March 7, 2012 — Critical Diagnostics announced results from a multi-center study in ambulatory heart failure patients which confirmed that a contemporary panel of biomarkers, including ST2, was strongly predictive of risk and significantly improved the likelihood of identifying patients at risk for adverse events compared to the Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM).

March 7, 2012 — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted biopharmaceutical development company BioLineRx for a new medical device for prevention of cardiac remodeling following an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Additional patents claiming for the BL-1040 device composition and its use for the treatment of ventricular remodeling and congestive heart failure due to acute myocardial infarction are granted or pending in Europe, Japan, Canada, Korea, Mexico, Israel, India, China and Australia.

March 7, 2012 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the Abbott Absolute Pro vascular self-expanding stent system for use in iliac artery peripheral artery disease (PAD) lesions.

March 7, 2012 — Covidien announced the global launch of the Optivantage dual-head computed tomography (CT) contrast media delivery system with simultaneous injection.

March 7, 2012 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified healthcare professionals of updates to the prescribing information concerning interactions between protease inhibitors and certain statin drugs. Protease inhibitors and statins taken together may raise the blood levels of statins and increase the risk for muscle injury, or myopathy.

March 7, 2012 — Four leading heart organizations representing cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons released initial recommendations for creating and maintaining transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) programs. The recommendations are aimed at ensuring optimal care for patients with aortic stenosis, a form of valvular heart disease, as use of the new TAVR procedure grows.

March 6, 2012 — In a development that brings advanced combination therapy treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) to Japanese patients for the first time, Cook Medical has received PMDA approval to sell the Zilver PTX Drug-Eluting Peripheral Stent in Japan. The device, indicated for treating PAD in the superficial femoral artery (SFA), is the first stent available in Japan approved for use in the SFA. Its approval also makes Zilver PTX the only drug-eluting peripheral stent available in that country.

March 6, 2012 — Vascular Magnetics announced it has raised $7 million to advance development of a drug delivery system using magnetically targeted nanoparticles to treat peripheral artery disease (PAD). Based in West Philadelphia, the company announced that Devon Park Bioventures, of Wayne, Pa., is the sole investor in the Series A financing agreement.

March 6, 2012 — Medtronic Inc. announced the launch of the CapSure Sense MRI SureScan pacing leads, which are approved for use during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the receipt of the CE mark.

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