The biggest names in interventional cardiology are in San Francisco this week for the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics symposium, one of the Prime battlegrounds in the long-running stent wars between the likes of Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX), Abbott (NYSE:ABT) and Medtronic (NYSE:MDT).
Until this year, Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) Cordis Corp. would have been in the thick of things, but the company earlier this year announced that it will be exiting the coronary stent market by the end of 2011.
Still, there’s no shortage of jousting at the event, as each company touts clinical trial results for their respective offerings. Medtronic, the world’s largest pure-play medical device maker but a relative newcomer to the stents game, said data from a pair of trials comparing its Resolute drug-eluting stent with Abbott’s Xience V (the current market leader) showed "strong results, even in challenging diabetes patients."
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The first data set compared outcomes in 1,535 patients with both coronary artery disease and diabetes, across five separate trials, with outcomes for patients without diabetes after one year. The data set was then compared "for contemporary context" with outcomes of patients treated with the Xience V DES.
The study "shows very similar and low rates of events across these patient subsets. No differences were observed between the Resolute and Xience arms after propensity adjustment in this post-hoc analysis," according to a press release.
Medtronic also ran a post-hoc study of two-year safety data from the Resolute trial, once again comparing that DES with the Xience V.
"No differences were observed between the Resolute and Xience arms after propensity adjustment," according to the release.
The results are significant because Medtronic is waiting for the FDA to review the Resolute stent. If it finds favor with the federal watchdog agency, it could become a serious competitor for the Xience V.
For its part, Abbott focused on its own next-generation line of products:
- A study of the recently approved Xience Prime DES, which it said showed that "the safety and effectiveness profile for Xience Prime is similar and consistent with that of Xience V;"
- Positive clinical results for its Absorb bioresorbable stent
- Evidence that its MitraClip mitral valve device "holds promise for patients who are at high risk for complications during surgery."
Here’s a look at some other results coming out the TCT 2011 conference:
Medtronic: Endeavor beats BSX’s Taxus
Medtronic also fired shots across Boston Scientific’s bow, saying five-year data on its Endeavor zotarolimus-eluting stent show it outperforming the Taxus paclitaxel-eluting stent "on standard measures of safety and efficacy." Read more
BSX: Next-gen Ion (read "Taxus Element") beats older Taxus models
Boston Scientific said results from its trials of the latest-generation Ion platinum-chromium version of the Taxus platform showed its superiority to older paclitaxel-eluting Taxus models. Read more
BSX: Promus Element efficacious in treating long lesions
BSX also presented data showing its Promus Element everolimus-eluting stent was effective in treating patients with long coronary lesions of between 24mm and 34mm. Read more
BSX: Don’t forget about the Wallstent for carotid indications
A third study showed that BSX’s carotid Wallstent Monorail endoprosthesis, when used with its FilterWire EZ embolic protection system, is a "safe alternative" to carotid endarterectomy in patients with carotid artery stenosis who are at increased risk for surgery. Read more
Abiomed: Impella is cost-effective, too
Abiomed (NSDQ:ABMD) touted an independent economic study it said showed the cost-effectiveness of its Impella heart pump and announced the inclusion of guidelines for using the Impella by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Read more
Sunshine Heart: C-Pulse cardiac assist feasibility study is done
Sunshine Heart (ASX:SHC)
said it’s completed the feasibility trial of its own cardiac assist device, the C-Pulse, and is working with the FDA to develop a pivotal trial it hopes to launch next year. Read more
And check out these briefs from TCT Daily:
- Coming to Grips with CLOSURE I: PFO Device Plus Medical Therapy Not Superior to Medical Therapy Alone
- Stent Grafts Found Effective for SFA Patients with Moderate, Long Lesions
- New Stem Cell Therapies Promising in Severe Heart Disease
- Early Discontinuation of DAPT May Increase Risk of Stent Thrombosis
- DES Noninferior for Survival Compared with BMS in STEMI
- No Change Seen in European TAVR Clinical Use Patterns
