-page report containing detailed information about its defibrillator and pacemaker lines in an attempt to restore confidence in its products. The data appears to back the company's argument that faulty leads, not defibrillators or pacemakers, were to blame for some recent problems. The report also includes additional specifics about device failures and outcomes, details which the company has refused to reveal in the past. Some cardiologists welcomed the move. Patients and critics have argued for a long time that device makers need to make more details public.

- see this article from The New York Times

ALSO: Guidant's chief medical and technology officer sold $3.4 million in company stock a week before the device maker disclosed a defect involving one of its devices. The SEC is investigating. Article