Cordis Corp., the stent-making division of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) inked a worldwide distribution deal with Ostial Solutions for a stent-positioning system designed to treat aorto-ostial blockages.
Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Ostial makes the Ostial Pro stent positioning system, which it sells in the U.S. Under the terms of the deal with Bridgewater, N.J.-based Cordis, the J&J subsidiary plans to roll the system out worldwide during the first half of 2011.
Aorto-ostial blockages where blood vessels branch out from the aorta, in the right and left main coronary arteries, coronary bypass grafts and the renal arteries. The blockages make up about 95 percent of all renal stent interventions and 8 percent of coronary stent interventions. The worldwide market for the procedure is estimated to be roughly 300,000 cases a year, according to a press release.
The stent positioning system allows surgeons to align the stent with the origin of the blood vessel at its junction with the aorta — known as the ostium. Dr. Campbell Rogers, Cordis Corp.’s chief medical officer and head of its global research and development operations, said the system “should become a standard element of aorto-ostial stenting.”
“Ostial Pro is a simple solution to a principal challenge of aorto-ostial stent positioning by providing visual and tactile identification of the true ostium,” Rogers said in prepared remarks. “The Ostial Pro facilitates precise stent implantation of aorto-ostial stents by identifying the true ostium. This can help make precise stent placement easier, safer, and more predictable. This technology may reduce the need for additional stents and may reduce the risk of having to perform another intervention for restenosis. Based on these benefits, this simple device should become a standard element of aorto-ostial stenting.”
