Sanofi-aventis announced that the Phase III TAMARIS trial evaluating the investigational angiogenic therapy NV1FGF (riferminogen pecaplasmid) did not meet its primary endpoint. The primary endpoint was to demonstrate the superiority of NV1FGF vs. placebo in the prevention of major amputation or death from any cause over 12 months, whichever came first, in critical limb ischemia patients who were not eligible for revascularization.

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Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and partner Athersys, Inc. announced updated results from its phase I clinical trial of MultiStem®, its allogeneic cell therapy product, administered to individuals following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), commonly referred to as a heart attack. The updated study results were presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) Conference held in Washington, D.C. The results demonstrate that MultiStem was well tolerated at all dose levels and suggest improvement in heart function in patients.

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The FDA has approved Medronic’s Integrity Coronary Stent System, based on an advanced biomedical engineering called continuous sinusoid technology, enabling the exploration of other new device concepts, such as a polymer-free drug-filled stent. The stent is said to feature a new, more flexible construction which is easier for surgeons to insert. A stent is a metal mesh which is placed inside an artery after it has been cleared of blockage.

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Transcatheter heart valve company CardiAQ Valve Technologies (“CVT”) has announced that its Phase 1 porcine model study has clearly demonstrated the capability of its proprietary transcatheter delivery system to successfully and repeatedly deliver a mitral valve implant. The results of this significant research will be presented on Wed., Sept. 22, at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (“TCT”) scientific meeting in Washington, D.C.

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CorMatrix Cardiovascular, Inc. announced that FDA has granted conditional approval for the start of a multi-center, randomized clinical trial to demonstrate the safety of the CorMatrix ECM for Pericardial Closure to reduce the incidence of new onset postoperative atrial fibrillation. Patients enrolled in the trial will undergo circumferential reconstruction of the normal pericardial anatomy following isolated, first-time, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures and will be compared to subjects who do not undergo pericardial closure.

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Medtronic, Inc. has announced the CE (Conformité Européene) mark and international launch of the Resolute Integrity Stent System for the treatment of coronary artery disease, a leading cause of death and poor quality of life. The Resolute Integrity Stent System features a novel drug-eluting coronary stent with superior deliverability the ability of the device to traverse the patient’s vasculature and reach the blockage in the heart artery.

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Celera Corporation announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued United States Patent 7,781,168 relating to methods of determining heart attack risk by detecting the Ile4399Met genetic polymorphism in the protease-like domain of LPA. Studies have shown this variant of the LPA gene is associated with a two-fold higher risk of major cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke and cardiovascular death)1-4.

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Boston Scientific Corporation has announced the start of patient enrollment in the EVOLVE clinical trial, which is designed to assess the safety and performance of its fourth-generation SYNERGY™ Coronary Stent. The SYNERGY Stent uses a bioabsorbable PLGA polymer and everolimus drug formulation to create a thin, uniform coating confined to the outer surface of the stent. Once the drug has been delivered, the bioabsorbable coating resorbs into the body, leaving behind only a bare-metal stent.

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