Enrollment is complete for a landmark study designed to increase clinical understanding of vulnerable plaque, the deadly, lipid-rich coronary plaque that ruptures without warning or symptoms and possibly the source of most heart attacks.

Positive six-month results of Abbott's SPIRIT II clinical trial of the XIENCE V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System were presented at the World Congress of Cardiology conference in Barcelona, Spain. XIENCE V, which has received CE Mark approval, is currently an investigational device in the U.S. and Japan — Abbott says it plans to initiate European launch of the coronary DES in October.

Siemens completed its acquisition of Diagnostic Products Corp. (DPC) in late July, marking a significant milestone for Siemens as it enters the in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) market. Together with DPC, Siemens Medical Solutions says it will become the first full service diagnostics company.