Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) is touting the results of a study of its bio-resorbable stent for the treatment of coronary artery disease.
The Abbott Park, Ill.-based healthcare products conglomerate said that in 101 procedures of the Absorb device, only 6.9 percent of patients suffered from a major adverse cardiac event after one year. Further, the company said there were zero reports of thromboses or blood clots and the stents had begun the process of dissolving as they are designed to do.
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The Absorb device, like other stents, works by opening up and providing support to clogged arteries. Unlike its metal counterparts, however, the device is designed to dissolve within approximately two years after implantation, according to Abbott. The device is comprised of polylactide, a bio-compatible substance used in medical implants such as resorbable sutures. Because it eventually disappears, the necessity to treat stent recipients with long-term dual anti-platelet therapy “may be reduced,” the company said.
The Absorb clinical trial is a two-phase study that enrolled 131 patients from Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland and Switzerland. The company said key endpoints include safety — defined as the rate of major adverse cardiac events and treated-site thrombosis rates — at 30 days and at six, nine, 12 and 24 months. The findings were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting in New Orleans.
Abbott won approval from European regulators for Absorb in January.
