Minnesota medical device giant Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) announced immediate launch of its NC Euphora coronary balloon dilation catheter following approval from European regulators.
The company is showing off the device for the 1st time this week during the EuroPCR 2104 congress in Paris, touting everything from the NC Euphora’s new tip design to its environmentally friendly packaging.
The non-compliant balloon helps ensure implanted drug-eluting stents are fully apposed so that they can properly transfer therapy to the artery wall, reducing the risk for restenosis and stent thrombosis related to under-expansion.
"When using a non-compliant balloon, deliverability and re-cross are important characteristics, especially when faced with challenging coronary anatomy," NC Euphora balloon pre-clinical researcher Robert Gerber said in prepared remarks on behalf of the company. "The NC Euphora balloon was designed to meet these demands and provide reliable performance with no trade-offs in the moment that we need it most."
The device is the latest in a dozen new product launches that Medtronic has planned over the next 2 years, Medtronic said. The NC Euphora is not yet on the market in the U.S.
Medtronic released news of the E.U. win shortly after announcing a major update in its long-running patent infringement battle with arch-rival Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) over transcatheter heart valve technologies.
The companies announced this morning that they put to rest their international patent infringement war in a deal that will see Medtronic pay royalties through April 2022 of at least $40 million annually, in addition to a $750 million one-time payment. Neither company admitted to any infringement as part of the settlement.