A Canadian woman has become the first person in North America to receive a new kind of artery stent, believed to carry far lower risks of complications than drug-eluting stents. Doctors at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto performed the procedure. The Genous antibody-coated stent is manufactured by Hong Kong's OrbusNeich Medical. According to the Wall Street Journal, about 500 people worldwide have been treated with the stent. Supporters argue antibody-coated stents lower the risk that a patient will develop life-threatening blood clots. Many observers think the technology, which was developed by St. Michael's cardiologist Dr. Michael Krytuk, could revitalize competition in the global stent market.
"This technology has the potential, although it's still very early, to revolutionize what we do in the catheterization lab" comments the Cleveland Clinic's Deepak Bhatt.
- read this article from the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)
- see this release on antibody-coated stents from St. Michael's