Boston Scientific Stent, With New Drug Coating, Wins FDA Approval

Boston Scientific (NYSE: [[ticker:BSX]]) said today the FDA has approved a new type of stent for propping open clogged coronary arteries. The FDA cleared for sale the Promus stent that secretes everolimus, a drug designed to reduce scar tissue around the device and reduce blockages. Natick, MA-based Boston Scientific currently sells the Taxus stent coated with paclitaxel, so the approval means it can now offer stents in the U.S. with two different drugs. The Promus stent is manufactured by Abbott Laboratories, and distributed by Boston Scientific.

Author: Luke Timmerman

Luke is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences. He has served as national biotechnology editor for Xconomy and national biotechnology reporter for Bloomberg News. Luke got started covering life sciences at The Seattle Times, where he was the lead reporter on an investigation of doctors who leaked confidential information about clinical trials to investors. The story won the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award and several other national prizes. Luke holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and during the 2005-2006 academic year, he was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT.