Medtronic Gets Drug Coated Stent Ok’d
February 4th, 2008 joshua
Despite speculation about the effectiveness of drug coated stents, the Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of another.
The Medtronic “Endeavor” stent is the first medical device of its kind to be approved in the United States since 2006, when drug-coated stents were linked to an increased risk of heart attacks.
Medtronic says it will ship 100,000 stents to U.S. hospitals in February, according to news site AllHeadlineNews.com.
Drug-coated stents are linked to heart problems in patients receiving the device. Though the stents seem to clear an artery, blockages are occurring at the stent location, according to previous reports, including several articles on this blog.
The rate of effectiveness in the newer, drug-coated stents, is being weighed against the use of the classic metal stent.
Last week we reported on this blog that a pair of Texas men were suing Medtronic over the “loss of enjoyment of life” because of this company’s implanted heart defibrillator.












