February 1, 2008 - Medtronic Inc. has received approval from the FDA for the Endeavor Zotarolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent System to be used in the treatment of coronary artery disease.

February 1, 2008 - Medical Ventures Corp. signed an agreement to acquire two vascular product development companies, which the company expects will bring several new vascular therapies into its product pipeline and provide short and long-term revenue opportunities.

February 1, 2008 - Abbott has received reimbursement approval in France for its XIENCE V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System, the first drug eluting stent to demonstrate clinical superiority over another drug eluting stent in a randomized clinical trial, according to the manufacturer.

The French Health Authority (Haute Autorite de Sante) granted XIENCE V an ASA Level IV medical benefit rating (Amelioration du Service Attendu). Abbott’s XIENCE V drug eluting stent will become available to all public and private hospitals throughout France in February.

February 1, 2008 - Stentys' bifurcated stent was successfully implanted recently into a 49-year-old male patient at the ThoraxCenter, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, marking the sixth successful implantation of the Stentys bifurcated stent platform.

February 1, 2008 - NightHawk Radiology will be a radiology provider for the High-Risk Plaque Initiative (HRP Initiative), a joint research effort to advance the understanding and management of high-risk plaque, which is believed to be the primary underlying cause of heart attacks and strokes.

January 31, 2008 - Stentys' bifurcated stent was successfully implanted recently into a 49-year-old male patient at the ThoraxCenter, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, marking the sixth successful implantation of the bifurcated stent platform, according to the company.

January 30, 2008 - Aporo Biomedical signed an exclusive global licensing agreement with mNEMOSCIENCE GmbH for its proprietary biodegradable shape memory polymers (BIO-SMP), enabling Aporo to offer devices with biodegradable closure features for treating structural heart diseases such as PFO and ASD.

January 30, 2008 - Cardica Inc.’s C-Port Distal Anastomosis Systems will be used in two courses to train cardiothoracic surgeons at the 2008 STS University, during the 44th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

In addition to the C-Port systems, the PAS-Port Proximal Anastomosis System will also be shown. Cardica’s C-Port systems are designed to allow surgeons to automate distal anastomosis, replacing traditional hand-sewn sutures.

January 30, 2008 - Iroko Pharmaceuticals (Iroko) acquired all non-U.S. commercial rights to Aggrastat (tirofiban HCl) from Merck & Co. Inc., used for patients undergoing coronary angioplasty or atherectomy to prevent cardiac ischemic complications, in a move Iroko hopes will strengthen its presence in the cardiovascular market.

January 30, 2008 - Cardiac Science Corp. won two contracts to supply Powerheart automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and program management services to hundreds of locations worldwide, as Cardiac Science aims to market AEDs as accessible defibrillation in the workplace.

The recent Cardiac Science deals are with the following companies:
- CH2M HILL: Cardiac Science signed an exclusive five-year deal to supply Powerheart AEDs and program management services at all of CH2M HILL locations in the U.S. CH2M HILL has more than 23,000 employees in offices around the world.

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