November 15, 2011 — Data from the BRIDGE clinical trial demonstrate that intravenous use of the drug cangrelor was effective at maintaining platelet inhibition in patients on thienopyridines who required bypass surgery. Trial results were presented at the 23rd annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation.

November 15, 2011 — A randomized clinical trial examining angioplasty approaches in patients with ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (STEACS) suggests the transradial approach should be the recommended access route. The results of the trial found transradial access preferable to the femoral approach.

November 15, 2011 — A new clinical trial is testing the efficacy of rotational atherectomy (or rotablation, a process of drilling through plaque deposits) prior to implantation of a drug-eluting stent (DES). The trial found the process was not superior to standard balloon angioplasty and decreased the efficacy of the stent in reducing new tissue growth within the blood vessel.

November 14, 2011 – Boston Scientific welcomed positive outcomes from the COBRA clinical trial, which evaluated post-dilation of nitinol stents using CryoPlasty therapy with the PolarCath peripheral dilatation system compared to stenting with conventional balloon angioplasty in patients with diabetes presenting with blockages of the superficial femoral artery (SFA). The trial was funded through an unrestricted grant from Boston Scientific.

November 14, 2011 – OrbusNeich announced the introduction of the Combo dual therapy stent during a breakfast symposium chaired by Martin B. Leon, M.D., professor of medicine and director of the Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy at Columbia University Medical Center, New York, at Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2011 in San Francisco.

November 14, 2011 – The TWENTE clinical trial, which compared Resolute versus Xience V drug-eluting stents in a real-world population established non-inferiority between the two stents as measured by the primary endpoint: target vessel failure (TVF) at one year. Both stents also demonstrated low rates of stent thrombosis. Trial results were presented at the 23rd annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation.

November 14, 2011 – The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) reported that the Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized the value of contrast agents in echocardiography and made very positive revisions to the U.S. label for Definity, an ultrasound contrast agent produced by Lantheus Medical Imaging.