
St. Jude Medical Inc. (NYSE:STJ) will sponsor a clinical study that will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a method of treating patients with coronary artery disease.
The study will analyze the health and cost effects of Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR), a measure that indicates the severity of blood flow blockages in the coronary arteries, according to a statement from St. Jude. FFR helps physicians better identify which lesions are responsible for a patient’s decreased blood supply in the heart.
The research will evaulate cost savings and health benefits of FFR-guided treatment of coronary artery disease patients for six European countries and Canada, based on a previous study by St. Jude and country-specific data.
St. Jude sells FFR measurement systems under the brand “PressureWire.” Blood flow blockages are typically evaluated via angiography, an X-ray examination of the blood vessels or chambers of the heart.