January 29, 2008 - Edwards Lifesciences Corp. received conditional approval from the FDA for the addition of the Ascendra transapical delivery system to the U.S. pivotal clinical trial of the Edwards SAPIEN transcatheter aortic heart valve technology.

The FDA also granted permission to Edwards to increase its trial sample size from 600 patients to 1,040 patients. These approvals enable Edwards to address a larger population of patients who may have few or no options for treatment of their heart valve disease.

January 29, 2008 - The Medicines Company received the European Commission�s authorization of an expanded use for Angiox (bivalirudin) in adult patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), specifically patients with unstable angina (UA) or non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) planned for urgent or early intervention, when used with aspirin and clopidogrel.

January 28, 2008 - A new multi-center, international clinical trial that compares the safety and effectiveness of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) to open surgery for descending thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA), indicates that TEVAR (the less invasive endovascular graft) is a promising treatment option for many patients.

January 29, 2008 � A novel treatment for blood clots in the legs, in which injecting or �lacing� the clot with a fiber-binding thrombolytic agent effectively treats deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and reduces the risk of subsequent recurrence or bleeding, according to a pilot study published in the February issue of Radiology.

Spectrum Surgical Instruments Corp. has assembled 42 brushes in designing its endoscopic instrument cleaning brush kit.

Using surgical stainless steel twisted wire shafts and white, medical-grade anti-microbial bristles this collection of brushes offers the diameters and lengths to assist in cleaning take-apart instruments, suction irrigators, and all other types of instruments used in endoscopic procedures. All brushes are reusable and are packaged in units of three.

January 2008

Power Medical Interventions Inc. said the FDA cleared its 510(k) application for marketing its intelligent iDrive surgical devices, which includes a suite of reusable, self-contained, hand-held devices that can be used to power and control PMI�s existing suite of Digital Loading Units.

Janssen-Cilag International NV announced IONSYS (fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system), a new needle-free system for the management of acute post-operative pain in a hospital setting, will become available in Germany, the U.K. and Ireland this week.

These countries represent the first markets to launch this product, and additional launches in other European countries are planned for the coming months.

NEC Electronics America Inc. introduced two new color, 21.3-inch diagonal amorphous-silicon thin-film transistor (TFT) liquid-crystal display (LCD) modules for medical imaging applications.

January 28, 2008 - Inverness Medical Innovations will acquire Matria Healthcare, Inc. for approximately $1.18 billion, consisting of approximately $900 million to acquire the Matria shares of common stock and assumption of approximately $280 million of Matria's indebtedness outstanding, which will further Inverness' approach of bringing its proprietary diagnostic products into the home.

January 28, 2008 - Terumo Interventional Systems launches the AZUR Peripheral HydroCoil Embolization System for the occlusion of blood vessels, vascular malformations and aneurysms, extending its interventional device portfolio.

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