Boston Scientific Stent May Prevent Restenosis

NEW YORK-A tiny scaffold created to prop open arteries after angioplasty procedures may help prevent restenosis-a reoccurring thickening of the cardiovascular arteries and vessels.

The scaffold, also known as a stent, has been perfected by Boston Scientific-a medical company based in Natick, Mass. Company researchers added a coating of the drug paclitaxel to the stent before using them in a clinical trail of patients who were undergoing angioplasty.

The results showed that none of the 31 patients who received the coated stet later developed restenosis. In the second group, 30 patients received the same stent without the coating and 11% developed the condition. There were no adverse events reported.

The company reports testing will continue on a larger scale and the stent is expected to be launched in Europe in 2002. It is expected to be on the American market by 2003.

For more information about Boston Scientific, log onto: www.bsci.com.

Information from www.latimes.com