Boston Scientific
Medtronic enters drug-eluting stent market
European regulators gave their blessing to a drug coated stent made by Medtronic this morning, clearing the way for the company to enter a market seen as extremely lucrative by many analysts. Industry analysts say the Endeavor stent could do extremely well if it performs as well as competitor's devices. The Minneapolis-based company will now compete with Johnson & Johnson and Boston Scientific for market share in a global market believed to be worth $5.5 billion. The stent …
... Read more...Boston Scientific losing this round in stent war?
Cardiologists appear to be moving away from Boston Scientific's Taxus stent in favor of the rival Cypher, a model manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. According to The Wall Street Journal, SG Cowen & Co. analyst Dhulsini de Zoysa wrote in a recent report that the Taxus suffered "dramatic share erosion -- falling to 53 percent of the market" from its previously dominant position, after a recent study linked the stent to a slightly elevated risk of blood clots. That …
... Read more...Boston Scientific found to have violated J&J stent patent
A Delaware jury found yesterday that Boston Scientific infringed on patents covering a series of popular stents developed by Johnson & Johnson in the first round of the legal battle between the rivals. The decision covers three stents manufactured by Boston Scientific: the Express, the Liberte and the bestselling Taxus line. Legal experts have predicted the case could cost Boston Scientific $1 billion in damages and possibly much more. A seperate trial in August will decide if …
... Read more...ALSO NOTED: Boston Scientific recalls device; Oncologists criticize Italian firm; and much more...
> In a setback for drug companies, European Court refuses to hear "parallel trading" case. Story
> Oncologists criticize Italian firm for raising price of cancer drug from 60 cents per pill to $55. Story (Wall Street Journal sub. req.)
> Boston Scientific warns that hundreds of …
... Read more...Stent study surprises
In potentially bad news for device manufacturers, a new study released today in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that patients whose arteries are propped open with drug-eluting stents may have a much higher risk of developing blood clots than had previously been supposed. Patients tracked in the study had a 1.03 percent chance of developing a blood clot. The study tracked the progress of 2,400 patients in Germany and Italy. Johnson & Johnson's Cyper stent …
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