Abbott Goes Full Throttle with Xience V

Abbott Vascular says it will begin launching its XIENCE V stent system immediately in most European countries, focusing commercial, manufacturing and clinical resources on this product.

"The positive, differentiating clinical results that XIENCE V demonstrated in SPIRIT II, combined with positive physician feedback about XIENCE V, indicates that XIENCE has significant potential to meet critical next- generation drug-eluting stent needs for physicians and patients," said John M. Capek, Ph.D., president, Cardiac Therapies, Abbott Vascular.

The company indicated it will not pursue commercialization of its ZoMaxx Drug-Eluting Coronary Stent System. Nevertheless, nine-month clinical data from ZOMAXX I, Abbott's international ZoMaxx trial, will be presented at the TCT scientific sessions in Washington D.C. on October 23, 2006.

For more information, visit www.abbott.com.