Thursday, February 2, 2012

Boston Scientific's new stent gets first patient implant

By Michelle Lang

Boston Scientific Corp. has brought its newly approved drug-eluting stent, the Promus Element Plus Everolimus-Eluting Platinum Chromium Coronary Stent System, to Europe with its first patient implant.

The stent landed regulatory approval in the U.S. and in Europe in 2011,  and conducted its first patient implant in Milan, Italy.

Like its predecessor, the Promus Element Stent, the new Promus Element Plus stent is made of a platinum chromium alloy and used for coronary stenting. However, the new stent is made with a dual-layer balloon design with an improved catheter delivery system and better visibility, the Natick medical device company said in a news release. 

The company’s earlier Promus Element stent model was introduced in China last October,  underscoring Boston Scientific’s plan announced in July to invest $150 million into growing its commercial presence in the Asian country over the next five years.