November 12, 2012 — Boston Scientific Corp. and the University of Rochester Medical Center presented positive results from the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial-Reduce Inappropriate Therapy (MADIT-RIT) clinical trial that demonstrated improved programming of Boston Scientific dual-chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) heart devices can reduce inappropriate therapy and risk of death.

November 8, 2012 — Results of the RESPECT clinical trial, presented at TCT 2012, indicates that using an investigational medical device to close a PFO, or “hole in the heart,” may be superior to medical management alone in the prevention of a repeated stroke.

November 8, 2012 — A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee is meeting Dec. 5 to discuss how to classify and regulate intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABPs), which have been grandfathered without clear policy since the FDA tightened regulations on medical devices in the late 1970s. The panel will also discuss classifications for two other grandfathered technologies, including external counter-pulsating (ECP) devices and cardiopulmonary bypass blood pumps.