April 22, 2008 - A dose of 80 mg of Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) reduced the risk of heart attack and stroke by 32 percent in patients who have heart disease and chronic kidney disease compared with patients taking the 10 mg dose of Lipitor, according to a five-year Treating to New Targets (TNT) study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

April 22, 2008 - Beating heart coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) saved $1,684 per procedure, which were performed using the C-Port Distal Anastomosis Systems, compared with the cost of traditional on-pump CABG surgery.

Cardica Inc. and Genesis Medical Center reported results from a six-month economic analysis comparing the cost of off-pump, beating heart CABG procedures. The $1,684 per procedure savings included the cost of the C-Port systems in the beating heart cases, compared to traditional bypass surgery.

April 22, 2008 - Thoratec Corp. received FDA approval of its PMA (PreMarket Approval) application, allowing the use of its HeartMate II LVAS (Left Ventricular Assist System) as a bridge-to-transplantation (BTT) in patients suffering from advanced-stage heart failure.

April 22, 2008 - CardiacAssist has placed the TandemHeart System at five new medical centers, adding to its network of hospitals worldwide using the TandemHeart System in the Cath Lab and/or Operating Room for extracorporeal circulatory support.

The five new TandemHeart Centers of Excellence are:

- Advanced Perfusion Care, Pinehurst, NC
- Provena St. Joseph Medical Center, Joliet, IL
- Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Sarasota, FL
- St. Joseph Hospital of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
- Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA

April 22, 2008 - Defibtech's automated external defibrillators (AEDs) meet the American Heart Association's new hands-only CPR guidelines by providing voice prompts, the company said.

April 22, 2008 - Onset Medical received CE Mark Clearance to begin marketing its SoloPath transseptal access catheter in the European Union and select countries worldwide, offering a devie to allow percutaneous access to the chambers of the left heart and surrounding vasculature.

April 21, 2008 - The first patients were treated in a U.S. feasibility study using the Edwards Lifesciences SAPIEN transcatheter heart valve in addressing a congenital condition in which the valve between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery is nonfunctional.

April 21, 2008 - Rapid cooling prior to reperfusion significantly reduced overall myocardial infarct size and protected the heart from other injury, according to a study by Cardium Therapeutics and its operating unit InnerCool Therapies, reported a study published online by BioMed Central (BMC) Cardiovascular Disorders (2008, 8:7, April 10, 2008).

April 16, 2008 - Boston Scientific Corp. will acquire CryoCor, Inc. and pay a cash purchase price of $1.35 per share of CryoCor, or approximately $17.6 million, as Boston Scientific pursues therapeutic solutions for atrial fibrillation (Afib).

April 21, 2008 - Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc. said last week it received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to market its 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) coated central venous catheter (CVC).

The 5-FU CVC is the first drug-eluting medical device to be researched and developed completely in-house by Angiotech's research and development department. The company said it will be stepping stone for development of other implantable devices that utilize the same proprietary anti-infective technology.

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