Abbott (NYSE:ABT) said yesterday that Health Canada approved its Absorb bioresorbable coronary stent.
The Absorb everolimus-eluting stent, which is designed to dissolve completely after approximately 3 years, won pre-market approval from the FDA earlier this month.
“Abbott’s goal is to help people everywhere live better, fuller and healthier lives,” vascular senior vice president Deepak Nath said in prepared remarks. “The Absorb bioresorbable stent treats coronary artery disease without committing people to a permanent metal implant – giving them peace of mind and helping them get back to their daily lives without the concern of having a permanent metallic implant. We’re very excited to bring the promise of Absorb to patients in Canada.”
“The Absorb stent is a significant advance in the way that coronary artery disease can be treated,” added Dr. Philippe L.-L’Allier of the Montreal Heart Institute. “Its novel technology means that once the stent has dissolved, the treated artery can pulse and flex as demands on the heart change with everyday activities. It also means physicians can more easily offer their patients other treatment options if necessary in a patient’s future.”
Abbott said it plans to have the device on the Canadian market this summer; the device landed CE Mark approval in the European Union in May 2015.
The Absorb stent is set to compete with Medtronic‘s (NYSE:MDT) Resolute stent and Boston Scientific‘s (NYSE:BSX) Synergy and Promus stents. Synergy’s polymer coating used to deliver a drug disappears over time, leaving a bare-metal stent in place.
